By CANDICE CHOI
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK — Chipotle Cheddar. Dulce de leche Oreos. Lime-flavored beer.

So much for the days when Hispanic food amounted to dusty taco kits in the grocer’s specialty aisle. Having long ago discovered the nation’s enormous appetite for Latin cuisine, food manufacturers are infusing a growing number of American staples with Hispanic flavors.

That’s because companies have found that Latin-inspired foods not only resonate with Hispanics — at 14 percent of the population now the nation’s largest minority — but also make a splash with mainstream consumers ever on the prowl for new and exciting flavors.
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