Do you eat Continental or American style?

Thanks for that article Scott...very interesting! I had never seen any of my Italian family or friends ever use a spoon for pasta. It was only in college that I ran into people using spoons to twirl their spaghetti. I thought that it was very inefficient and just dirtied another utensil. I have never met an Italian American that used a spoon either...and never saw it in Italy. I know that my Grandparents were very strict about how to get the spaghetti on the fork. I kinda always thought that it was just my family though...but I guess not LOL!

I still cringe a bit when hubby and In-laws cut up their spaghetti, however, they were probably pretty horrified when they first saw me eat. I was definitely a shoveler because, although my family can eat spaghetti with grace and elegance, the rest of our meals were eaten with NO manners LOL. We all ate as fast as possible (afraid that their wouldn't be enough), grabbing over people and shoveling food into our mouths quickly.

Interesting how many lefties are here. I am left hand dominate but was forced to use my right hand. My brother is left handed and so is my youngest son. It is said that left handed people are of superior intelligence. I read this somewhere.
Interesting how many lefties are here. I am left hand dominate but was forced to use my right hand. My brother is left handed and so is my youngest son. It is said that left handed people are of superior intelligence. I read this somewhere.

ITA too!

Jo Ann, that brings up a personal sore point- apparently it is a MAJOR faux pas to use chopsticks in the left hand. I cannot use them in my right hand. This caused some consternation amongst Chinese when I was there, but what else am I supposed to do? Drop all my food in my lap? (my hosts said, "Yes, that's better.")

WOW...I never knew this Stuart. Is it for the same reason they don't eat with their left hand in India? I guess I will have to practice using my right hand for chopsticks.

That was my first thought, too. But when I asked (delicately), they said, no, that's not it. Well, why not? Because it just isn't done. Like picking your nose at the table. And truly, when I insisted on eating the way I normally do with chopsticks, everyone in the room would be staring at me, sometimes pointing and laughing. That rarely happens to me when I have my clothes on.

I believe Islam has a similar disdain for eating with the left hand.

I don't know about Islam per se, but certainly Arabs in general have an aversion to left handed eating.

It is said that left handed people are of superior intelligence. I read this somewhere.

That is, of course, absolutely true.

No doubt because southpaws are in their right mind...

Mark Lipton
(pseudo-ambidextrous)

I was born in Germany and my family moved to the USA when I was 5 years old. I've always eaten European style. Aside from being a much more practical way to eat, this habit has had the benefit of making me somewhat ambidextrous for other tasks, even though I'm right-handed.
Ines

I don't know about Islam per se, but certainly Arabs in general have an aversion to left handed eating.

In India, as well, one does not eat with the left hand. I am told that is because the left hand is used for toilet hygiene operations, and so you wouldn't want it in contact with your food (Indians don't use utensils at table).

-Paul W.

[Robin Garr]

(Indians don't use utensils at table).

I expect a few hundred million middle-class Indians in Mumbai and Bangalore and places like that are going to be quite surprised to hear this ...

That's actually something I've heard Madhur Jaffrey talk about. I don't know if it's ceased to be the custom there, but she was dithyrambic about the sensual nature of eating with the hands.

Regarding Continental-style eating, I'm left-handed and was taught American-style. I eat with fork in left hand, but to cut things I switch hands and hold the knife in my left hand and use the fork in my right hand to hold the item being cut.

-Paul W.

That's actually something I've heard Madhur Jaffrey talk about. I don't know if it's ceased to be the custom there, but she was dithyrambic about the sensual nature of eating with the hands.

I'd agree with her on that. Particularly if you're sharing the eating with a friend. Sounds a little weird to say it that way, but feeding someone else with strictly hands involved is a very intimate thing.

I don't know about Islam per se, but certainly Arabs in general have an aversion to left handed eating.

In India, as well, one does not eat with the left hand. I am told that is because the left hand is used for toilet hygiene operations, and so you wouldn't want it in contact with your food (Indians don't use utensils at table).

And which also accounts for the long-standing stigma associated with the left side in Western cultures, as the etymology of the English word "sinister" so amply demonstrates.

Mark Lipton

I also practice the ambidexterous chopsticks routine on occasion. Try that!

Fork in left hand, knife in right hand, almost always. I vaguely remember making a conscious decision to operate this way.

I also practice the ambidexterous chopsticks routine on occasion. Try that!

After Stuart's post regarding the etiquette of left-handed eating in China, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of chopsticks just to see how they felt in my right hand. This arrangement definitely did not feel natural and it took a minute or two to get them placed properly. I think I could do it, though, with only minimal transfer of food to lap.

feeding someone else with strictly hands involved is a very intimate thing.

Did you have to mention that? Now I am going to be distracted all day long by thoughts of 9 1/2 Weeks.

Continental.

When I was growing up I thought that it made absolutely no sense at all to switch hands. It drove my brother crazy that I would not do it the way "everybody else does it." I suppose I was just born a rational non-conformist.

rwj

Anyone ever notice that Jeffrey Steingarten uses an overhand grip during ICA judging? Maybe not always but it occasionally jars me when I notice it.

Anyone ever notice that Jeffrey Steingarten uses an overhand grip during ICA judging? Maybe not always but it occasionally jars me when I notice it.

Scott...I never noticed this, but I will look out for it now. I have always like Mr. Steingarten as far as his critics...but I always feel a little disgusted watching him eat. He seems to smack his lips and chew with his mouth open...it's very disconcerting to me. Anyway, I will definitely take notice of his "table manners" next time I watch.

Fork in left hand, knife in right hand, almost always. I vaguely remember making a conscious decision to operate this way.

I'm with you!

I grew up eating with fork in left and knife in right (for western food): it just seemed less of a hassle than having to switch all the tine. But after studying in Evanston, I realized that (being right handed) I could eat faster if I used my right hand. I validated this whenever I ate Chinese food with chopsticks (and the Chinese east fast!). So now, for me, the best way to eat fast is to cut up all my food with the standard positioning ("continental" style) the eat it all "American" style right-handed. If I'm not in a hurry, though, I tend to leave my fork in my left hand.

For eating peas, and paella, and other granular foods, nothing beats a spoon.