Silverware: American or Continental

I've never come across an American who eats in the "American" style; they've all eaten just as every other Westerner does. Are there certain groups who are more likely to eat in that way? And I don't see how handedness can influence your style of eating.

I almost always eat in the "European" style, and that's how most cutlery feels it should be used. The only time I don't is when I eat East Asian foods; I'll often eat with chopsticks (I'm good with them, but I'm not sure if I follow various rules of etiquette correctly)

 

I like chopsticks

 

Continental. But if the food doesn't require cutting then I eat with my fork in my right hand

 

I use continental. I didn't know there was more than one method.

I have no idea what our cutlery is made from but I know it's not silver lol

 

Continental here, I used to switch as a kid constantly but always considered continental classier idk why. What gets me is when people eat a croissant with a knife and fork, hilarious.

Same here, rotis/chapatis are the only exception heck I even eat dosa's (thin rice pancake with stuffing) with a knife and fork. (NRI grandchild here)

Side note: Did you know that human teeth used to clench together before the invention of cutlery? And that can still be seen in some countries where one doesn't use it. Their teeth clench right on each other, unlike ours where the bottom set of teeth sit behind the top set.

 

Way too posh for me. Just don't eat like a complete pig, and you're fine by me.

 

I feel more comfortable with American, but I seldom use this method because most food I eat doesn't require it. Since I usually eat Viet food at home, I use chopsticks.

 

Some of us even eat reverse continental :eek: :roflmao:

 

Um... neither. When I'm eating something that can't be proportionally separated by fork alone, I hold a knife in the left hand and hold down food (usually meat) with a fork in the right hand. Then, I use the right hand with the fork to eat the food. The knife may or may not be put down depending on whether I'm in a hurry.



Basically, when I eat, and I'm using a fork, it will never leave my right hand. :lol:





Although I should say that if someone told me I could only eat something with fork in left hand and knife in right, I would have a very, very difficult time doing it. So I guess that points toward an American preference.

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Oh good, I'm not entirely alone. *high-fives* :lol:

 

Have you ever been to the US? If your only experience has been with American tourists that could be a factor--that is, they pick up the European system while, say, studying abroad.

I'll have to start paying attention to see what I see people doing. Too bad this question didn't come up before my Top Secret LGBT Group Dinner Meeting Monday night...

---------- Post added 24th Apr 2014 at 02:16 PM ----------

Honestly I don't use the American system very much. I live alone, and most of the time my meals are a bowl in my left hand, a fork or spoon in my right. I seldom eat anything that needs cutting.

 

Even though I'm right-handed, I usually eat with my left (except when food requires cutting, then I use my right hand to cut it and keep the fork in my left, Continental-style). I'm also a leftie archer. We think it comes from my dad, who's a rightie but plays sports and uses a computer mouse left-handed.

 

Um, "Continental"/"European".

I'm American and have never heard of this "American" way of eating (cutting one piece of food and then putting the knife down and switching the fork to the right hand for each piece of food? Wha? :eek, I have never seen any American eat this way. It seems like it would be very tedious and time-consuming to eat in such a fashion.

 

I suppose I'm one of the few Americans here who still eats like a civilized man.