Survey Reveals How Americans Really Cut Their Sandwiches

You've got a knife in your hand and a ham sandwich sprawled out before you on a plate. You have a decision to make: Will you slice your sandwich diagonally, cutting it into two triangles, or will you make your incision straight down the middle, opting for two rectangles instead? More importantly, if you choose unwisely, how much will your epicurean experience suffer? 

Some people are likely shaking their heads right now, thinking there's much more important things to do than ponder the division of a sandwich. There are probably even people who don't cut their sandwiches at all, opting to eat the bread-based lunch fare in a "round and round" fashion — saving the ingredient-laden middle for the very end. And, yes, many will likely argue that, no matter how you cut a sandwich, it tastes the same. 

But, guess what? When it comes to slicing your PB & J, your grilled cheese, or even your egg salad, there is a right way to do it — diagonally. Yes, according to NPR who quoted Kemp Minifie (Gourmet Magazine), the narrower corner can be placed more delicately in the mouth, and that long, crustless hypotenuse gives you an ample entrance into the soft meatier part of your sandwich. But, how many Americans have discovered this diagonally-cut sandwich secret and how many are still eating their BLTs in rectangular crust-riddled slabs?

According to a recent survey conducted by YouGov, 39% of Americans agree that diagonally-cut sandwiches taste better, while 20% prefer rectangles, and 41% don't have a preference either way. There is, however, a slight gender gap with 36% of men and 41% of women opting for this triangular cut. Those 30- to 44-years-old are the most decided when it comes to how they like their sandwiches sliced, showing the highest percentages for both diagonal (42%) and rectangular (25%) — and the lowest amount of undecided (32%). 

Some other interesting factoids that are revealed in this survey are that Hispanic respondents have the greatest appreciation for the diagonal cut, coming in at a whopping 43%. Republicans and Democrats are equally as likely to opt for the diagonal, but Biden supporters are more apt (41%) to go diagonal than those who prefer Trump (37%). Folks in the Northeast have the highest number (25%) of rectangle-cutters, and the West has the greatest amount (43%) of diagonal sandwiches. In all categories, however, there remain a great deal of people with no preference. 

While not everyone has a clear-cut favorite way of dividing their sandwiches into halves, one thing is clear — those that do prefer to cut it diagonally align with the experts who say it's more appealing. And once you go diagonal, you never go back.