In the life of every person there are situations when at the table it is necessary to show oneself from the best side. To do this, you need to know in which hand to hold the knife and fork according to etiquette, as well as some other rules. There may be differences in different cultures, but the general concepts of etiquette are the same for everyone.
Content
How and in which hand to hold the instruments correctly
Etiquette dictates how to use a particular piece of cutlery.
Fork
The rules of European etiquette dictate that the fork is placed on the left side of the guest's plate. If a portion requires several forks, the one located next to the tableware is used for the main dish, and the one further away is for the salad.
The device is prescribed to be taken with the left hand, with the tines lowered. The index finger should be placed behind the device, but at some distance from the base, otherwise you can touch the food. The handle of the fork should be hidden under the palm, and its end should be adjacent to the wrist.
There is another style (called American). It requires holding the device like a pencil, with the teeth pointing down.
If the dish does not involve cutting food, the fork should always be held in the right hand, with the tines facing up.
Knife
Both etiquettes require holding the knife in the right hand. The index finger is located on the side opposite the sharp blade, the other fingers hold the handle, and its end is adjacent to the wrist. The rules of American etiquette assume that utensils can be changed. That is, after the necessary part of the food is cut off, the knife is put away on the edge of the dish so that the blade looks up, and the handle is slightly to the right and down. The fork is taken with the right hand, and you continue eating only with this utensil.
Important! The question often arises as to which hand to hold the fork and knife according to etiquette, if a person is used to using mainly the left hand. In this case, nothing changes. If it is inconvenient for a left-handed person to eat this way, it is worth practicing at home.
Spoon
The spoon is always held in the right hand. During meals, it is held between the index finger and the thumb, while the middle finger serves as a stand. A liquid dish is scooped up with a slightly tilted spoon, directed towards oneself.
How to eat properly
When using cutlery, you need to consider some points. If the dish involves small parts, you can skip the knife. When there is a large piece on the plate, you won't be able to get by with just a fork.
Desserts
Cakes and soft pastries are eaten with a special dessert fork. It can be distinguished by two or three large prongs. If this device is missing, it can be replaced with a teaspoon or dessert spoon. When eating desserts, you should adhere to the following rules.
- Triangular cream cakes or sliced cakes are eaten starting from the narrow edge. Hard cakes require a knife. Almond cakes are broken off into small pieces by hand and placed in the mouth.
- If the cakes are on a common plate with special napkins, then you need to move them without removing the napkin. They eat the dessert directly from it.
- Rum cakes, donuts, bagels, eclairs can be taken by hand, breaking off small pieces. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, you can use a dessert fork.
- Cream, jelly, ice cream are eaten with a dessert spoon. If you come across berry seeds, you need to transfer them from your mouth to a spoon, then to a paper napkin, which you use to blot your lips, or to your dessert plate.
Spaghetti
In restaurants and at receptions, spaghetti is served in deep dinner plates, and a fork and spoon are usually served with the pasta. During the meal, the spoon is in the left hand and the fork is in the right. Several pieces of spaghetti are picked up with a fork, wound, transferred to a spoon and eaten. It is acceptable to eat spaghetti directly from a fork, using a spoon all the time to ensure that the food does not fall. A spoon is necessary if pasta carbonara is served. Cream and eggs are eaten with this utensil.
Meat
Meat dishes are usually eaten with a fork and knife. The piece of meat is not cut into small pieces at once, but one or two small pieces are cut off first. After they are eaten, the next portion is cut off. If stewed meat is served, the bone is first separated from the pulp, the bones are put on the edge of their plate.
The chops are immediately divided into three or four parts. During the eating process, the flesh is gradually cut off from the bone.
If the roast is served in a large piece, the hostess or the person she assigns to do this divides the piece into small portions and distributes them to everyone present, starting with the guests of honor or the elders.
Sausages are served sliced. They are taken from a common plate with a serving utensil or with your own fork, supported by a knife.
When eating cutlets and other products made from minced meat, do not use a knife.
Hot sandwiches and bread
Buns, loaves and other bread products are eaten only by hand. They are taken from a common basket and placed on their own tableware. It is not nice to bite off a piece; you need to break off pieces with your hand that you can immediately put in your mouth. Hot sandwiches are eaten with utensils. If it is assumed that a person will put a filling on a piece of bread, then this should be done with a fork. When bread and jam, marmalade, butter, marmalade are served, then the bread is taken with the left hand and spread with the right.
Salad
Sometimes people, when they get to a reception or a gala evening in a restaurant, get confused and cannot understand how to eat salads with a fork and knife, because usually only one utensil is used. However, if vegetables or other ingredients are cut large, you will still have to use a knife. In this case, the piece is held with a fork, and the knife is used to cut it into two parts. This is usually enough, because the salad cannot have too large components.
Fish
Cleaned fish fillets are eaten with a fork and a special knife that resembles a spatula in shape. The fillet is held with a knife and divided into pieces with a fork. If the meat is very soft and does not need to be cut, then the fork should be turned with the tines facing up and the required amount of meat should be placed on it with a knife.
If a whole fish is served, first remove the head and tail with a knife, placing them on the edge of your plate. Next, make cuts along the spine and belly, remove the skin. If bones get in, they should be discreetly pushed closer to the teeth, placed on the cutlery, then on the edge of your dish.
Bird
Poultry meat is held on a plate with a fork, and the meat is cut off the bone with a knife. However, it is also allowed to eat it with your hands. If there is a rinsing bowl on the table, you can take hold of the bone and eat the meat from it. After eating, your hands should be rinsed with water or wiped thoroughly.
At an official reception it is better to use cutlery. This is how to eat poultry.
- Remove the skin with a fork and set aside on the edge of the dish.
- Hold the meat with the tines of a fork and cut off pieces with a knife.
Important! You should not cut the chicken into several pieces at once. It is better to cut off one piece, eat it, then cut off the next one.
How to behave properly when drinking tea or coffee
A tea or coffee table can complete a feast, or it can serve as a separate occasion to gather guests. At such a table, you will also need cutlery, so you need to know how to hold a dessert spoon and fork correctly.
The tea and coffee tables are covered with a tablecloth, decorated with flowers and candlesticks. Each guest is given a napkin, which should be placed on the right. The center of the tea table is a teapot, and the center of the coffee table is a beautiful service. There should also be milk in a jug, cream, granulated sugar or lump sugar on the table. If it is envisaged that toasts, sandwiches, etc. will be offered before serving drinks, a dessert bowl is placed for each guest, with a fork for snacks to the left and for cakes to the right.
To make a good impression at the table, you must adhere to the following rules.
- After stirring the drink, the spoon is not left in the glass, but is taken out and placed on the edge of the saucer.
- You cannot put gingerbread, bread or crackers into the drink.
- You can take a sip of the contents of the cup only after the bitten pieces have been swallowed.
- Any drink should be drunk silently.
- The saucer is held in the left hand, the glass in the right. In some cases, for example, if coffee with milk is served, the saucer should not be taken into the hands.
- Hot drinks are drunk only from a glass; pouring them into plates or saucers is unacceptable.
- It looks very ugly when a person blows on the contents of a cup, acts affectedly, putting his little finger to the side, and sticking his fingers through the ring of a pen.
- The crushed pieces of sugar are taken with tongs. If this device is not available, use your fingers.
How to use a napkin
It is customary to use two types of napkins at the table: cloth and paper. The most commonly used are cloth napkins. They come in different sizes. Large napkins are used at formal banquets. They need to be unfolded halfway. Medium napkins are unfolded by two-thirds, and small ones - completely. A napkin of any size is placed on the lap. It protects clothes from drops and splashes. However, if there are no paper napkins on the table, you can use a cloth napkin to blot your mouth and wipe your fingers. If the cloth is folded in half or two-thirds, the lips are blotted with the upper folded corner.
Important! You can tuck your napkin into your collar only in one case – if lobster is being served.
Paper napkins are used during meals. They are used to blot lips, wipe hands, etc. After the meal, all napkins should be left on the left side of the plate.
Good manners adorn. A person who possesses them will always be able to make a positive impression on others. Therefore, it is simply necessary to know how to behave at the table, in which hand the fork and knife should be according to etiquette. Moreover, it is not difficult at all to learn this.
And who came up with this? For example, I eat with the left extreme finger of my right hand and drink only from a saucer, it's convenient for me. And I don't give a damn what you think about me )))