Knife & Fork etiquette ? for the non-US people

[atgcpaul]

A Swedish coworker was asked if she was from England by the way she held
her knife and fork while eating. She's right handed so she eats with the knife
in her right hand and the fork in the left with the curved side up. My wife says
this is called Continental style. Although I found a lot of info on what this is,
I couldn't find out WHYthis is. Just wondering if one of you gents across
one of these big ponds could lend some insight.

I figure it has something to do with not showing "aggression" to your hosts
while eating such as always keeping your knife blade turned towards you, etc.

Just gotta' know,
Paul

[jziegler]

Paul,

Not a non-us person, but I've been tolf a theory on it. I think that it may be a practical thing. By holding it that way, they avoid the fork handoff that we US people do when switching from eating to cutting with their knife. It also keeps the knife handy to push food onto the fork. From what I have seen, it is the way that most Europeans hold their knife and fork. It also fits with where the silverware is located in the placesetting.

Jim

[leehljp]

Our youngest daughter was 2 when we moved to Japan. Many of her international friends influenced her considerably as she was growing up. Living in the Dallas TX area today, she eats like a Brit!

But with chop sticks, she holds and eats like a Japanese!

[Russianwolf]

But with chop sticks, she holds and eats like a Japanese!

Is there more than one way to eat with chopsticks? I mean other than the incorrect spearing method I've seen some people use.

Oh, my wife and daughter are asian. Yet I'm the only one that can eat with chopsticks in the house. Benefit of growing up with vietnamese friends (no forks in their houses)

[Stytooner]

Fried chicken and hamburgers don't need no fork.

Actually, my Step Mother was from Scotland and my first Wife is German, so I did learn the proper ways to eat with which utensils. It does save the swapping of the fork. I sometimes find myself switching the fork to my right hand depending on what I'm picking up with it.
I rarely ever dine formally but I know enough to fake it.

[crokett]

Knife? What knife? Just stab the steak with your fork and gnaw on it.

edited cause I can't spell.

[leehljp]

Is there more than one way to eat with chopsticks? I mean other than the incorrect spearing method I've seen some people use.

Oh, my wife and daughter are asian. Yet I'm the only one that can eat with chopsticks in the house. Benefit of growing up with vietnamese friends (no forks in their houses)

There is both a slight technique difference and a difference where they hold the sticks. Japanese generally hold the sticks about 1/4th the way down; Chinese usually hold them a little closer to the end and grip them a little differently. I think that is the difference. If I were eating I could give you more detail. AS I am not currently eating, I am trying to remember what I do instinctively.

[430752]

Chopsitx - thread Hijack?

Dunno abotu the knife/fork thing, always assumed it was simply a matter of efficiency. Although, that would be backwards from traditional roles where usually the USA gives up formality for efficiency and the Europeans maintain formality over practicality.

Anyway, on the chopsticks, yes, different asians use them differently. The Japanese do seem to grip lower, more like a scissors. No idea why. While the Chinese (my wife is an ABC and her parents are from China by way of Taiwan) grip almost at the tippy top and seem to be more delicate with their use of the chopsticks. More like preying mantis forearms. I had to relearn my use of chopsticks to grip higher, but can now use chopsticks to pick up silken tofu (like picking up really soft jello) without crushing it or dropping it. I never asked my wife why the Japanese vs. Chinese methods, but I did ask why her grip was what it was and why I couldn't spear food. Her explanation was it was based on Confusciousian (although it sounds Buddhist to me) where spearing food (or anything) was bad chi or bad karma or whatever and that a delicate touch was preferred in order to preserve the food's flavor and integrity (as oppose to mushing it) and to respect the food and the meal.

Yeah, it sounds silly, but it makes sense on some arcane level. Be purposeful in your actions, do not waste energy or focus, and respect all around you, including what you put in you. Like the Tao of food! I'm not saying I buy into it, just that I can see the theory and its not wrong.

curt j.

Well, that's the only explanation I have.

[LinuxRandal]

Is there more than one way to eat with chopsticks? I mean other than the incorrect spearing method I've seen some people use.

Oh, my wife and daughter are asian. Yet I'm the only one that can eat with chopsticks in the house. Benefit of growing up with vietnamese friends (no forks in their houses)

There is both a slight technique difference and a difference where they hold the sticks. Japanese generally hold the sticks about 1/4th the way down; Chinese usually hold them a little closer to the end and grip them a little differently. I think that is the difference. If I were eating I could give you more detail. AS I am not currently eating, I am trying to remember what I do instinctively.

Then there is a third way, the American way (you know always on the run, LOL). You hold them together and use them like the spoon and hold the plate up and shovel in.

[gsmittle]

IIRC, up until relatively modern times one carried a dagger or other knife with one at all times. Since one had to defend oneself at the proverbial drop of a hat, one kept the knife in one's right hand. Hence the fork in the left hand.

Myself, I'm a lefty and use the fork in my left hand. That way I don't have to switch hands to eat.

g.

[scmhogg]

I'm from England and eat holding both utensils at the same time.

The funny thing is, I hold the knife in my left hand and the fork in my right. And, I am right handed.

Most probable reason--My whole family, mother, father, brother and sister are all left handed.

Steve

[atgcpaul]

I'm from England and eat holding both utensils at the same time.

The funny thing is, I hold the knife in my left hand and the fork in my right. And, I am right handed.

Most probable reason--My whole family, mother, father, brother and sister are all left handed.

Steve

I'm the OP. I'm from Burma and our utensil of choice is our hand. Believe it or
not, there is a proper way to eat with your hands. In any case, my parents
were raised the British way to use utensils but switched to the American way
when we moved to the States. So they are now knife and fork switchers. I,
OTOH, am ambidextrous so I cut with my left and fork with my right so I never
understood why my mom would ask me to switch hands if I was just as
comfortable cutting right or left. I will have to plead efficiency next time.

[gsmittle]

Be purposeful in your actions, do not waste energy or focus, and respect all around you, including what you put in you. Like the Tao of food! I'm not saying I buy into it, just that I can see the theory and its not wrong.

curt j.

Well, that's the only explanation I have.

I thought maybe chopsticks were invented because there was a fork shortage....

g.

[scorrpio]

I learned to use chopsticks at sushi places, so I guess my grip is Japanese - I basically use only three fingers, keeping one stick immobile between thumb and middle finger, and using thumb tip as pivot point for the other stick, which is directed by index finger. I am quite practiced, and can grip my food without messing it up in any fashion - can pick a single rice grain, and can pick up a sake cup with chopsticks and drink it. But my coworker, who is Chinese, holds them differently - almost parallel,index finger in between, and barely moving one stick vs another. His method looks awkward to me, but it works well for him.

[gerti]

Wikipedia has an article about the original question:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork_etiquette

Also placement of the utensils after the meal has great meaning in European countries:

Placing fork and knife in a 10 and 2 o'clock position means you want more food. Placed in a 8 and 5 o'clock position means you are not done yet and the plate should remain at the table. Both fork and knife together in the 1 or 2 o'clock position means food was good. 3 o'clock: food was just OK. 4 and 5 o'clock: food was bad.