The Emotional Roller Coaster Of Dipping Foods

I really love chips and salsa. I love chips and guac, crackers and hummus, carrots and ranch...but I really love chips and salsa. There's so much joy in having an edible utensil. There's the art of scooping the exact right amount of salsa to compliment the chip. It's different for every various chip brand and variety, as well as the myriad of salsas. But once you find it, you aim for that perfect blend of salty corn texture and vibrant citrus punch.

Chips and salsa bring a lot of control to the eating experience as well. Your hand is closer to the food than with a fork. More precision is required. More concentration. I love the chips and salsa eating experience almost as much as I love eating chips and salsa.

There's also the community aspect. A common bowl of chips, a common bowl of salsa. You know there's a real connection with a person when you can freely double dip. (My wife and daughters in my experience) It just feels good to share such a simple, rich snack with other people.

But then there's the downside. I think I've traced it back to the reality that you're never really done eating chips and salsa. The experience ends, but you're always robbed before you are finished. Either you run out of chips, or you run out of salsa. You never use your last chip to scoop up the last bit of delicious salsa. It just doesn't work that way. You always look down at half a bowl of chips and an empty bowl of salsa, or vice versa. That's what makes me sad. I can eat a steak and some potatoes and a salad, and when my plate is clean, all the food is gone. But not with chips and salsa. There is always a component left over. Taunting me. Mocking me.

I always go back though. I really love chips and salsa.