Tag: Mexican food

Is a taco a sandwich?

In the last post we discussed whether a burger is a sandwich. This topic may seem like a trivial issue, and often it is, but the definition of a sandwich was recently debated in an Indiana courtroom where a judge had to rule whether tacos are sandwiches.

There is a zoning policy in Fort Wayne where a shopping center can’t have fast food outlets but it can have sandwich shops. A taco restaurant wanted to open but was told it wasn’t allowed. Apparently the restaurant owner was adamant about getting that location, so he took it to court. The judge ruled that tacos and burritos are “Mexican-style sandwiches”, so the taco place can open there.

So add that to your debate with friends about the definition of a sandwich. There’s legal evidence to support one side. Although personally I would not consider tacos or burritos to be sandwiches.

So let’s look at the official definition of a sandwich, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

1a) two or more slices of bread or a split roll have a filling in between.
1b) one slice of bread covered with food.
2) something resembling a sandwich.
especially : composite structural material consisting of layers often of high-strength facings bonded to a low strength central core.

That last definition seems problematic. I figure it’s referring to a generic use of the term for non-food items, but it doesn’t seem like a valid definition to say if something looks like a sandwich then it is. Perhaps they should clarify it as non-food usage. But I’m no etymology expert.

Also, back on topic, the first definition seems legit, but it does not include tacos or burritos, unless you are going to argue that a taco shell or tortilla is bread. I’m not prepared to go that far.

The second definition (1b) doesn’t work for me. If you accept that, then pizza is a sandwich. That stretching it too far.

Who knew it was so difficult to decide what a sandwich is? That’s what makes this a potentially fun conversation with your friends.

viewer mail, issue #10

It’s time for another installment of viewer mail!  Let’s open up the ol’ mailbag.  As always, we are taking actual search terms used to find this site, and/or questions submitted via the “Contact Us” form on the homepage.  Then we add our unique analysis and commentary, and it’s always a good time.  Let’s begin…

  • arby’s all you can eat — Capital idea!  Those beef ‘n cheddar melts are good, and having an unlimited supply of those and Arby’s curly fries would be most excellent!  I posited this idea to the Buffet o’ Blog staff, and Turtle Dundee said, “Arby’s all you can eat would be made of pure awesome, and would result in the eating of every cow in Texas and every curly potato in Idaho.”  Someone should suggest this to the higher powers at Arby’s.
  • bear attackingturn homemade bread into a bear — I… I… I don’t know what to say.  (But that’s never stopped me.)  For one, I don’t think it’s possible, at least according to the current laws of physics.  Second, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THIS?  Bread is a good thing (while still fresh) — you can make sammiches and burgers with it, and you can cover it with gravy.  Bears will kill you.  Now, I suppose that bears are edible, if you trim away much fat and then tenderize/boil the meat for many hours, but the bread is already food, so why do you want to do this?  The only thing I can think of is if you’re going to buy all the sliced bread you can and then create an army of bears to conquer the world.  But I’d rather you not do that.
  • why does mexican food cause headache — It does?!?  Since when?  If this is happening to you, then either you’ve got some really bad Mexican food or you’re allergic to it.  My own research* has revealed that Mexican food makes you feel better.  (* I eat Mexican food at least once per week, so I have extensively researched this one!)  So if you’re getting a headache every time, you need to switch restaurants.  Because there’s nothing inherently wrong with cheese enchiladas, chicken burritos, chicken tacos, chile rellenos, tostadas, and cheese dip.  I would eat this kind of food nearly every day if I still had a metabolism…
  • dealing with too much gas — Speaking of Mexican food…  🙂  This happens to us all, doesn’t it?  Sometimes you just have a lot of flatulence.  Well, since the issue is that there is a lot of gaseous pressure inside you, the only way to resolve it is to let it out.  (Now wasn’t that simple?)  I know, sometimes you’re in a public place and some people get offended way too easily, but you have to ask yourself — would you rather be uncomfortable or would you rather they be uncomfortable?  For me, the decision is easy to make.
  • throwing pies — Does this ever happen anymore?  If it does, I never see it.  I have seen it happen a bunch on The Three Stooges, and it always looked like a good time.  Even those aristocratic type people would get involved, once they got past their initial default offendedness.  I think there should be a place where this is the norm, as I have written about before.
  • can ice cream cure headaches? — I’ve never heard that it does, but it makes the pain easier to bear.  Perhaps I should research this one…
  • how to build a billion dollar palace — This one’s easy — get a billion dollars!  🙂  Really, that’s what it’s going to take, or at least close to a billion dollars.  You aren’t going to build one of those by hand.  And if you have a billion dollars, builders and architects will build just about anything you can dream of.  So your question has a really simple answer.  Just don’t ask me how to get a billion dollars, because I’m still researching that one.
  • how can someone just leave — This is another really easy one.  Just watch…