Every two weeks, the moon enters a new phase, over five million babies are born and the salad bowl at Yorktown High School switches. Students and teachers alike line up to fill their cardboard bowl with various toppings and dressings. The hunger for these bowls got so serious that they introduced caution tape to keep the line straight and a woman on watch for line-cutters.
Clear favorites are the Mexican and Italian bowl, usually stretching an obscenely long queue of people down the cafeteria. This leaves the Asian bowl, an under-appreciated lunch. But even the Asian bowl has a few dedicated fans. So which one is truly the best? Is it the Italian bowl with its many admirers? Or does the Asian bowl have a potential that only a few students recognize? Today, I set out to find the truth. I present to you, the 2024 Salad Bowl Super Bowl.
First up to the plate is the Mexican bowl. The base is a choice between a brown rice or a tortilla, and for protein you get a selection between seasoned chicken and beef. Toppings include tomato, lettuce, beans, onions, cilantro, corn, chips and cheese. For dressing, the two options are cilantro lime and chipotle sour cream.
“The Mexican bowl is the best because the meat is better and it has better topping options like lettuce beans and rice. The other ones aren’t great. They are just kinda there, there’s nothing special about them,” senior Ben Brauer said.
“It’s great because it tastes like chipotle. The sauces for the other bowls aren’t good, but the Mexican has good sauce,” junior Abby Andelman said.
One downfall of this bowl is that the chips can get stale, and that high demand makes the line so long that you may only have a few minutes to finish your lunch.
Up next is the Italian bowl. For this one, you get a whole wheat pasta for the base and the choice between chicken and beef for protein. On top of this salad, you can add zucchini, lettuce, olives, tomatoes, chickpeas and cheese. Dressings include either pesto or italian.
“The Italian bowl is the best because of the pasta. The Mexican and Asian aren’t very good,” junior Shavana Safi said.
And then the controversial choice, the Asian bowl. Before I get into the contents of the lunch, the name must be discussed. Asia is a continent, whereas Mexico and Italy are countries with their own distinct cultures. Asia has a variety of cultures, all with different foods. The bowl seems to be mostly inspired by East and Southeast Asia, with edamame beans that originated in China and a nut sauce that is typically popular in the Indonesia region. The name is misleading because Asia technically includes places such as the middle east and India which puts emphasis on spices and Russia which specializes in dishes like porridge and soups. A simple change to the name to specify the region of Asia would help clarify what the meal is going for.
The base is brown rice with an option of chicken or beef. The toppings include sesame sticks, green onions, carrots, celery, radish, and peas, and the dressing is a light cashew sauce and a brown tangy/sweet sauce.
“The Asian bowl is the best because there’s a good selection of veggies,” Spanish teacher Evan Glasier said.
“When I see the lunch is the Asian bowl, I will always get it. It is the best one, it’s just delicious,” junior Carson Knowles said.
Before I announce the 2024 Salad Bowl Super Bowl Champion, I must disclose that, whatever bowl you get, you’ll be well-off. Deciding whether or not to get one is a balance of your cravings and time. The Mexican bowl is a refreshing and tasty meal if you are willing to wait for a while. If being stuck in a line for the entirety of lunch isn’t your ideal way of spending time, the Asian bowl may be the one for you. The Italian bowl has a more summer dinner party feel, if you want to remember a time when we didn’t have school everyday. Overall, you can’t go wrong in the salad line.
All that said, the winner of the 2024 Salad Bowl Super Bowl Champion is…
The Mexican bowl. It is reliable, delicious, and consistent with its taste. The crunchy chips paired with the chipotle mayo and the variety of healthy and delicious toppings exceeds cafeteria food expectations.
