Knife and fork vs. eating with your hands

[Jenise]

Yesterday, in a local cafe I observed two women eating croissant BLTs with a knife and fork. It has been awhile since I've seen this, and I watched while they struggled to get a little of everything in each bite, some of which, like the bacon, obviously didn't want to be captured. I ordered the exact same sandwich and happily ate mine with my hands, just as God intended.

It reminded me of a date I once had with an elegant man born and raised on the east coast. It was lunchtime and he took me to a very upscale place on Rodeo Drive just for their great hamburger--which he then ate with a knife and fork! Not wishing to be branded a heathen I followed suit, but unhappily so. For one, and it's a big ONE, when you hold food close to your face you get beaucoup aromas; a hamburger, dissected on a plate, simply can't taste as good.

I remember being in a pizza restaurant in Germany and being surprised that virtually everyone there ate their pizzas with knives and forks. In deference to obvious local custom we did likewise, but it felt strange.

It is, of course, proper etiquette to keep one's hands out of one's plate, I get that. But the rules that apply to fine dining don't neccessarily translate to casual fare, and IMO they shouldn't.

What say all of you?

[Robin Garr]

I say you're absolutely right, and would add fried chicken to the food that nature intended to be eaten with the hands.

"Fingers were made before forks." Old wisdom attributed in literary form to Jonathan Swift.

Yes, agree that sandwiches (including hamburgers and hot dogs served in a bun) are meant to be eaten with the hands. Ditto fried chicken. I will sometimes eat the first slice of pizza with knife and fork if it's just out of the oven and too hot to handle. I switch to eating slices by hand as soon as I can.

It is Indian custom to eat food with the right hand (the left is reserved for another purpose) and not with utensils.

-Paul W.

[David M. Bueker]

I have actually eaten at Indian and Indonesian places where eating with hands was the norm.

It is the norm at Ethiopian restaurants, too.

Agreed that "picnic fare" is food for hands.

Speaking of funny ways to consume pizza, Jay Miller used to hold the opinion that a slice should be eaten from the outside in... meaning, crust first, point last. (I think he enjoyed the struggle. )

But now the big question: sushi. I believe the Japanese generally pick it up with their hands, not chopsticks. Do you?

[Jenise]

Jeff, I'm just not good enough with chop sticks around anything rice and the rolls seem to unravel on me quickly. I'll start out trying then resort to fingers.

Speaking of chopsticks, has anyone figured out that Geoffrey Zakarian and Martha Stewart now eat with chopsticks? (When they're frequent guest judges on Chopped).

Speaking of funny ways to consume pizza, Jay Miller used to hold the opinion that a slice should be eaten from the outside in... meaning, crust first, point last. (I think he enjoyed the struggle. )

My goodness! What was the logic? And it seems difficult to manage with holding the slice, unless it's with a knife and fork.

Speaking of eating with hands, the NYC Democratic candidate has come under some silly Republican attacks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE9ucBe64W0