Tuesday, December 11, 2007

The wonders of cutlery

When I first came to Sweden I ate as I normally ate. With my fork. Nothing else. I cut with my fork, I picked food up with my fork and I shoveled my food in my mouth with my fork. Nothing graceful about it. Just pure indulgence.

Now...I noticed after being here a week I think....?...that everyone around me ate with two pieces of silverware, a fork and a knife. Quite graceful actually. I thought about it and looked at how I ate and I felt odd, almost barbaric with the way I handled my food.

So, I attempted this fork and knife together thingy and it felt awkward in my hands...so I switched hands and put the knife in my left and fork in my right hand. Cutting was strange and I couldn't figure out how to pick up food with the fork upside down like everyone else, or turned the other way you might say. The food slipped off. Always. After some practice I found myself able to do this and I didn't feel so much the barbarian shoveling food in my face.

I eat this way now without even thinking about it and attempting to eat with only a fork? No thanks. THAT actually feels awkward now. I'll use both hands thank you, knife in the left, fork in my right.

Now I actually have some etiquette, considering what I do for a living, I should of had this etiquette a long time ago...

I thought about this as I read Hairy Swede's Blog. It is oh so true...If you read his article about The Nobel Prize Dinner here in Sweden, you'll see exactly what I am talking about. Made me laugh!

16 comments:

Michelle said...

Funny you should mention it, PV always uses a fork and knife whereas I only use a fork. Europeans like their knives I guess.

Anonymous said...

Yes, unfortunately it hasn't been discovered in USA yet, though...

Hairy Swede said...

is this strictly a Swedish thing or do all Europeans use the knife?

Maja said...

I use my fork in my right and knife in left too. Jason mainly uses a fork. It's okay if you're eating something like curry, i think.

Ms. Kimba said...

i think all europeans use...actually i think just us on the north americas only use a fork..lol..however as i said, i have adapted to this way of life.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it goes something like this: Europe and South America - fork and knife, Asia - sticks and in some countries hands and Africa - no idea? Hands or forks and knives maybe?

I don't get it why not use the knife? It's there on the skid of your plate, why not pick it up and use it?

Ms. Kimba said...

As I said.. I do use it...

Now.

Well i have used it before, but only if its steak or something that was not cutable by a fork.

Ms. Kimba said...

and where the heck is your blog might i ask Herr Anonym??

mogli said...

In my opinion, people from different parts of the world use different types of eating utensils depending on the main food staple they have. In rice-eating countries, people in the old days used their hands. Then the western colonizers introduced the use of spoon and fork, since the side dish are generally saucy and there's no way you'd be able to put rice floating in sauce in your mouth using knife and fork. Besides the meat in these side dishes are usually already cubed or cut into small pieces, so there's no use for the knife.

In Europe the main staple is potatoes and meat, which are normally cooked in big chunks, so you would need your knife and fork to eat that.

Now China (and Japan and Korea) are quiet unique for using two pieces of sticks to eat their food. I don't quiet understand how it came to be.

Anyway, in my case I have adapted myself to the Swedish way, knife-right, fork-left, when eating european dishes. In chinese/japanese restaurants, I use the chopsticks, in thai/indian/filipino restaurants, i use the spoon and fork for soupy dishes, and even when eating pasta in italian restaurant i have fork on right and very occasionally spoon on left (if provided).

Anonymous said...

I'm not criticizing you, I'm just wondering why Americans don't eat with both a knife and a fork. So what, you only get a fork when you eat in a restaurant in USA?

Well, for your information, fröken CeCrux, I don't have one but you got me started thinking that maybe I should. You've already given me the name - Wonders of cutlery. Promise to pop in sometime soon...

Ms. Kimba said...

Mogli has it nailed I think! And as for the pinoy eating with the hands...oh god, my in laws were at your house?..lol...j-k

Anonym...I would be happy to stop by if you made one. i would be so interrested to see what you got to write. I am sure i'd only end up laughing. i see you as a silly type..well ok, silly is for girls but you get my point. nothing better then a good laugh.

Ms. Kimba said...

oh I forgot...at a restaurant in the USA you do get all the cutlery,of course, however when we are at home we are lazy i guess.

Now if only i can convince the rest of my family to use a knife...i dont think it'll happen tho.

Anonymous said...

well, I was just kidding but maybe I will... But it'd probably be in Swedish so all people I know can read it. So, I've hope you done your homework :p.. Btw, how did you guess I was a guy?

Ms. Kimba said...

Jag alltid göra min läxa så.....skriv på!

Och, du skriver som en man.

Hairy Swede said...

Just to add to the conversation. A lot of Americans will use the knife to cut. Then put the knife down and only use the fork. So the knife still gets used. Just not as efficiently as in Sweden.

Ms. Kimba said...

your right hairy...thats a good way to put it,,,couldnt of said it better myself!