# What Taco Bell has taught me **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814 "2009-10-23T02:33:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/41 "2009-10-24T01:26:09Z")
> [@Rhodes](#): > > I have a Chinese coworker who eats only at authentic restaurants. If the menu is in English, it’s a vile bastardization of Chinese food as far as he’s concerned. Considering how much of it was probably developed during the California Gold Rush, I consider it authentic American cuisine, and something to be proud of as part of our national heritage. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/42 "2009-10-24T01:45:27Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I hate those Dopers that go “Cite?” all the time. Still, I Googled “Grade F” and “Potatos”, and found little, except another SDMB post where you made a claim Pringles used Grade F potatos. I couldn’t even find a reference to such a thing as grade F potatos. Is there even such a thing in the US, and if so, is it legal to serve them for human consumption? Are Pringles even made with “potatoes”? I always assumed that they were made out of pressed potato flakes, like boxed mashed potatoes. So instead of starting life as a whole potato that is sliced, fried and seasoned, the company just buys potato flakes, adds some flavoring and presses them into shape. Sort of like crackers made out of potato flour instead of wheat flour. If that’s the case then does it really matter what “grade” a potato is before it becomes a powder? And, as long as it’s not moldy or un-ripe, is there such thing as a bad potato? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/43 "2009-10-24T01:55:28Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I hate those Dopers that go “Cite?” all the time. Still, I Googled “Grade F” and “Potatos”, and found little, except another SDMB post where you made a claim Pringles used Grade F potatos. USDA pdf: [http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5050438](http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5050438) Potatoes are not graded by letter, they basically have two grades (for processing type taters) "US #1, and “US #2”. Thus, he’s wrong. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/44 "2009-10-24T01:55:44Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Are Pringles even made with “potatoes”? I always assumed that they were made out of pressed potato flakes, like boxed mashed potatoes. So instead of starting life as a whole potato that is sliced, fried and seasoned, the company just buys potato flakes, adds some flavoring and presses them into shape. Sort of like crackers made out of potato flour instead of wheat flour. > > If that’s the case then does it really matter what “grade” a potato is before it becomes a powder? And, as long as it’s not moldy or un-ripe, is there such thing as a bad potato? If I’m correctly recalling the proper episode of _Unwrapped_, you are right. Pringles are made out of potato flakes, _not_ potato slices (that’s how they get such a nice even shape to all of them; you know, the shape that fits so beautifully over your tongue and against the roof of your mouth?😉 ). I agree that unless the potato they’re turning into flakes, to mold into Pringles, is spoiled, it doesn’t matter what the ‘rating’ is! ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/45 "2009-10-24T02:05:27Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Hopefully, you’ll decide to attend another Dopefest someday. > > 😃 > (The Cleveland crowd is pretty cool, though. 🙂 ) I wasnt going to say anything, (no one likes a wannabe globe-trotter, which was what my initial post was all about in the first place) but what the hell, odds are I will never meet any of you… but …since I last saw this couple that I was talking about in my original post, I have been able to travel to Europe on 8 different occasions (since 2001). This is all thanks to a few assorted friends and relatives who work for Delta, (they have a hub here in SLC) who have been generous enough to have hooked me up with “buddy passes” that allow me to fly (usually business or 1st class, no less) RT from Salt Lake to several different European cities for a little over $200 in taxes and fees. If I do run into the Sophisticated Epicures again, I might have a hard time refraining myself from doing a bit of one-upmanship of my own… ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/46 "2009-10-24T02:10:30Z")
I think what applies to this case of grading is this [U.S Standards for Grades of Potatoes for Chipping PDF](http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5050437). Although, there is no A-E grading. The orthodox chipping industry does have some high standards for their potatoes due to the unforgiving nature of defects in their dissected and transparent final product. That was sort of the genius and bottomline moneymaker of Pringle’s “reconstituted” potato chip, they could just use the freeze dried processed flake product and eliminate waste due to quality control. I however don’t necessarily discount the A-E grading scale within initiial agricultural sorting- It could be an “in-house” or common agricultural/industrial, cosmetic, sorting method and scaling as they come off the truck. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/47 "2009-10-24T02:45:36Z")
> [@Tahssa](#): > > Has anyone tried their black tacos yet? They sound good. I recently tried their volcano tacos and those were awesome. I like them. They come with the sauce that they used to use in Santa Fe style gorditas and chalupas. Man do I miss those things, best thing at Taco Bell. At least I think that’s the sauce… last time I ate one of those it was many years ago and I may be getting the taste confused with something else. I noticed that the taco bell near me (not sure if it’s national) now has regular crunchy tacos at $.39 as a regular menu price - not a special day or time or anything. How can you manage to sell food that cheaply? Do the cows walk themselves to your back door and then slaughter themselves to save on costs? If I was super poor, I’d consider starting myself on the 10 crunchy tacos per day for $3.90 diet. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/48 "2009-10-24T03:28:43Z")
There is probably some perfect Corporate Incest going on with some freeze dried potato flake manufacturer and Proctor and Gamble (Pringle’s Mothership). ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/49 "2009-10-24T03:40:46Z")
As long as they keep the sulfites out of the flakes I’m good. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/50 "2009-10-24T04:14:49Z")
Sulfites and Nitrates… it’s got electrolytes! It’s like having the Incredible Hulk in your pants! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/51 "2009-10-24T04:43:29Z")
And a shut-down order to my lungs! ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/52 "2009-10-24T07:03:54Z")
Some book I once read had the following line: “All extremists are nutters.” I’m finding that more and more apt as time goes on. Some things do make a difference: Bounty paper towels and Charmin asswipe are far and away superior to any alternative your mother says “…is almost as good!” If more than 50% of your recipe calls for chocolate, for the love of GOD please spend a couple of extra bucks and spring for something better than Baker’s or Hershey’s. Your feet and wallet will be much, MUCH happier if you buy that one pair of $150 shoes instead of 10 pairs of $15 BOGO Payless shoes. Oven roasted garlic+butter is a million times better than sprinkling garlic powder on margarined toast. Wonder Bread is neither bread nor wonderful. But trust me - once you dice up those green peppers and smother them in sauce, no one - NO one - will be able to tell you whether they came from that exclusive organic farmers market or the local big-box grocery. Unless it’s actually gone rancid, few will notice that the olive oil in which you sauteed your mire poix came from the bottom shelf rather than the top. I’m a huge fan of the slow food/buy local/buy in season movement because I think it’s important to favor small, local growers over international conglomerates\* and I don’t mind spending a little extra to do that every now and again, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to drive 20 miles to buy the perfect radish. And, finally - salt? SALT? It’s a ROCK! Under which I shall make you crawl if you try to tell me your version is better. You’re stupid. Go away. \*Take your problems with that statement elsewhere; it’s not my main point and I’m not going to argue semantics with you. Becuase you’re a nutter.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tinkertoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@Tinkertoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinkertoy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/53 "2009-10-24T09:30:08Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I think what applies to this case of grading is this [U.S Standards for Grades of Potatoes for Chipping PDF](http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5050437). Although, there is no A-E grading. The orthodox chipping industry does have some high standards for their potatoes due to the unforgiving nature of defects in their dissected and transparent final product. That was sort of the genius and bottomline moneymaker of Pringle’s “reconstituted” potato chip, they could just use the freeze dried processed flake product and eliminate waste due to quality control. I however don’t necessarily discount the A-E grading scale within initiial agricultural sorting- It could be an “in-house” or common agricultural/industrial, cosmetic, sorting method and scaling as they come off the truck. Okay first my credentials. Idahoan here who has spend alot of time on potato farms, toured the processing plants, and met old J.R. Simplot way too many times. Reconstituted potatoes are made of the lowest grade potatoes in the processing plant. At the local plants that means failed all resturant and frozen brands standards. They are the ones that would not be appetizing to look at, too many small defects, the same as all instant potatoes. The reason you don’t see the the defects in instant potatoes is a bleaching process. There is really nothing wrong with the potatoes health and nutrition wise just not pretty to look at. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/54 "2009-10-24T12:10:03Z")
> [@chique](#): > > Your feet and wallet will be much, MUCH happier if you buy that one pair of $150 shoes instead of 10 pairs of $15 BOGO Payless shoes. I completely agree with this statement and pretty much had an office feud with our accountant who would buy a new pair of payless shoes every month ( even though they hurt her feet) for $10. She could not wrap her head around buying Birks or Danskos for $110-$120 where they last for years. People look at me funny when I tell them my clothes are from the Salvation Army ( except underwear and socks) and my shoes are $120, which is usually more than what I spend in 6m-1 year in clothing. Oh, and I like Wine In a Box, Taco Bell and Pringles. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/55 "2009-10-24T12:26:21Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I knew a similar couple—Everything HAD to be imported this, and organic that, and everything reminded them of this “amazing” meal they had in Tuscany or Provance… > > So utterly transparent, and for me the kicker was when I finally found out that their entire Europhile schtick was the result of one single!!! visit to Europe several years back. …and if they didn’t spend all that extra money on imported or organic _everything,_ they’d probably be able to save up for another trip to Europe sometime in this lifetime 😛 My elder son prefers boxed macaroni and cheese to my homemade stuff. (Boxed mac’n’cheese is an import here, but not frighteningly expensive.) I’ve soothed my soul many times by thinking of them as separate food items. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/56 "2009-10-24T13:00:49Z")
This thread reminded me of the great cult movie “Repo Man”. In the movie, the hero (Otto) goes home (his zombielike parents are staring at a televangelist on TV). Otoo is hungry so, he opens the refrigerator door-and sees contaners labelled “food” and “drink”. This is what TacoHell has brought us to!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814/57 "2009-10-24T13:40:55Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Yea, I love the new, 88 cent Chicken Burrito, too. The other day I went to one that had somehow sneaked it onto the 99 cent menu- What the hell is up with that? Did the Bell up the price? > > Jambalaya burritos sound great- I’d leave the chicken and andouille in the Burrito, though, bet Jambalaya Breakfast Burrito’s would be great too, sneak some creamy still tender, fluffy scrambled eggs in there french style.. maybe some spicy garlic aioli and gruyere. > > Hell, I’m so unpretentious about food, I almost seem pretentious about food. I know I got some serious guff for recommending a Liebsfraumilch matched to some young non wine drinker’s surprise menu for his girlfriend, I was honestly thinking of budget and the flavors of the menu which were rather strong and clashing, he might need three or four wines for that meal, but I just reccomended something that could stand up over that meal and apply to new palates.. sometimes a nice, cheaper, “peasant” wine is just better. > > The irony is most Mexicans in Mexico probably eat better than their American neighbors in terms of freshness and variety due to the lack of industrial food for the masses. Meh…I wouldn’t call it “guff” so much as simply having pointed out that for a couple bucks more, you could have had a pure, unadulterated Riesling which is a superior wine to Liebfraumilch in every conceivable way, and even that the “betterness” of the Riesling can be grasped by non-wine drinkers. The box wine thing: yes, they are putting better wine in boxes than they used to in some instances, but most boxed wine is still dreck, and even the higher quality stuff generally needs to be drunk young/immediately. You’re not going to put a box of wine in your cellar for a couple years! /wine snob rant (possibly forever, since I’ll be going into alcohol rehab next week!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-taco-bell-has-taught-me/514814.md?page=2)