How do you hold your silverware when eating? There are two predominant forms, as described by Wikipedia :lol:: American- the knife is initially held in the right hand and the fork in the left. Holding food to the plate with the fork tines-down, a single bite-sized piece is cut with the knife. The knife is then set down on the plate, the fork transferred from the left hand to the right hand, and the food is brought to the mouth for consumption. The fork is then transferred back to the left hand and the knife is picked up with the right." Continental-" is to hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Once a bite-sized piece of food has been cut, it is conducted straight to the mouth by the left hand. The tines remain pointing down." _____________ I grew up using the Continental method but sometimes find myself eating a bit too quickly because of its efficiency and use the American style when I want to take my time, especially when with friends. (Though I have been known to eat a steak with just my hands and teeth when home alone :lol
Wow, there are more ways of doing this than one???? Based on the descriptions, continental, assuming the food requires cutting. If not, fork in the right hand.
Haha, "Continental" style is also known as "European." Most people use stainless daily. We only use sterling for special occasions or when I am cooking (if I'm putting several hours into a meal, the silverware and bone china are getting used :lol. It's only a hassle when cleaning and polishing, though with silver, the more you use and wash it, the less you have to polish it.
:icon_redf was my ignorance actually. I didn't realise silverware was the general term that means the same as cutlery over here. I thought you were all really posh in the US and used silver at all times. :icon_bigg Quite right that you should roll out the finery sometimes though.. if you have it!
I think many in the US use "silverware, "flatware" and "cutlery" interchangeably, regardless if the utensils are made of 92.5% silver/7.5% copper, 18% chromium/10% nickel stainless steel, or 100% polystyrene :lol:.
I do both depending on what I'm eating (how much I'm going to use the knife). I think the reason they both feel natural to me is because my father ate American and my mother ate Continental.
Continental. I should probably try out the American style some time, I have a habit of eating my food too quickly. I've only ever been in a really formal dinner once. I was staying in Portugal and my host family was rather wealthy... Like, "mom drives a convertible, the kids are in an expensive private school and dad likes to play golf at the country club" kind of rich. Too bad I was unfortunately shy and plebeian at the time, I really hate the impression I made back then...
American. As Miss Manners (etiquette columnist) once told me--and all her other Gentle Readers--the American system is much more etiquette refined than the European system. Why? Because it's so much less practical. :lol:
Actually, one of my grandmothers DID use her sterling silver a lot. I am under the impression it might have even been daily. Unconfirmed story: the only time she used stainless was when serving eggs. (Eggs will cause tarnish problems on silver.) But...recall that she was a different generation: born nearly 100 years ago. (Wow! Is it that long? I can remember when she was only 60-something...)
American, I'm ashamed to say. I've tried to train myself to eat European-style in the past, but its just too deeply engrained a habit for me to break. :icon_redf
I had to read the American version twice. I use the American way to eat a piece of steak or whatever. And it's because I always use the right hand to eat, so it's easier for me to transfer to the right hand than it is to use my left hand. Just for fun, a right handed person should try writing with their left hand sometimes, even if just a signature. The results can be disastrous!
When in Rome... I use the American style almost always except if I'm eating Indian food at home. In that case, it's almost always with hands or just a fork. I also like to use chopsticks for East Asian food, and I've gotten pretty good at eating pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) with the soup spoon in the left hand and chopsticks with the right.