As a person who feels very passionately about nachos, the newest TikTok trend is ruffling my chips. People are building “nacho tables,” meaning that they cover an entire tabletop…with nachos. No plates.
The trend was brought to my attention by Buzzfeed, who seem to largely be celebrating the idea of covering your table int tin foil, scattering chips like rose petals, and then slinging slop all over it. And based on the sheer number of TikToks about nacho tables, it seems like most people really dig them.
Here’s an example of what a nacho table looks like:
I have a few questions and haven’t been able to get them addressed, even after watching a dozen of these videos. One question is, are these nachos stone cold? Like, you’re not sliding your full table into the oven to melt the cheese, or heat the beans and meat. Are they just throwing cold beans and microwaved queso on top of these room-temperature chips? The mouth temperature experience has GOT to be all over the place.
@barackchoynacho table ##fyp ##foryoupage ##GotMilkChallenge ##Entrepreneur ##InMyAEJeans ##nachotable ##nachotablenight♬ Summer Days – Martin Garrix / Macklemore / Patrick Stump
Secondly, don’t they get crazy soggy in the middle?
@themhoffersNacho table night!! Such a fun idea!! Inspired by @stefherder ##nachotable ##dinner ##food ##foodie ##eat ##nachos♬ original sound – Cyndi Cyndi
I’m also wondering about handwashing protocols. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and even if your family is in one big isolated pod, there’s something about everyone reaching their hands into my food at once that doesn’t sit right with me.
Finally, I don’t want to racially profile, but the majority of the people that seem to be doing this on TikTok are decidedly not POC.
@zraw22##nachotable ##MoreHappyDenimDance ##NicerToMe ##HiddenGems ##UnitedWeDance♬ El Mariachi Loco – Mariachi de la Ciudad de Mexico
@emilyashley13happy 4th ##4thOfJuly ##nachotable ##nacho♬ Stunnin’ (feat. Harm Franklin) – Curtis Waters
@macklmao##voiceeffects thank you tik tok for the nacho table idea bless up ##fyp ##nachotable♬ you have to stop supporting trump – Hannah Stater
@definitelynoteddie##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##nachos ##nachotable♬ What’s New Scooby Doo – Halloween Monster Collective
Here’s someone literally wearing a Trump shirt and making a nacho table:
@mercedez.chaonacho table! ##fyp ##nachotable ##xyzbca ##dinner ##fun♬ Mi Pan Su Sus – ДОРА| Роблокс,эдиты💖
There is a long-standing history of non-POC bastardizing Mexican food. According to Wikipedia, nachos themselves were invented by a Mexican chef named Ignacio Anaya García, and they were just chips, cheese, and jalapeños. Is the nacho table trend a step too far away from Mr. García’s original cuisine?
@adampukeonhatersSo yummy! ##AdultMoney ##nachotable ##vlog ##voiceover ##minivlog ##fun ##food ##funny ##comedy ##summervlog ##homecooking ##easymeal ##crazy ##backyardvibes ##yummy♬ original sound – Adam Puke™️
I’ll let history decide. I’ll take a single order to be eaten alone in bed, as nature intended.