True cheese dip aficionados know that not only is the dish a staple of Arkansas cuisine and culture, but it’s also rumored to have Arkansan origins.
Nick Rogers, an avid cheese dip researcher, claims Blackie Donnely, the owner of Mexico Chiquito, as the creator. There are several Mexico Chiquito restaurants throughout Arkansas, with the first dating back to 1935 in North Little Rock.
After the Wall Street Journal ran a piece on Arkansas’ creation claim, Texans spoke out defending queso’s Texas origins. Shortly after, Texas and Arkansas senators blindly sampled Texas queso and Arkansas cheese dip, naming Arkansas the winner.
– Maeghen Carter, Ghidotti Communications