Just about every culture has some sort of a flatbread that is one of the basic dishes in its culinary lexicon.

Tortillas, for example, are one of the most popular and widely used flatbreads in the world. The corn tortilla dates back possibly as far as 10,000 B.C., to the Mayans. In modern terms, that's roughly 11, 970 years before the first Taco Bell drive-through opened.

But not every culture can cut that flatbread into pieces and deep-fry them to make a versatile, tasty snack food. Try frying crepe slices and they'll explode.

Tortillas, however, fry up very nicely. Whether corn or flour, a wedge of tortilla dropped in hot oil will reward you with a crispy snack that's one of the most versatile chips around. Whether seasoned only with salt or with any of a dizzying variety of flavorings, tortilla chips are one of the United States' most popular snack foods.

For this test, we will compare six widely available versions of tortilla chips, two made with white corn flour and four using yellow corn. White corn chips are usually thought of as "restaurant style," while the yellow corn chips are the ones most of us have tried first in the form of Doritos.

Speaking of Doritos: You won't find them in this test. Frito-Lay already has two entries in the form of two Tostitos varieties, and with Toasted Corn Doritos no longer widely available, we decided to leave them out.

The chips were rated by our five testers based on crunch, taste and on how well they went with salsa, since what are tortilla chips without salsa? Nutritional information is included for each entry, based on a 1-ounce serving … although if you can eat just one ounce of tortilla chips you probably aren't really trying.

First, our white corn entries, which are generally lighter and crisper than their yellow-corn brothers.

Santitas: 140 calories, 6 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 115 mg sodium, 19 grams carbs.

These had a stout crunch reminiscent of a yellow corn chip. The flavor was nicely toasty with a good, but not overpowering, salty hit. They stood up well to the salsa, lending a nice corn undertone to the salsa spice. Even after a handful, none of the testers reported any greasy aftertaste. Final score: 94.

Tostitos: 150 calories, 8 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 18 grams carbs.

The first impression of these chips was the somewhat flat crunch. They didn't crunch beyond the first bite. The flavor was very floury, with heavy salt. The first three chips dragged through the salsa broke, but careful scooping yielded adequate results, if not impressive flavor. There was a fair bit of greasy aftertaste after a handful. Final score: 71.

And now, we venture into the heartier world of yellow-corn chips.

Full Circle Organic: 150 calories, 7 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 18 grams carbs.

Where the Santitas were stouter than expected, these were lighter. One tester said they tasted more like Fritos than tortilla chips, and that was echoed by others. The saltiness was muted, almost too much so. Their flavor basically disappeared under the salsa, adding very little beyond a slight crunch. Final score: 65.

Tostitos Natural: 140 calories, 6 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 100 mg sodium, 19 grams carbs.

One thing common to most yellow-corn chips is their triangular shape. That doesn't hold true here, as these are big, sprawling chips like the white-corn Tostitos. The crunch was light, but not wimpy, and the salt tang was mellow. They added a bit of corn flavor to the salsa but played well with it. The only real downcheck was the excessive greasy aftertaste after a handful. Final score: 84.

Snyder's of Hanover: 140 calories, 4.5 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 135 mg sodium, 23 grams carbs.

These were the only chips in the test that garnered active dislike from any of the testers. They had a mealy texture and a crunch described by one tester as soggy. Perhaps that sogginess came from the greasy aftertaste, which was just about the only flavor they had beyond a fairly beefy salt hit. The chips lent an oddly bitter tang to the salsa. Final score: 47.

Utz: 140 calories, 7 grams fat, 0 cholesterol, 120 mg sodium, 18 grams carbs.

Utz is world-famous for fine potato chips, and the company's tortilla chips, while not the best in the test, are no slouch. They had a nicely stout crunch, a limited amount of greasy aftertaste and a balanced salty hit. They surrendered a bit to the salsa, giving just a hint of corn flavor. Final score: 91.

So the Santitas white corn chips are the winners by a nose, and easily the winner as the best buy for the test. A huge bag costs an average of $2, a far lower cost per ounce than any of the other entries.