Sandwich Fans Are Trying This New Viral Lunch Trick and Are 'Never Going Back'
Sandwich on a plate
Whoever thought it would be impossible for a sandwich-slicing method to singlehandedly break the internet had never met a man named Ryan Duff. On May 1, 2024, Duff took to his Twitter to proudly post a picture of a sandwich that he had created with a caption that read, “Practice makes perfect. I went the ham and cheese route today.”
What started as an innocent appreciation post for his beautifully made sandwich quickly turned into a large-scale online debate over sandwich-slicing etiquette, and for good reason. To the surprise of more than 19 million viewers online, Duff’s sandwich was sliced into 3 pieces using a Y-shaped cut. And for many, life just hasn’t been the same since.
Related: My Chef-Husband Taught Me How to Make the Best-Ever Club Sandwich and My Lunches Are Forever Changed
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What the Heck is a Y-Cut Sandwich?
At first, people didn't know whether or not they were being trolled by Duff’s post or just witnessing a genius at work. The average sandwich maker is going to either slice it down the middle horizontally, vertically or diagonally, just like you would get in a restaurant. In extreme cases (think a club sandwich), you might get a sandwich cut into four wedges. For the most part, the only deviations would be when someone requests no slice at all, which in some sandwich scenarios is just biting off a little more than you can chew.
While the knee-jerk reaction for many was to hate on Duff’s unique slicing method, the reality of it is that there are actually plenty of cases where his cut makes the most sense. As some fans online have pointed out, the division of the sandwich into 3 pieces is a conservation of mass unlike any other sandwich-slicing method.
Fans of the Y-cut method reported that their sandwiches seemed like a bigger portion when cut into 3’s without actually being more food. And for those with a few kids who might be sharing a sandwich for a quick mid-day snack, this method easily splits the sandwich into equal thirds for everyone to enjoy without the fuss.
Some commenters were excited about this new sandwich innovation. Over on Reddit, on commenter said: "I’ve tried this cut the last two days and I am never going back." On TikTok people had a lot to say, too, of course. "Why is this so simple and yet so revolutionary?" asked one commenter. "It's a very dippable cut," added another. "This is the signifier of a generational shift," added someone else—and we laughed out loud.
The super fans of this new sandwich cut were quick to dub it Duff’s Cut and began referring to this summer as the “3-cut sandwich summer,” but we aren't entirely convinced that the wheel has been reinvented here. Sure, it's a fun and new way to slice a sandwich but will it really cause a sandwich revolution?
And let's be honest, what homemade sandwich is so gigantic that it needs to be cut into 3 pieces to enjoy? For an appetizer to be split amongst 3 people, a child or someone with a small mouth, maybe so. The rest of us might just stick with tradition on this one until the time calls for the controversial Y-cut.
