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Taco Eating Methods

July 24th, 2006

I recently went on a trip out of town. I travelled about 3 1/2 hours one way. I decided I would stop and get something to eat. Since I wanted something quick I chose to stop at a Taco Bell. During my meal I found myself taking notice of the different methods people use to eat a taco. This post is the publication of my findings.
Method Analysis

For the most part, the methods I noticed differ only in the angle of tilt of the taco. As you would imagine, the head position corresponds to the tilt angle of the taco: Method #1

Method #1 - The head of the person eating is tilted to accommodate the level position of the taco, this method is very effective since the taoc remains at its prime position (parallel with the table). No taco filling is lost while using this method, however, if the eater has a big appetite or eats slow, there can be significant neck pain or fatigue.

Method#2

Method #2 - This method calls for the slight tilt in the angle of the taco so as to not require as much of a head tilt. Method #2 was the most common method I saw being used during my meal. Because some toppings and/or filler can fall from the taco shell due to gravity, one must exercise caution when utilizing this method. In case of a large degree of droppage, it is recommended that a spork be close by for emergrncy recovery efforts.

Method #3

Method #3 - This method is highly discouraged by me for the simple fact that it almost always results in a major loss of filling. Method #3 is executed by not tilting the head at all. Rather the taco is tilted fully to allow for the head of the eater to remain in a natural rested state. Many that use this method attempt to corral the runaway filling by cupping a hand over the back of the taco to hold the meat and cheeses in. The results have not proven effective in my observations. There is nearly always a large amount of “taco debris” that must be scooped up with a spork. This seems to detract from the taco eating pleasure for most.

Findings

Since my analysis is based on the observation of a small number of taco eaters, say, 20 or 30 there is not enough data to determine which taco eating procedure can be considered the best. I prefer Method #1 because I have a strong neck and I really enjoy the filling. Some however, prefer method #3 because it requires little neck movement.

The most used method I’ve seen thus far is method number 2, the “compromisational style”. Perhaps most people prefer this method because it is the best of both worlds.

All I know is that the definitive answer will require more studying.