The Edible Tape That Will Make Your Burrito Stay Together
Who doesn't love a good burrito? Whether you buy one from a burrito chain restaurant or make one at home, there's nothing like digging into a hefty tortilla filled with meat, melted cheese, beans, vegetables, and whatever else you desire. It's just a shame that your couch got splattered in chili sauce when the burrito fell apart in your hands. And that cool new shirt you spent all that money on? Well, that got cheese stains on it after the greasy tortilla gave out. A burrito's all well and good, but you can't deny that it's a pretty messy dish to eat no matter how careful you are.
A burrito that falls apart in your hand is a common problem, which fortunately means that there are plenty of common solutions. The Kitchn, for example, has a step-by-step guide on how to wrap a burrito to prevent the filling from escaping. According to some Redditors, you could use anything from a "flour and water paste" to egg whites to just pressing down on the burrito while it's still in the pan.
While these are all good ideas, maybe you don't have to know any fancy wrapping tricks to try and seal your burrito. What if all you needed was just a little piece of tape? This was the concept that four engineering students set out to achieve, driven by one of their own's unfortunate burrito incident.
Tastee Tape is edible tape for your burrito
According to FoodBeast, "Tastee Tape" is the brainchild of four students at John Hopkins University. As the story goes, Tyler Guarino, Erin Walsh, Marie Eric, and Rachel Nie were sitting around brainstorming a product to submit for the product design course over lunch. Erin Walsh was eating a burrito when the burrito collapsed in her hands, spilling its contents. It was at this moment that the idea of "Tastee Tape" came into being.
CNN reports that the four students studied adhesives to try and locate "edible counterparts" in order to create a product that fits their strict criteria. In addition to being vegan and gluten-free, the edible tape had to be "clear and colorless, have no taste and no noticeable texture." After nearly 50 failures, the team managed to develop the first working model of 'Tastee Tape." It resembles your average piece of tape, but rather than coming in a roll, it currently comes packaged on waxed paper sheets that you have to pull strips off. Simply wet the strip of tape and then press it gently over the burrito's center to seal it shut.
Unfortunately, it seems that "Tastee Tape" isn't for sale at the moment. Should anything change, such as one of these students deciding to market the tape, you'll be the first to know. If you happen to eat your burrito in a specific way, however, you may have to get creative with your tape.