Originating in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, chile con queso, popularly known as just queso, has been changing lives for decades. Few statements function as universal truths these days, but I would venture to say that "chips and queso are a match made in heaven" is one. What combination could be better than a crispy tortilla chip dipped in a hot bowl of melted cheese? Along with the temporary bliss that chips and queso bring, come a set of assumptions, questions, dos and dont's.

When queso is ordered amidst a small group of people, it is assumable that it will be shared. What kind of person orders queso and then deprives their fellow diners of the goodness? That being said, if one person pays for the appetizer, then someone else should offer to foot the bill next time. In my 19 years, I have never met someone who did not like chips and queso. If you are that 0.01 percent, I am sorry for you.

Something that you should always do when enjoying this delicacy: ask for more chips when crumbs are all that is left. Pretty much every Mexican restaurant will refill your chip basket for free, and letting queso go to waste is flat-out wrong. In contrast, things that you should never do include referring to queso as "cheese sauce" (excuse me, where are you from?), equating c&q with nachos (they are more like distant cousins and less like twins), and letting it sit too long (crusty queso is sad queso). The cardinal sin of queso consumption is double-dipping. This is permissable if and only if you have a bowl of queso to yourself. Otherwise, you've gotta resist the temptation for the good of those around you.

One question that I struggle with repeatedly is: what is the most effective yet still socially acceptable way to get the remainder of the queso out of the bowl when the chips just are not cutting it? Fork? Fingers? Tongue? You tell me.

The criteria for a good chip/queso duo are consistency, share-ability, and whether or not the chips can withstand the cheese. Prices can range from "free" (included in the price of your entree) to $10-ish. Obviously free is preferable, but like anything, you get what you pay for. I urge you to try chips and queso everywhere in order to find your front runner. My personal favorite (this is not a plug) is Torchy's. The chips are not too thick and not too thin, the queso has just the right amount of spiciness, and the best part ... there is guacamole inside. If you've never had it, you don't know what you're missing!