Chipotle Is Testing A "Hipster" Food & Twitter Is Really Torn

Although I live in a city with thousands of beyond-incredible restaurants, it's unlikely you'll ever see me turn down a trip to Chipotle... ever. Whether I'm on-the-go (or if I'm just craving a medley of carbs and veggies together in perfect harmony), Chipotle literally defines heaven in a Tex-Mex takeout bag. And while I would probably trust Chipotle with my life, customers are pretty freaked by their latest ~hip~ addition to the menu: my all-time fave superfood, quinoa. And although I'm dying to try it, Twitter is pretty torn, as you can see from the tweets about Chipotle testing quinoa.

I may be completely biased, because I've always been aboard the quinoa train, but I'm pretty sure this potential addition is going to be amaaazing. According to New York Post, the Chipotle test kitchen in New York City is testing quinoa as a lime-cilantro rice alternative. Chris Arnold, a Chipotle representative, told Business Insider the ingredients, and they sound incredible. In an email, he said,

The quinoa is made with red and gold quinoa tossed with a little citrus juice, cumin, and freshly chopped cilantro. We are recommending that added to a salad or in place of rice in another entree.

Sounds pretty similar to the lime-cilantro rice we all know and love, right? All I'm saying is that if this actually becomes a thing, it's totally going to dominate my next burrito bowl.

But looking at Twitter's reaction to the potential quinoa-laden addition, not everyone is quite as excited as I am about it. And I guess that's OK, but when push comes to shove, let's face it: You're all wrong.

Other Chipotle enthusiasts, like myself, are totally and utterly thrilled about quinoa finally making its all-star debut to the menu. Even though all of "the quinoa haters" are finding this addition to maybe be "a little out there," I always love to keep my options open — and in my book, there's no going wrong with something as deliciously basic as quinoa, like, ever. Plus, the lime-cilantro quinoa sounds pretty similar to the already widely-accepted lime-cilantro rice, with little added protein power. And I don't know about you, but that's definitely what I need a little bit more of in my daily life. #IEatSoMuchPasta.

So, regardless if you're think the potential addition of lime-cilantro quinoa sounds a little nasty, or if you're totally down to try it, it's yet to be determined if it'll actually even become a permanent menu item. Everything is completely tentative right now, as the lime-cilantro quinoa is merely in the testing process at the moment. But if the lime-cilantro quinoa does, in fact, get positive feedback, it'll be the second latest Chipotle menu addition, alongside their new queso, which made its debut back in September 2017.

Per New York Post, rumor has it that Chipotle restaurants have been looking into using different kinds of grains for a while now. Maybe it's just to spice things up a little, or it's maybe because the chain wants to reinvent themselves a little bit, following their slew of food-born illness outbreaks. Chipotle fans and foodies might not be sure what exactly is sparking all of the change RN, but as a quinoa lover and a Chipotle semi-regular, I'm so down with it.

Back in 2017, Chipotle was also looking into adding a sweet addition to their menu, a traditional Mexican dessert called buñelos. Since dessert stomach is totally a thing, even after a gigantic burrito, buñelos are fried tortillas, which are drizzled in honey, sugar, and cinnamon, and they're served a side of apple caramel dipping sauce. The buñelos never officially made it to Chipotle's menu nationwide, so I unfortunately never got to snag a taste. All I know is that they were definitely being tested, and based on their descriptions, they sounded pretty phenomenal.