A burrito is a Mexican dish made by wrapping a large, soft flour tortilla around a filling of beans, rice, meat, cheese, and other ingredients. The tortilla gets folded at both ends and rolled up tightly so nothing spills out, creating a neat, hand-held meal you can eat without utensils.

Burritos originated in northern Mexico, where wheat flour for tortillas was more common than corn. Some people think the name comes from the way the rolled-up tortilla resembles the bedrolls that donkeys carried, while others believe it's simply because burritos were food that travelers could easily pack on their donkeys.

When Mexican immigrants brought burritos to the American Southwest, the dish evolved. Mission-style burritos, invented in San Francisco, grew enormous and packed with extra fillings. Breakfast burritos became popular for wrapping eggs, potatoes, and bacon in the morning. Today you'll find endless varieties: bean and cheese burritos, chicken burritos, vegetarian burritos, even dessert burritos with fruit and chocolate.

The beauty of a well-made burrito is its engineering: when wrapped correctly, you can eat the whole thing without any filling escaping until the very last bite.