Etiquette is the norms and rules that reflect the proper behavior of people in society. Exist different kinds etiquette: business, speech, wedding and even mourning. Many people are interested in table etiquette, and how to properly use cutlery. The Land of Soviets will describe table etiquette rules.

Many people feel embarrassed about going to restaurants because they don't know how to properly use cutlery. From childhood, we are taught to hold the fork in the right hand. We use a knife only to cut bread. And in the West, children from an early age are taught to properly use a knife and fork. After all, the rules of etiquette at the table say that the knife should be in the right hand, and the fork in the left. Let's figure out how to use the devices correctly.

Hospitable well-mannered hosts will always follow in their home. They will also carefully observe the rules of table etiquette. Guests who do not know them will be very embarrassed. Therefore, we advise you now to learn how to use various cutlery.

You will need to remember that all appliances on the left(and these are always forks), should be held in the left hand. On the right are spoons and knives held in the right hand.. If you see that there are also cutlery for common dishes on the table, located with the handle to the left, then they should be taken with your left hand. A similar rule is used for devices located with the handle to the right. Now we will describe in more detail how to use these or other devices.

How to hold a fork

There are several rules that describe when the fork is held in the left hand and when in the right.. If you have soft enough dishes in front of you, such as an omelet, vegetables or a casserole, you can safely take the fork in your right hand. To divide these dishes into pieces, they do not resort to the help of a knife, but do it with a fork. They do the same with cutlets, zrazy, cabbage rolls, meatballs and other minced meat dishes. The rules of table etiquette allow you to eat these dishes only with a fork. Also do not cut dumplings, dumplings and boiled vegetables with a knife.

It is also allowed to hold a fork in your right hand when you have a fish dish in front of you.. But this is only if there are no special devices for fish dishes: a knife with a dull blade and a fork with four prongs. Fish can also be eaten with two forks. If you decide to use only one fork, then you can hold it in your right hand, helping yourself with a piece of bread, which is in your left.

How to hold a knife

The knife is always held in the right hand. They resort to his help quite often, because it is necessary to cut the meat. Remember that you can not cut the whole dish into pieces at once, then the food will cool down very quickly and lose its taste. Cut off piece by piece. If there are small children at the table who are not quite used to using a knife, then you can immediately cut all the food for them.

When cutting the meat into pieces, you should not make too much effort.. The cut piece may slip out of the plate and fall onto the tablecloth. If you have a potato in front of you, you can separate it into pieces with a fork, and since the crispy crust may be too hard, you can cut it with a knife.

How to hold a spoon

The spoon is used only for soups and broths.. The spoon is held in such a way that thumb lay on top of her arm. In order not to splatter their outfit, they scoop liquid from a plate away from themselves.

If you have chicken broth with pieces of meat in front of you, then this is both the first and second course. Therefore, the liquid is eaten with a spoon. They start meat only when there is no broth left in the plate. It is eaten with a knife and fork. But this rule can be neglected, so watch how your neighbors at the table act.

In no case do not blow on the liquid if it is too hot, just wait until the dish cools down a bit. If there are meatballs or dumplings in the soup and you would like to separate them into parts, then this is done with a spoon. To finish the soup, lift the plate with your left hand away from you.

A large bowl can also be used to serve the first course. Broth, soup puree or soup is eaten with a small dessert spoon. Connoisseurs say that if a soup cup has two handles, then the first one is drunk from it, like tea or coffee. But in practice, this rule can be deviated from.

The rules of etiquette at the table require that after the end of the meal, the spoon should be left in the bowl where the soup was.. The knife and fork are placed parallel to each other - the knife is on the right, the fork is on the left. If you need to step away for any reason, cross your knife and fork on your plate. In this case, the knife handle should look to the right, and the fork handle to the left. This is a sign that you have not finished your dish yet, so your plate will not be changed.

In 5 signs to the waiter that you need to know.

When we eat in a restaurant, how do you signal to the waiter that you are waiting for the second course?

And how do you let him know that you have gone away for a minute and you don’t need to take away the plates? There has long been a sign language, which the waiters are trained to recognize. Here are a few simple rules, remembering which it will be possible to signal your intentions.

Just remember that these signs may vary slightly, depending on the host country.

The meal is over

In order to signal to the waiter that you have finished eating and that your dishes can be removed, you should not dump used napkins into plates and move them away from you. Just fold the fork and knife parallel to each other, handles to the right. The blade of the knife should be facing you and the tines of the fork should be facing up. Do the same with your fork and spoon after dessert.

Finished:

First courses are always served in deep plates set on shallow ones. If you are in a Russian restaurant, then the spoon, after the soup is eaten, can also be left in a deep plate. Leave it there if the meal is still going on. Therefore, do not rely on the attention of the waiter, but watch your plate yourself so as not to part with it ahead of time. In Europe, when the soup is eaten, the spoon must be taken out and put on the bottom plate.

Ready for the next meal:

They do the same when they eat salads and desserts served in small, deep vases or bowls placed on a shallow dish. Until you have finished eating, put the knife and fork, resting their tips on its edge. After finishing the meal, put the cutlery on it in parallel. If the dishes allow, the spoon can be left directly in the vase.

Perfect:

did not like:

A LITTLE ABOUT EASTERN WISDOM.

To tell a waiter in a Chinese restaurant that it's time to put the dishes away, just put the chopsticks across the plate with the sharp ends to the left. In a Japanese restaurant, this is not allowed, and the chopsticks, both during the meal and after it is completed, are placed on a special rectangular stand with the ends up.

THE LANGUAGE OF THE TISSUE.

With the help of a tissue napkin, you can also give some signals. If you decide to leave for a while, put her on a chair, and when you return, fold it in half and place it on your knees again. If you are leaving the restaurant, place the napkin to the left of the plate, with the used side facing inward. Thus, you will inform that you are leaving completely, and you can remove everything from the table.

Just don't put cloth napkins in dirty dishes and don't try to give them their original look by building figures out of them.

A home cutlery set is usually limited to a simple trio of a knife, spoon and fork. However, any of us may find ourselves at a banquet, a dinner party, or simply in a status restaurant, where the atmosphere and menu will dictate completely different rules for using cutlery. And knowing them will be absolutely not superfluous.

Cutlery: general rules of etiquette

• Table setting is the first clue. What lies on the right side is supposed to be taken in the right hand, and vice versa.
• If there are difficulties, you can delay the start of the meal a little and see how others are doing it.
• Dessert devices are placed with their handles towards the hand with which they need to be taken.
• The knife is always held exclusively in the right hand, regardless of whether the left is free.
• It is unacceptable to first cut a whole piece of food into pieces, and then put down the knife and eat them with a fork. There is more - shifting it to the right hand.
• If there are several forks or spoons on the table, you need to start with those that are further from the plate as the dishes are served.
• Hold instruments almost vertically - bad manners. Strive for their horizontal position while eating.
• If you need to transfer the device to another person, hold it by the middle. But it is better to ask the waiter about it.
• You can’t put food on a fork with a knife, they can only slightly tweak what is taken with a fork.
• Broths, even those served in a cup with a handle (broth pot), are eaten with a spoon, like any soups and other liquid dishes. The spoon is held in the right hand. At the very end, when there is little broth left in the cup, it is permissible to drink it. But not from a plate!
• After the dish is eaten, even if it is not the last one, the used cutlery is placed not on the table and not on the edge of the plate, but completely on it. If there is a desire to convey to the restaurant workers that the food was tasteless, then crosswise, passing the knife between the tines of the fork. The position of the cutlery on the plate is a whole language that is desirable to know in order to avoid misunderstanding with the waiter.

• Sausages, cut and whole sausages and cheese from a common plate are first transferred to their own plate, and then cut off one piece at a time and eaten.
• Bread and sandwiches do not require any appliances. However, not everything is so simple with them. They are supposed to be first transferred to your plate (usually a separate pie or just a snack bar is served) and only then eat. But not biting from the whole, but breaking off in parts.
• Cutting vegetables is not accepted. Including boiled potatoes. It is crushed with the edge of a fork, but not put on it.
• Compotes from kremanka are not drunk over the edge, but eaten with a spoon, like ice cream or cream. After that, the spoon is placed on a dessert plate, and not left in the bowl.
• Pieces of watermelon or melon are taken from a common plate by hand, if they are not peeled. In this case, the watermelon is placed sideways, and the melon - crust down. Next, we act with the help of devices, cutting off in portioned pieces - everything is normal, as is done with meat.
• Desserts (cakes, cakes) are eaten with a spoon only if they are soft enough and do not crumble. Otherwise, you can take them with your hands or break them off piece by piece. The fork does not need to be used.

What appliances to eat fish and seafood?

Fish in any form, except in certain specified cases, does not allow a knife. But if something in the form of a spatula is served with a dish, this is what will replace it for us. Feel free to take it in your right hand and carefully separate the grain from the chaff, that is, the flesh from the bones. If nothing but a fork was given to the fish, then shift it to the right, and arm your left hand with a piece of bread. But do not eat it with fish, but only correct the pieces.

The most difficult case is fish served whole. First you need to separate from the ridge and eat the upper sirloin, then use a spatula or fork to separate all the bones entirely and set them aside. It remains to eat the fillet of the second half. After the fish is done with, the plate should be a neat skeleton, not a messy mountain of bones.

Shellfish cannot be eaten without helping yourself with your fingers. But this does not mean that the matter should be taken completely into hands in the truest sense of the word. For lobsters, crayfish, oysters and other things, there are special devices depending on their type - a spatula, a short fork, tweezers.

Pickled or salted herring, smoked eel and other hard fish can be used with a knife.

Read also:

• No thanks! How to politely refuse an unloved dish?
• All ladies do it! Rules of etiquette for a social event

If the salad is served in a common salad bowl, you should use a special spoon to transfer it to your plate. Sometimes a snack plate is placed in front of the guest, and a portioned cold dish is behind him. In this case, it is necessary to deal with it, as with a common salad bowl, imposing food in portions.

No matter how large the leaf lettuce is, it is not supposed to cut it into smaller ones.

Hold the fork with the convex side up or down? In the left hand - only up, in the right both options are acceptable.

Unlike in Italy, where spaghetti is handled with just one fork, in our restaurants this dish is often served with two utensils - a fork and a spoon. In this case, the spoon serves only as a safety net and is held in the left hand. Do not try to wind a lot - it will not work. Enough to capture 2-4 "macaroni". In the case of very large lengths, they can be cut. The fork is held in the right hand and rotates towards itself. If the cheese is served separately, it is added independently to taste.

Today we will talk about the rules of table setting, the existing norms of behavior during meals and the features of use various items serving. After all, you must admit that when you master this science, you feel much more confident in any company, on any journey, in any restaurant. I want to clarify that there are many styles, schools and rules, some even contradict each other. Here the factor of the country, institutions and traditions takes place. So I took one of the styles. So let's get started.

Start of lunch.

If you are a guest and there are no name cards on the table, remain standing until the host of the dinner indicates your place at the table.

Napkins.

As soon as you sit down at the table, put a napkin on your knees. It is customary to unfold the napkin in one smooth movement, shaking it in order to straighten it. How to put the napkin on your lap depends on the size of the napkin. Two options are possible: 1. Napkins big size usually served at more formal occasions, and on such occasions it is customary to unfold the napkin halfway. 2. Smaller napkins are fully unfolded and completely cover the knees. Do not tuck the tissue in the collar, between shirt buttons, or in the waistband. If a dish is served that is customary to eat with your hands, look at the host of the dinner - and do the same as he (perhaps he will tuck the napkin under his chin, or tie it around his neck). Using a napkin. During lunch, use a tissue more often to blot your lips, but don't dry them. If there are also paper napkins on the table, it is permissible to wipe your lips with them. Be sure to blot your lips before drinking, this is especially true for women who use lipstick. Napkin rings. If the table is set with napkins in rings, after you have removed the napkin from the ring, put it in the upper left corner from the cutlery. After dinner, take a napkin by the center, thread it through the ring and place it on the table so that the center of the napkin looks at the center of the table. If you need to leave the table for a short time, put the napkin to the left of the plate. At the same time, try to fold the napkin so that the side you used is inside. What to do with a napkin after a meal? When the meal is over:

• Fold the napkin in any convenient way.
• If there is still a plate in front of you on the table, when leaving the table, put the napkin to the left of the plate.
• If the table in front of you is empty, put the napkin in the center of the table, where your plate was.
• Lay the napkin folded so that the soiled parts are not visible.
• If afternoon coffee is served for dining table, leave the napkin on your lap.

General rules

You need to sit at the table straight, at a comfortable distance from the table, so that your arms bent at the elbows are at the same level with knives and forks. Never put your elbows on the table! If you don’t know where to put your hands, just fold them on your knees. If you have already been served a dish, wait until all the guests at the table are served, and only after that pick up the utensils and start eating. An exception is if the host of the feast invited you to start the meal. Then you can start eating without waiting for the rest of the guests. How close should dishes be to you so that you can reach them yourself? Everything is simple here: it is permissible to reach only those objects that are in close proximity to you, so that you can get them outstretched hand leaning slightly to the side. Do not bend over your neighbor to get a dish. To get something that is out of your reach, just ask "Pass, please ...", and also do not forget to thank anyone who will give you the necessary item. According to the rules of etiquette, before the start of the meal, each of those present must make sure that the other guests have been offered everything they might need - oil, water, salt and pepper, etc. Let's focus on how properly pass food at the table.

• According to the rules, food is passed from left to right, while the dish should move in only one direction.
• Two options are possible: either one of the diners holds the dish while his neighbor fills his plate from it, or the diner passes the dish to the neighbor and he himself holds the dish and fills his plate.
• It is customary to put dishes that are heavy or inconvenient to hold on weight on the table with each transfer to a neighbor.
• It is customary to pass tureens and other utensils with handles in such a way that the handle looks towards the guest receiving the dish.

If the food is served on a dish and needs to be butchered, the following rule applies when passing such a dish around the table: each of the diners holds the dish while his neighbor on the right puts himself food from it using common appliances attached to the dish. A little explanation is needed here. All cutlery is divided into individual (basic) and general (auxiliary). Individual appliances are intended for receiving dishes, and common - for laying them out. Use of common appliances:

• Common appliances are located to the right of the dish for which they are intended.
• If both a fork and a spoon are served with the dish, there is a rule: the spoon is placed to the right of the dish, so that it is convenient to scoop up and lift food, and the fork is placed to the left to support the food with it.
• Shared cutlery must be returned to the shared dish in the same way as they were served.
• If the serving spoon was served on a separate plate-stand, after use it must be placed in a common dish (thus preparing for use by the next guest).
• It is customary to point the blade of a carving knife into the dish to avoid cuts.

Eat at a calm pace, firstly, it contributes to better digestion, and secondly, this will show the owner of the feast that you want to enjoy both food and company. The quick absorption of food is a sign of disrespect for the owners, saying that you have come only to eat, and you are not interested in the company of those who have gathered. When eating, keep your mouth closed and try not to make any sounds, whether it be the clattering of cutlery against a plate or teeth, champing, or sipping soup. If the soup is too hot, don't blow on it - just wait until it cools down a bit. If you have food in your mouth - you should try to avoid talking at all costs, even if you have a suitable remark ready! First, chew, swallow food, and only then enter into a dialogue. If you need to go to the restroom, just say "Excuse me, I'll be away for a minute." If you need to leave the table due to urgent matter(call, message, etc.), be sure to apologize to those present, show them that you would be more than happy to stay in their company, but business is urgent and you are forced to leave the table. After all, you do not want your guests to get the impression that you are tired of their company!

Devices

How is it customary to put cutlery if you are still eating? Cross your knife and fork on your plate. If the size of the plate allows, it is better to fold the cutlery so that the tines of the fork rest on the blade of the knife. In this case, the knife handle should look to the right, and the fork handle to the left. This is a sign that you have not finished your dish yet, so your plate will not be changed. Please note that it is not customary to place cutlery in such a way that half is on the plate and half is on the table. However, this rule does not apply to chopsticks.

Exists two established how to use appliances- classic European(continental) and American. The first implies that the knife and fork are held in hands throughout the meal. It is not customary to put a knife on a plate, even if it is temporarily not needed. The American way of using cutlery allows for the possibility of putting the knife on the edge of the plate, if it is temporarily not needed, then the fork can be taken in the right hand and eat only with it. In this case, the knife must be placed with the blade inside the plate, with the handle on its edge. Dishes that do not need to be cut - scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, pasta, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and so on - it is permissible to eat with a fork taken in the right hand. In this case, the fork can even be turned with the prongs up and the convex part down, like a spoon, to make it easier to pick up food. In this case, you can help yourself with a piece of bread, which is held in the other hand. Food is always cut towards itself and so that there are not too many pieces, and each of them can be easily put into the mouth. It is not customary to cut all the food into small pieces at once - do it gradually as needed. How to complete a meal. Each time you change dishes, when you have finished eating, the knife and fork (bulge down) are placed on the plate parallel to each other, the knife blade is facing inward. Instrument knobs are directed to the lower right corner. This is a signal to the waiter that you have finished eating.

A few words about how to complete the liquid meal that is eaten with a spoon. There are two options here - soup bowls and soup plates. If soup or dessert is served in a deep bowl or cup, which stand on a special plate-stand, the device / devices after eating should be placed on this stand. If it's too small to hold the utensils, leave them in the bowl. If the soup is served in a soup bowl (a fairly wide and relatively deep bowl), leave the spoon in the bowl after eating.

Always praise the chef!

Even if the food was terrible, find and say something positive. No need to lie, for example, if the meat is burnt, you can say: "Well, the sauce was really excellent." It's nice when lunch ends on a positive note.

table setting

Now let's take a closer look at the rules for using individual cutlery. What forks, knives and spoons to use at dinner? The number of cutlery at the table depends on the number of courses to be served. There is a simple rule - at each change of dishes, the devices are sequentially used, starting with the ones closest to the plate.

You will also need to remember that all devices that are located on the left (and these are always forks) should be held in your left hand. On the right are spoons and knives, which are held in the right hand. If you see that there are also cutlery for common dishes on the table, located with the handle to the left, then they should be taken with your left hand. A similar rule is used for devices located with the handle to the right. Now we will describe in more detail how to use these or other devices. As we mentioned above, the accepted norms of behavior at the table differ on different sides of the Atlantic. So: Europe against America. continental style Assumes that the fork should be held in the left hand, tines down. The knife is held in the right hand, at a level of 3-5 cm above the plate, while holding the blunt edge of the blade with the index finger. American style The fork is held in the same way as a pencil, its handle is between the thumb, index and middle fingers, and the remaining fingers are pressed to the palm. For the convenience of piercing food, the index finger is pulled out and pressed along the back surface of the fork handle as far as possible from the teeth. A knife is used if necessary. Hold the knife in your left hand on the folded middle, ring finger and the little finger, the index finger is on the blunt edge of the blade, and the thumb is on opposite side handles. Using both a knife and fork is preferable, as it makes it easier to handle food. At formal dinners, two appliances are used for appetizers, salads, main courses, desserts and fruits. A knife should never be held like a pencil. When used in conjunction with a knife or spoon, the fork is held in the left hand in much the same way as a knife, with the tines pointing down. The spoon is held in the right hand, in the same way as the fork. Food should be eaten from the side of the spoon, it is never brought to the mouth at a right angle! Important! A spoon or fork should be lifted up and brought to the mouth, and not tilted to eat on them. Do not gesture with instruments.

Spices and bread

Let us dwell separately on the features of the use of spices and bread, as the most common and commonly used components of any feast. Rules for the use of salt and pepper Try! Before salting or peppering a dish, be sure to taste it. Pass salt and pepper together. Always pass both salt and pepper together, even if you are asked for the same thing. Open salt shakers. Some hosts prefer open salt shakers, and they are finding increasing use in table setting, often replacing the usual perforated salt shakers.

• If there is no spoon in the open salt shaker, use the tip of a clean knife to scoop out the salt.
• If an open salt shaker is only for you, you can take salt both on the tip of a knife, and just with a pinch - with your fingers.
• If an open salt shaker is shared by all guests, never take salt from it with your hands or with a dirty knife.
• It is customary to put salt taken from the salt shaker on a bread plate, or on the edge of any other plate in front of you.

How to properly handle bread and butter Usually bread on the table is served in a basket common to all guests at the table.

• If the bread basket is on the table in front of you, feel free to grab it and offer the bread to the neighbor on the right.
• If the loaf of bread is not sliced, cut off a few pieces, offer them to the neighbor on the left, and pass the rest of the bread along with the basket to the neighbor on the right.
• Do not touch bread with bare hands. Use the napkin that is placed under the loaf of bread in the basket to hold the loaf while you cut the bread.
• Bread and butter are traditionally placed on the butter plate, which is to your left. The correct way to do this is to cut or break off a piece of bread large enough so that you can eat it in one bite, spread some butter on it and eat.
• It is not customary to spread oil on big piece bread, and then bite off it.
• It is not customary to hold a piece of bread in one hand and a drink in the other.
• Never take the last piece of bread without first offering it to other diners.
• Some restaurants serve bread with olive oil. In this case, you need to dip small (one bite) pieces of bread into the oil, and then eat them.
• Oil is usually produced rectangular shape, so the butter knife has a rounded blade to make it easy to smear butter, and teeth on the edge of the blade to prick butter on them to transfer it to a plate.

Table setting rules Whether you are organizing a formal dinner or a friendly meeting, the basic rules of table setting remain the same. Try to give each guest as much space as possible that the size of the table will allow. Leave small gaps between seats. As we already wrote, knives and spoons are always located on the right, forks - on the left. Formally, dessert plates should be placed at each seat - even if they are not supposed to be used - you can simply put folded napkins on them. The number of cutlery will depend on the planned menu, but the arrangement will remain the same - forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right. It is necessary to lay out the cutlery in the order of serving the dishes - the cutlery for the first courses is closest to the plate, and so on - the cutlery for each next dish is farther from the plate (sometimes reverse order). Dessert spoons and forks at informal dinners can be placed on top of the plate, or served after the main course has been removed. Always serve desserts with both a spoon and a fork. For ice cream, serve with a standard teaspoon or a long-handled teaspoon. Sorbet, which can be served between meals, is usually eaten with a teaspoon. Up to four glasses are allowed on the table at the same time: for red (large) and white (smaller) wine, for sparkling wines (elongated narrow) and for water (low wide glass).

The rules for serving meals at dinner differ depending on the degree of formality of the event. For formal dinners, the following rules apply: food is brought separately to each person present at the table, while the waiter approaches the diner on the left with dishes or drinks. It is acceptable for plates to be filled with food in the kitchen and then taken out and placed in front of each of the guests at the table. At less formal meetings, the host arranges the dish on the plates of the guests, and then they are passed to all those present, or the guests themselves put food on their own plates and pass it to their neighbors if necessary. How to use chopsticks. If you are unsure of your chopstick skills, it is best to practice using them at home beforehand. You need to hold the sticks parallel to each other, in your right hand. The thumb and forefinger hold and control the top stick. The middle finger lies quietly between the sticks, and serves as a support for the lower stick, which remains motionless. The top stick is moved by the thumb and forefinger, and is used to grab food and bring it to the mouth. When you are not using chopsticks, place them to the right of the plate, often a special stand is provided for chopsticks. Never use chopsticks to pass food to anyone, and never use chopsticks to point at other people. And in conclusion, we recall that as the owner of the feast, it is not customary to start clearing the table until the guests have left.

Additional rules and subtleties of table etiquette

• It is possible to refuse a certain dish in case of an allergy to its constituent products, or due to dietary restrictions, and it is necessary to explain to the host of the feast (but not to all guests present) the reason for refusal of the dish.
• If you have food stuck between your teeth, you should not attempt to get it at the table, even if you have toothpicks. In case you absolutely cannot tolerate this inconvenience, you must apologize, leave the table, and remove the stuck food from your teeth in the toilet room.
• Lipstick. Leaving lipstick marks on cutlery and glasses is bad form, especially not desirable at business dinners. If you have lipstick on your lips and don't have a tissue with you to remove it from your face, walk to the restroom, or grab a tissue from the bar when you approach the dining table.
• Smoking. Despite the fact that in our country smoking is prohibited in restaurants, you may find yourself in restaurants with smoking areas in other countries, so let's consider the rules of conduct at the table in this situation. So, even if your table is located in the smoking area, never smoke between meals. The smell of cigarettes significantly affects taste sensations, and not in the best way. Wait until the end of dinner, and only after asking permission from those present, and making sure that no one objects, you can smoke. If anyone objects, retire to the bar. And never use plates as an ashtray.

Table etiquette is easy to master. To do this, read about how to properly hold the fork and knife, in what order to use them as the dishes are served.

You go to a restaurant where you have to follow the rules of table etiquette. Otherwise, you risk getting into an awkward position. The simplest and most reliable way is to observe those people who are fluent in this knowledge.

But, if you have never eaten with a knife and fork, then simply looking at it will not help much. After all, you need to confidently and correctly hold the fork and knife in your hands. And this is only possible with some practice.

Today we will deal with this. To begin with, we will learn how to hold cutlery, and we will also learn how to eat using them at home. It's never too late to learn these basics!

So, modern rules table etiquette .

• We hold the knife in the right hand, and the fork in the left. We remember that the main knife in this duet, and the fork will be an assistant.
• Dining etiquette prescribes to keep the fork in the left hand at all times. At the same time, her teeth should be directed downwards, and the end of her handle rested on the palm of her left hand.
• In the case when we use only a fork, we hold it in our right hand with the teeth down.
• At the same time, all cutlery should be held only by the upper third of the handle, and in no case by the blade of a knife, not by the tines of a fork or the arch of a spoon.
• All cutlery: knives or forks, should be to the right of the plate. They take them and hold them while eating right hand.
• Respectively, devices located to the left of the plate are taken with the left hand.
• If the dessert cutlery lies on the table with the handles to the right, they must be taken with the right hand. Those that are located with the handles to the left - with the left hand.
• If you want to get drunk or take a break from eating, then the fork and knife should be placed on the plate / \ like this, and not leaned against it. Fork tines up.
• Chicken with small bones (wings) and fish are eaten with the hands.

How to properly hold a fork, knife, spoon.

How to properly hold a knife

1. The index finger should lie on the handle and thus press on the blade of the knife.

2. The end of the knife handle should rest directly on the palm of your right hand.

3. In this case, the thumb and middle fingers will hold the beginning of the knife handle by the sides, and the index finger should be on the top surface of the beginning of the handle.

4. With the index finger, the knife handle is pressed down when cutting off the desired piece of food.

5. Bend the remaining fingers towards the palm.

How not to hold a knife

1. The knife cannot be held like a pencil between the index finger and thumb.

2. The knife should never be directed towards the mouth.

How to hold a fork correctly: 3 ways to use it.

Option 1 - Knife and fork:

1. The fork should be held in the left hand with the prongs down.

2. The end of her handle should rest a little on the palm.

3. At the same time, large and middle finger should clasp the fork by its edge, and the index should be on top, pressing down the handle of the fork.

4. The remaining fingers should be slightly bent and pressed freely against the palm.

5. The fork should always be directed towards the mouth so that it forms a horizontal line. The most optimal position is to tilt it down a little.

In the photo, the fork is in the left hand with the prongs down.

How to eat with a fork:

1. To keep a piece of food on a fork or send it into your mouth with it, you need to keep your index finger on the handle, slightly pressing it down. The thumb and middle finger are used for balance.

2. Want pick up a side dish? In this case, place it on the prongs and then turn the fork. The fork handle should remain between your thumb and forefinger.

3. Need break something with a fork? It turns with an edge and by pressing the food breaks.

4. Need prick a hard piece on the tines of a fork? She turns straight, and by pressing her fingers the desired piece is pricked on her.

5. The fork can be used as a spoon picking up small food from the plate over the tines of the fork.

6. While eating the fork with the knife must be held at an angle to the dish. Otherwise, you risk dropping them along with the food.

7. In case when food cannot be pierced into cloves, for example, side dishes (mashed potatoes, cereals, salads, etc.), a fork can be used as a spoon, as if scooping up food from below. In this case, the cloves of the fork should be turned upside down. In this position, the fork should lie with the flat part of the handle on the middle finger, hold the fork handle on top with the thumb, and with the index finger on its side. When food cannot be taken from the plate with only one fork, it is allowed to help her with a knife, holding it in her right hand.

How not to use a fork:

1. A fork, like a knife, should never be held like a pencil.

2. Never fill the tines of a fork with food. Since, it will fall or you will have to open your mouth wide.

3. It is unacceptable to hold the fork in a clenched fist.

4. Do not try to prick food with it.

Option 2 - a fork like a spoon:

1. Small pieces of food and some side dishes for fish or meat (mashed potatoes, for example) cannot be eaten with a fork. In such cases, it can be used as a spoon.

2. You need to turn the fork with the teeth up so that the flat part of the beginning of the handle of your fork lies on your middle finger.

3. The handle itself should rest with its end against the base index finger.

4. With the index finger itself, hold the fork on its side, and on top - with a thumb.

5. The remaining fingers are again pressed to the palm. food in this case pick up with a fork, helping if necessary with the tip of a knife.

Option 3 - fork in the right hand.

In the case when the dish can be cut into pieces without the use of a knife, only a fork is served, which is held with the right hand.

How to hold a spoon

1. The spoon is held in the right hand.

2. The handle of the spoon is held between the thumb and forefinger.

3. The end of its handle lies at the base of the index finger, and its beginning lies on the middle one.

4. With the thumb, the spoon is pressed against the middle finger from above, and with the index finger, it adheres to the side.

5. Can be used to stir hot drinks to cool them down.

6. For stirring, do 1-2 turns gently.

Spoon Mistakes:

1. Overflowing the spoon entails pouring the soup onto the plate. Can drip on the chest or on the tablecloth.

2. Rumble with a spoon while stirring the liquid.

3. Very active stirring of the drink.

How to properly use a knife and fork according to table etiquette when eating certain dishes and products.

When you can or cannot use cutlery: fork and knife.

Bread.

You can't cut bread at the table with a knife. This is bad tone.

That's right - it's breaking off small pieces from it.

Ham or large pieces of meat.

Fish.

It should never be cut with a knife.

An exception is if marinated herring or hard smoked fish is served on the table in the form of fish.

Special cutlery is served with the fish dish: a fork and a special spatula for separating the bones, or just two table forks.

How to use a fork and a special spatula:

the fork is taken in the left hand and used directly for eating, and the spatula in the right.

How to use two simple forks:

instead of a spatula, the second fork performs exactly the same function.

Crabs and crayfish.

Fork and knife cannot be used. Sometimes it is allowed to use an ordinary fork to extract meat from crayfish, sea mollusks or crabs. In all other cases, a special plug will be served, which will be much more convenient to use.

Poultry meat.

You are allowed to use a knife and fork.

Green lettuce leaves.

You can't cut with a knife. For these purposes, it is better to use a fork.