I'm from Britland (most of you know that!) and it is normal for us Brits to use a knife and fork to eat our dinner. When I met Larry though, he informed me that usage of knives to eat a meal is rare in America, in fact, it is seen as uncouth. When I go to restaurants here in Indiana NO ONE uses a knife.

Brits think using a fork only is uncouth....I find it REALLY hard to not use a knife, so I still do.

So, what do YOU use to eat dinner?

chopsticks.....

Usually just a fork. I only use a knife if I am cutting steak or something like that. Otherwise, the fork is also my knife.

Sujeet and I were just talking the other day about the different way people eat, and comparing what we think is the British way compared to the American way, with whether the fork is turned up or down. I find it odd when the fork is turned down, or I think that Americans who do it are just trying to look "proper", and I bet you think it's odd that the fork is used as a shovel.

I eat with a fork and knife sometimes....

I think I used to more before I moved to the US...

Ahh damn...sorry!!

Just kidding, I use a forks only...

Only a knife for moi, but hubby of course being the Englishman that he is uses the knife and the fork. I caught him once not using it, and had to fuss. My 12 y.o. attempts the art of the knife and fork. We get so tickled because he struggles to use both and you catch him making quick glances at Tim as he eats. Personally I love to watch Tim eat, it is done with such precision and skill (kind of turns me on).

Knife and fork for me.... being a good Scottish lass I always eat with a knife and fork and I place them together in the center of the plate to indicate I have finished eating... My husband finds this very odd, he just leaves his fork sitting on the table.... makes such a mess of the tablecloth...

Kez

USC: fork - knife only when eating steak
Indonesian: fork & spoon.

mmm, how do you do it?? doesn't the food fall off a lot?

Ya meant fork?

For Christmas Dinner I made something that required a knife to cut it. Larry's Mom really didn't handle it very well. I think it is a skill that you pick up when young and if you don't it is very hard to ever manage it properly.

I use a knife and fork usually (USC here). I mean, usually there's some sort of meat that has to be cut.

ETA: Maybe I don't really understand the question. You use a knife when it is needed. So are you asking how often our meals necessitate the use of a knife?

No I really use a knife only! NOT, what a stupid typo.

I do think its something you have to learn early. He has tried to show me, but I feel like I am doing to much at once and eating with my fork upside down lol. Mind you I can use one to cut a piece of meat, but to use it like he does aint happenin'! He moves and manipulates his food all over the place with that knife!

I am amazed at the things my husband will eat with just his fingers.... I use a fork and knife for everything....

Kez

I am so used to eating with knife and fork, I ended up having dinner unconciously holding a teaspoon (that was meant for dessert) in my right hand when we had dinner at his parents' house once.

My husband (the USC) eats with knife and fork too, maybe because he has lived in Europe for so many years and had to go out to LOTS of fancy company dinners... I don't know.


This reminds me of a discussion I had a long time ago, with one of my husband's good friends.

We had steak for dinner, and I noticed that people ate them differently. Most of the Americans in our group cut their steak into bite-sized pieces, put the knife down and ate with their fork.

I cut a piece off the steak and eat and cut and eat...

That one friend and I started discussing which way was the fastest and I insisted that mine was faster (not that that's the point when eating a goood steak ) because I cut and chew while cutting the next peace. He insisted I was wrong.

Months later- I had never even thought about it- my husband got an email from his friend saying "tell your girlfriend she's right".
He later told me he did some test series on eating steaks and in the end had to admit that I was right...

Where were you???? I must say, I've never seen American adults eat this way!

hehe..I have always used my hands to eat certain things, like lettuce in a salad, or other things you are only supposed to eat with utensils. My mom used to make jokes about it when I was young. But it works out really good since I married an Indian, and he eats with his hands more than I do. And it seems it's not even rude to use your fingers to wipe the plate clean and lick them, with some Indian food. Works for me!

Usually just a fork but a knife when I eat steak since most times chicken and fish can just be cut with a fork.

My husband eats with his hands mostly.

I hadn't either, I guess that's why I noticed. And I didn't ever notice it again...

It was a mixed group from various European countries and I think 4 Americans- two of them ate that way. They live together, too... maybe that's why one of them ate like that and the other copied.

I mean throughout the meal, knife in one hand, fork in the other. Like Bethanie said, I use the knife to manipulate my food onto the fork, cut the food etc.

The poll was deficient.

We do use fork only at LEF retreats (, some restaurants, local church meals)--but for everyday, most desis (us included) use NO cutlery.

Me (USC): I like to have a knife handy when I'm eating, but mostly use the fork.

Wife (Philippine citizen): Hands only, even for rice, spaghetti, everything. She only uses a fork when I'm there. And her family does not use knives to cut, if they don't pull it apart with their fingers they might use a large spoon. I always have to remind Fely to bring me a knife when she prepares my meals.

I'm sorry my poll didn't quite meet your high standards.

I'm only interested in people who actually use cutlery anyway...so in reality, I didn't actually require your vote anyway. Apologies for ANY inconvenience caused to you whilst partaking in this poll.

Me USC fork, unless im cutting meat
Gary uses fork and knife
He shouts at me to use my knife when i use my fingers to scoop peas or whatever veggie we are having on the fork

UKS fiancee eats with his knife and fork at every meal...including just beans on toast. I generally use a knife as needed, and that includes helping various foodstuffs onto my fork.

Cute story: His last visit I was cooking, so he was setting the table, and put out butter knives for all the kids. They objected, "We aren't allowed to use knives!" After watching him eat they sure tried to do it his way as fingers in the plate aren't encouraged with most meals at my house.

Editted to fix a typo. I'm lame brained today.

Chopsticks

Both of us use fork most of the time, unless there's some food cutting involved

Born and raised in Canada to Scottish parents (who were born and raised in Scotland, don'tcha know) and I use a knife and fork to eat meals off the big plates. For meals off of the little plates it is optional to use cutlery or one's fingers.

AND, we called the pieces "cutlery" or "irons," not silverware. We had silverware---kept in a velvet-y wooden box in the dining room, both of which were for when we had comp'ny.

To clarify, "irons" was the word that my father would use when we were having difficulty wielding them correctly when we were children (my younger brother and I, that is). "Hold your irons properly!"

Dunno. He never explained its use and I can't ask him now. He's gone.

Knife and fork for me too

I thought it was strange the way the knife is always in the right hand and there's no fork-switchover when you're done cutting. I also thought it was strange to do fork tongs over not under....now it seems perfectly normal and logical

I usually just use a fork, or chopsticks.

Kumar eats Nepali style, with his right hand(the left is used for other things ) It's amazing to see him eat a whole plate of dal bhat without making a mess - I'll learn someday

This is also near-universal Indian style, irrespective of religion.

(I can't even mention to Pras that we may have a southpaw child; she hits the sky if she sees someone eat with left hand--I would have to look THRICE to notice).

I'm bad, because sometimes when at an Indian restuarant, I'll purposely eat with my left hand to make Sujeet freak out and say "eww, they'll think that's gross!" . Well, I don't use my left hand instead of TP, so I don't see the big deal.

To really top it off: I have a cousin in Annapolis (his dad, my dad's younger brother, lives in Mitchellville) who is a COMPLETE southpaw--and has been since before he left India (1976 when he was 6 years old); and he happens to be UNSAVED (not sure how it didn't raise issues with my paternal grandparents; maybe he simply "lived with it" due to their never being positive-minded on anything).

well sometimes people use their knife to push food onto their fork....

It's tough for me because I am a lefty too, that's why I end up making a mess! Kumar told me about some Bollywood star who is left-handed and eats with his left hand, I forgot his name. I have learned how to do without TP, now give me a water jug and I'm good to go(sorry about the pun)

Knife and fork. I don't know about american table manners, but in Brazil you're supposed to use both during the meal, not only to cut food, you should eat soup with the side of the spoon, chew with mouth closed, elbows not resting on the table, etc. I eat some types of pasta with spoon and fork, using the spoon to help roll the pasta in the fork, when it's a long thin pasta, like spaghetti. When I eat in asian restaurants I use chopsticks. I hardly use my hands to eat any food, i even use fork and knife to eat pizza, I don't like the mess, but that's a choice of mine, not because the manners say so .

I applaud you! I have not attempted the jug only way and not sure if I ever will... Maybe one day...in India but not here.

Yeah, that's what I've gathered! I guess I really hadn't thought about it much before. I do that too, but only if I happen to have a knife because I also have a piece of meat on my plate. I wouldn't set a knife and fork for myself to eat a plate of pasta, for example.

I answered knife and fork. But I think I answered incorrectly.

I use a knife to cut up my food (knife in right hand fork in left to steady the food)...but then I put the knife down and put my left hand on my lap and then eat with my fork in my right hand.


So No I don't eat with both knife and fork in my hand! Sorry!

But my lovely husband to be does! Being from England and all!

That would be silly!

Yeah it would!


I've been told the way I eat is not proper. I hold the fork in my right hand and the knife with my left and do not put my knife down in between bites.

Please tell me what to do!!!!!

To really add to the confusion: my dad uses fork and spoon (no knife) for most meals (even when visiting India).

While this can work for rice, it's actually quite awkward with many South Indian dishes (dosai, idly, vadai for example).

Fork in left, knife in right! Unless you are left handed (like my son), they tend to do it the way you are doing it!

Believe me didi, it took a lot of trial and error... obviously the more water you use the better, but I won't go into too much detail here, since this thread is about 'input' and not 'output'...

I have very similar table manners. Unfolded napkin in the lap, proper place setting, knife and fork held in hand whiling eating, placing the knife and fork in clock position of 5:00 after finishing eating, etc. I could not eat any other way. And could not stand if my husband ate like a pig shoveling food in his mouth. I cannot stand to see people eat in such a manner where I lose my appetite.
How is fork and knife uncouth? Who says?

Some things I know are the proper way but I only do it while I'm in public and some only in certain restaurants, like unfolded napkin in the lap, I won't do that in places like taco bell, or with paper towels at home, but I'll do it in a restaurant .

fork and tablespoon

Yodrak

Ah, the typical implements for Southeast Asian cuisine!!! The best food on the planet!

I certainly do it. Not the whole steak or whatever at once, but cut off several bite-sized pieces, put knife down, switch fork to right hand, eat pieces one at a time, put fork back into left hand and pick up knife, repeat...

And to me it looks rude and impatient to be holding your knife in your hand the whole time, like you want to shovel the food in as fast as possible instead of enjoying one bite at a time.

Except if you're British, of course.

William,

It always gets me noticed, and then extra attention, when eating at Thai restaurants.

Yodrak