The Viral Y-Cut Sandwich Is The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
On May 1, X (formerly known as Twitter) user @ryancduff — aka Ryan Duff — posted a photo of their ham and cheese sandwich, and it has since become the talk of the town. The photo hasn't racked up nearly 19 million views because of its perfect toast job, however. What tickled the internet's fancy, in this case, was the way Duff sliced their sandwich. Until now, most people likely believed there were only three ways to cut a sandwich: horizontally, diagonally, and vertically (just see Duff Goldman's response to his wife cutting her sandwich vertically for reference). By introducing the Y-cut, however, Duff may have just changed the sandwich game forever.
Different from any of the standard sandwich-slicing methods — all of which require just one slicing motion — the Y-cut is achieved with three distinct knife movements. This creates three pieces of sandwich instead of two: one triangular piece at the top and two wonky trapezoids on either side. Barely commenting on the mind-blowing new sandwich configuration they just unlocked, Duff wrote on their post, "Practice makes perfect. I went the ham and cheese route today."
Sandwich lovers in the comment section had much more to say about the matter. "I cut my sandwich like this today and I'll be honest you really did something here," one commenter wrote. "I don't know what it is, but this does something to me. Will be my new cut," said another.
Does a sandwich's cut really affect its taste?
The debate over the best sandwich-cutting method out there is ongoing. Of those who care, a 2022 YouGov survey revealed that more Americans prefer their sandwiches cut diagonally. Some proponents of this method believe that cutting the long way extends the amount of crust-free surface area, somehow allowing for more filling-heavy bites. While that isn't actually possible, the diagonal cut does allow you to see more of the inside of your sandwich, which can create the illusion that you're getting more filling, thus making it taste better based on perception alone. If this is true, then it's safe to assume that the Y-cut method shown in Ryan Duff's X post only amplifies that effect, as it puts even more of the sandwich's filling on display.
Practice makes perfect. 🫶🏻
I went the ham and cheese route today. pic.twitter.com/y3SiZpcau1
— Ryan Duff (@ryancduff) May 1, 2024
Those who go hard for the horizontal cut, on the other hand, may argue that delivering the smallest possible cuts minimizes the disruption of the perfectly stacked ingredients (which may be made slippery by the addition of smears and condiments). This is why having a sharp knife is the key to making deli-worthy sandwiches at home; the smoother the cut, the less disturbance there is.
While it's unclear what may have inspired the Y-cut, Duff seems happy to take the credit. Since debuting their favorite sandwich-slicing method and making it a viral sensation, they've leaned into their new role as a sandwich innovator, referring to themself in their X bio as a "Sandwich Influencer and creator of the Duff Cut."