Like society, nacho consumption can get messy. People pull chips from all directions and smear salsa and sour cream everywhere, all without regard to how it affects the greater whole and the experience of other Eaters.

With help from Thomas Farley, a.k.a. Mr. Manners, I've laid out some rules for nacho society:

1. Put spoons in the toppings so you can remove your share without mixing everything together. This preserves your ability to manage ratios on a per-nacho basis.

2. Before you take any nachos, analyze the pile and identify areas of cheese concentration. There is a hierarchy. Cheesy nachos are the best, but if you only eat those you end up with a bunch of dry nachos at the end. Eaters must combine cheesy, soggy, and dry chips whenever possible.

3. You can use one hand to grab as many as two chips at once. Whatever cheese comes with those chips is yours to keep. This is the One Hand, Two Chips Rule of Nacho Morality.

Of course, if you want to be a truly upstanding member of nacho society, you need to construct an Ethical Nacho Sandwich. Watch the above video to find out how!

For more on nachos, ethics, and nacho ethics, check out my forthcoming book, EAT MORE BETTER: How To Make Every Bite More Delicious!

Photo: Flickr CC / JeffreyW