Applied Mathematics (Burritos)

My favourite kind of mathematics is applied mathematics. Especially when applied to food.

So this is how it went: I knew this recipe gave me some flour tortillas that were perhaps a little on the large size for tacos - but no where near what I'd want for a burrito.

The pan I used for making those has a diameter of 17 cm (~6.5 inches) and my largest pan has a diameter of 23 cm (9 inches). The area of a circle is proportional to the square of the radius, so in this case the area of the larger pan is (11.5 cm)²/(8.5 cm)² ~ 1.8 times larger than the area of the smaller pan. So if I want tortillas of the same thickness I should use about 1.8 times as much dough for each. Last time I divided the dough in 7 portions - dividing it instead in 4 portions is close enough to the ratio I was aiming for.


Ahhh .. it was great to enjoy a beans-cheese-salsa-avocado burrito again ... although, as happens too often, I tried to put too much inside the first one so it was hard to fold it right. The second attempt, as usual, was much better.