3060: Omniroll

2025-03-10T16:29:32Z

Forward roll: added list of rolls

{{comic
| number = 3060
| date = March 7, 2025
| title = Omniroll
| image = omniroll_2x.png
| imagesize = 528x443px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = It seems wrong that Fruit by the Foot is only sold by weight or by number of rolls.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a CHICKEN KIEV MANDARIN ROLL - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

[[Cueball]], [[Megan]], and [[White Hat]] are making a "Wikipedia Omniroll," a roll made by combining all rolls in the {{w|list of rolled foods}} into one large roll. The Latin prefix "omni-" is a combining form meaning "all" or "universal." Thus, an "Omniroll" would mean an "everything roll." The three are in the process of assembling this roll. The penultimate stage in the preparation till this moment was a "{{w|spring roll}} {{w|burrito}}" which ''probably'' means a burrito whose identifying ingredient is a spring roll (as a bean burrito is filled with refried beans), but could also mean a burrito in spring-roll form. The following step was to roll it in breadcrumbs and fry it, possibly as a part of a {{w|Rissole#Indonesia|rissole}}. Right now, they are wrapping the concoction in a {{w|cabbage roll}}. White Hat asks about the {{w|Fruit Roll-Ups}} layer, which Megan responds that it goes around the {{w|cinnamon roll}} layer.

On the wall behind them is a picture of a cross-sectional cut through the Omniroll showing each layer. There seem to be 12 labeled layers that are broad enough to be seen in this large picture, but there is also a cutout that zooms into six thin layers, also labeled. If the drawing is to be taken at face value there are 18 different layers, and there should thus have been 18 rolled foods on the Wikipedia list when [[Randall]] made the comic; in fact there were 51, it would contain: arctic roll, arem-arem, Bánh cuốn, Black sesame roll, Braciolone, Burrito, cabbage roll, California roll, cheese roll, chelsea bun, chiko roll, chimichanga, cinnamon roll, crescent roll(croisant), Dosa(food) , dürüm, Egg roll, Enchilada, Farsu Magru, Fig roll, Fruit by the foot, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gỏi cuốn, Kati roll, Khao phan, Lahmacun, Lemper, Makizushi, Negimaki, Nut roll, Pancetta arrotolata, Patishapta, pepperoni roll, Popiah, Rice noodle roll, Risoles, rolex(food), Rollmops, Roulade, rugelach, Sausage roll, Seattle roll, Sigara böreği, Spiced meat roll, Stromboli, Swiss roll, Taquito, and Tofu skin roll . However, it is possible that the highlighted area is only for the layers they are currently preparing, and other layers are not currently shown.

All labels are unreadable, which seems like a good idea, as no-one can complain that Randall left out their favorite rolled food. Having people getting agitated over comics relating to food has happened a few times. For instance [[388: Fuck Grapefruit]] got so much reaction that Randall commented on it, as noted in the [[388:_Fuck_Grapefruit#Controversy|trivia]]. On explain xkcd the [[Talk:1534: Beer|talk page]] for [[1534: Beer]] also shows how people react when someone openly dislikes one of your favorite drinks.

Although there will be many people who love each of the mentioned rolls, not many would enjoy eating them all at once, as it would mix very different kinds of food which would be prepared very differently. Different layers would also require different treatments to prevent them spoiling, which would be difficult to achieve once they are rolled together.

The title text refers to {{w|Fruit by the Foot}}, a similar snack to Fruit Roll-Up made by the same producers. Although the name implies a per-distance measurement, Fruit by the Foot is in fact sold in boxes based upon number of rolls, with measurements on the packaging given by weight. [[Randall]] expresses his dismay at this discrepancy.

The 'omni-' prefix was earlier used in [[2653: Omnitaur]] and [[2738: Omniknot]].

In [[2123: Meta Collecting]], Cueball used Wikipedia's article "list of collectables" for his hobby.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball, Megan and White Hat are standing up near a table handling ingredients. Megan is working on a large roll while the other two are holding on to some strings like food going towards the roll. To the left of them is a poster on the wall showing multiple layers of a roll. There are 12 labels going around the roll starting around 10 going to just shy of 6 o'clock. They have lines going in to different layers with the first label's line going to the outer layer, the second label's line going to the third layer, the third labels line going to the second layer, but then the rest of the labels going to layers deeper and deeper ind from 4 to 12. But there is also a zoom in in the bottom left, where a square on the roll has been zoomed out and displayed just outside the roll. Six layers can been seen in this zoom in, and each of these have also been labeled with three labels on either side of the frame of the zoom in. All 18 labels are unreadable.]
:Megan: Okay, we've rolled the spring roll burrito in breadcrumbs and fried it. Now we'll wrap it in cabbage roll leaves.
:White Hat: What about the Fruit Roll-Up?
:Megan: That goes around the cinnamon roll layer.

:[Caption below the panel:]
:A Wikipedia omniroll is a cylindrical food containing one layer of every item from the Wikipedia article "List of rolled foods."

==Trivia==
*At the time the comic was published, the Wikipedia article contained 51 entries - [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_rolled_foods&oldid=1253171858 List of Rolled Foods as it was on March 7, 2025].
**The article had last been edited on October 24, 2024, but several edits were made in the hours after the comic was published, which is presumably not a coincidence.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring White Hat]]
[[Category:Food]]
[[Category:Wikipedia]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3060: Omniroll