Good Burrito Etiquette Is All About Preserving The Wrapper

The truth is, not many people may be thinking about good etiquette when eating a burrito. As a go-to for late-night meals, fans tend to order them when they're really hungry because, let's face it, they're not exactly small meals and can fill you up quick. Not to mention, the sheer joy of indulging in rice, beans, and meat or vegetables, all covered in cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and then wrapped in a ginormous tortilla. However, if you want to adhere to good burrito-eating etiquette and keep all of that goodness secure without risking everything spilling out, there's one big rule to keep in mind: Keep the wrapper.

Unless you're in a sit-down restaurant, most burritos come wrapped up in a foil or paper wrapper — or both. To preserve that perfectly packaged burrito, leave it securely tucked inside. Especially with very large burritos, the wrapping is helping to keep everything together. If you take it out, you could find the whole thing coming apart at the seams, forcing you to now basically eat a taco salad. Eating with the wrapper on isn't as scary as it sounds, either — with a few steps, you can do so and enjoy every last bite.

Generally, the folks making your big bad burrito know what they're doing. They are likely making hundreds of them a day. Still, gravity, physics, and moisture all work under their own terms and spillage and explosions are sometimes part of the burrito eating game. But, the wrapper can help keep these risks at bay, even as you eat. So, instead of unwrapping the whole burrito as soon as you sit down, do so slowly from the top down, just a couple inches at a time, as you eat it. The chances of your lunch coming apart before your very eyes are greatly limited when you do this.

Many times, burritos will come wrapped and already cut in half. The same concept applies in this situation, too. Take one half and unwrap the cut side as you eat your way through it. Even better, enjoying a burrito this way also gives you much more freedom to hold the meal securely with one hand, giving you the freedom to use your other to douse each bite with some hot sauce or perhaps scroll through social media on your lunch hour.

Another plus for using the gradual unwrapping method when eating a burrito? If you get full before you finish, you can just cover the uneaten part with the preserved wrapping and save it for later. If you do need to take breaks between bites, however, never lay a burrito on its side once you've started eating it. The fillings in large, stuffed burritos, like Mission-style ones, might easily spill out if you do. If you have to set it down, try to stand it upright.

Again, if the burrito has been rolled correctly, it should remain fairly secure, but the wrapper is there to help keep everything nice and tidy so use it to your advantage. If you've done it the right way, you shouldn't have much spillage on your plate or in your lap, and all you should be left with is a wad of wrapping that you can quickly toss away when you're done. Plus, you might have saved about a hundred napkins along the way.