(edit title) How to starve a Swede? Take away their knife Options

[alibihh]

Well, it's a question of whether you adhere to the American or the European style. It's just how you were brought up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_utensi...#European_style

Each group finds the other's eating habit strange (at least that's what i hear from my friends): The European style is perceived as greedy and fast eating by Americans, whereas the American style looks clumsy and what a child would do to Europeans.

Interesting thing for me: I grew up in Europe, yet spend a lot of time in Asia and the US. I seem to develop an American/Asian eating style now.

[Snood]

My (Swedish) sambo uses his knife and fork in the wrong hands. It makes me cringe!

Mine too, it really annoys me. I always set the table with them in the correct positions though.

[JulieLou40]

Me too

[skogsbo]

So I was watching my (Swedish) wife eat the other night and, once again, I was impressed by her dexterity with the fork and knife. She holds her fork, tines down, with the lef ... (show full quote)

So I was watching my (Swedish) wife eat the other night and, once again, I was impressed by her dexterity with the fork and knife. She holds her fork, tines down, with the left hand and her knife in the right. With these two utensils flashing back and forth ala Edward Scissorhands, My question is this: is this (the knife and fork thing) a Swedish thing or is all of Europe so enlightened? ... (hide full quote)

perhaps i've missed something, but I didn't think this was that hard, my 5yr old seems to get by this way with his mini knife and fork. But, it doesn't really matter, does it? Provided you don't starve.

I think perhaps it's European, who knows, they certainly encourage them at dagis here to use both simultaneously, without swapping hands or juggling. I eat with right handed placed cutlery, even though I'm left handed, but can swap over easily enough, but perhaps this is because it's an engrained habit from childhood etc..

[JuJuBeeLyn]

I laughed SO hard when I read this as I have asked my sambo how he could ever eat without a knife. What I have observed from him and some of his friends is not the same as the eating style of the English (or Irish.) Here are the differences:

1. They hold the fork both ways.. times down orup.. kind of depending on the bite.
2. A GREAT quantity of food is taken on the fork at a time.
3. More than one kind of food is put on the fork at one time. This sometimes seems to be a challenge to see if all kinds of food on the plate can be put on the fork at the same time.
4. There is a technique of scooping and scraping the food to really pack it on the fork. This is nessesary to fufill items 2 and 3. This is facinating (for me.. a nerd!) to watch!

Juju

PS Random food rant. I was REALLY missing american stuff and broke down and bought a box of fruit loops. (I have been here since FEB, but I was living for more than a year in Barbados immediatly prior where they do not have fresh milk, so cereal was kind of a no go for me there.) I was so excited and my healthy sambo was trying to avoid looking at the lurid box. Anyway... WTF!! The loops are huge and tasteless!!! It is not the same product! I bought the real stuff with Tucan Sam and everything. Uggh I was SO dissapointed!! Gross!

[Snood]

I had no idea Americans ate that way... what's wrong with just using cutlery properly?

[byke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD-wZbSKgVo#t=1m18s

[skogsbo]

1. They hold the fork both ways.. times down orup.. kind of depending on the bite.2. A GREAT quantity of food is taken on the fork at a time.3. More than one kind of food is p ... (show full quote)

1. They hold the fork both ways.. times down orup.. kind of depending on the bite.
2. A GREAT quantity of food is taken on the fork at a time.
3. More than one kind of food is put on the fork at one time. This sometimes seems to be a challenge to see if all kinds of food on the plate can be put on the fork at the same time. ... (hide full quote)

1 - isn't that what they were designed for, hence the prongs and curve?
2 - again that's what they are made for
3 - Isn't that the idea, to mix flavours, otherwise why would you bother cooking a variety of stuff and putting it on the same plate?

In my 40+ years of life I've never seen anyone really do anything else. (Unless you count those people who eat with only their fingers or chop sticks)

[axiom]

I must admit, I still cringe at the sight of burgers being ate with knives and forks and being given a spoon to eat my cake - just can't get used to it

[skogsbo]

Clearly some stuff is finger food, burgers, some pizza, drumsticks, ribs, many things on toast.. to name but fee.

[axiom]

that I will agree with, but pretty common here to see my m8s run for the cutlery when we take we a few burgers n fries

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

Can't beat...knife and fork...PIZZA!

[axiom]

Aaah yeh, always fun to see the Pizza trick and Pasta, out comes the knife and fork and the beautiful spagetti gets chopped into small peices with the knife in a clever zig zag chopping motion across the plate and then eaten like a bowl of rice. I'm not Italian but pasta is a beautiful food which ought to be eaten properly.

[skogsbo]

I'm not Italian but pasta is a beautiful food which ought to be eaten properly.

yeah, fork and spoon. That's part of the goal/game we play with kids, trying to teach them to do twirly wirlys! It results in extra clothes washing of course, but they eat their food properly and learn some good dexterity skills too.

Unless it's a buffet, why have pasta and pizza, it like carbs with a side order of carbs, perhaps a salad, garlic bread, bruschetta(spelling), but pasta? Not so sure, any Italians out there?

[JuJuBeeLyn]

1 - isn't that what they were designed for, hence the prongs and curve?2 - again that's what they are made for3 - Isn't that the idea, to mix flavours, otherwise w ... (show full quote)

1 - isn't that what they were designed for, hence the prongs and curve?
2 - again that's what they are made for
3 - Isn't that the idea, to mix flavours, otherwise why would you bother cooking a variety of stuff and putting it on the same plate?

In my 40+ years of life I've never seen anyone really do anything else. (Unless you count those people who eat with only their fingers or chop sticks) ... (hide full quote)

1. Americans would not pile things on with the tongs pointing down. We use them to spear meat.
2. I was taught it was not polite to shovel large quantities into my mouth at one time. Small bites, well chewed. It's a cultural difference.
3. Mixing lettuce, potato, meat, and a chunk of bread (on the fork) all together is a bit weird to me.

I have never in my 28 years seen anyone eat that way and I have lived all over the US and in Barbados and have eaten with friends from England, Ireland, Russia, Korea, Syria, Argentina, Trinidad, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Canada, etc.