The question of cloves can really arise, since in modern restaurants and cafes the table is far from always served in advance in anticipation of guests. If all the appliances are prepared, and you sit down at the table, where everything is already laid out, then the fork will definitely lie with the cloves up.
But if you came to a cafe or just waited for your turn at a table, then it often happens that the waiter cleaned the place just before you took it. Of course, he didn't have time for the table, perfectly placing the forks and spoons in the right place.
The fork is supposed to be held lightly, with the help of the index finger and thumb, slightly pressing it against the half-bent middle one.
In this case, the cutlery is often brought wrapped in a napkin. This is a sign that the fork is perfectly clean, and you can be sure that your meal is hygienic. If the fork is wrapped in a napkin, then it can be placed either upside down or down. Usually they are not visible at all, one can only guess from the outlines of the bundle where the teeth are. It turns out that putting the fork with its teeth down on the table is permissible only in one case: if it is served wrapped in a napkin.
Fork use
The fork is usually used as the main utensil for most dishes, with the exception of soups, and the spoon and knife act as auxiliary ones. But sometimes the plug also acts as an auxiliary device. For example, if you need to cut off a piece of meat, then take a fork in left hand(to the right if you are left-handed, and in the future, all recommendations for left-handers should be vice versa), and the knife to the right. Then cut off a piece without spreading your elbows to the sides.
Further, you should also proceed according to the American or European styles. American way implies that there you will still be the right hand. Put the knife on the edge and then take the fork in right hand, bring it to your mouth with the teeth up. In the European way, you can either continue to grip the knife in your right hand or not, but you will have to eat with your left hand. The fork, at the same time, is held with the tines down.
In the simplest case, the fork is placed to the left of the plate, and the spoon and knife are placed to the right.
If you break away from food for a conversation, then you can’t put the fork on the table, according to. And here it is just important whether you will hold it up or down with the teeth. There are two styles: American and Continental, or. IN american style the fork is held with the tines up, and in the case of European standards, with the tines down.
Until you have finished the dish, it is not customary to put the fork on the table or on the plate. But if for some reason you still want to put the fork aside and finish eating later, then you can’t put the dirty appliance on the tablecloth. It is placed on the edge of the plate, diagonally. The direction of the teeth in this case is not important. If you want the waiter to replace your plate and cutlery, then put them on the edge of the plate in parallel so that, if you imagine the plate as a dial, the handles would be in the area of the number 4.
Arrange on the table glassware: place a glass for soft drinks behind the plate in its center (or slightly to the right, at the level of the table knife). Put glasses and glasses to the right of the glass and at an angle of 45 degrees to the edge table. Right to left and obliquely to the edge table arrange glasses and glasses in the following sequence: vodka glass(for appetizers), Madeira glass (for first courses), Rhine wine glass (for fish dishes), lafite glass (for hot meat dishes), glass (for dessert).
Use linen, beautifully folded napkins for formal meals. Fold the napkin into a shape and place on a plate. In less solemn occasions, with mass service, lay out paper napkins in ten pieces at the rate of one napkin holder for 4-6
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.
- Holding the instruments almost vertically is a bad form. 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 is 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 types of fish allow the use of 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.
Manners of behavior in society indicate a person's upbringing and knowledge of the basic rules of etiquette. First of all, this applies to visits to cafes and restaurants, where it is necessary to behave properly at the table. Etiquette at the table is not only about how to hold cutlery, eat or drink, it is also important to be able to competently maintain a conversation and be neat in everything.
Peculiarities
Etiquette at the table is a certain knowledge that shapes the behavior of people in society. Any mistake made at the table will be immediately noticed and will create an unpleasant impression about the person, therefore, before visiting guests, a cafe or a restaurant, you need to check your manners, and if there are “gaps” in them, immediately correct everything. This will help in the future to avoid embarrassing situations and give self-confidence.
Etiquette at the table consists of a few simple rules.
- You can not sit far from the table or too tightly pressed against its edge. Only brushes can be placed on the table.
- Landing should be even, leaning over food is ugly.
- It is considered bad form to reach for dishes. If the plates are placed far away, then you need to ask other participants in the meal to pass them.
- When eating, use napkins. To do this, adults put them on their knees, and small children tuck napkins into the collar.
- All dishes should be placed on plates with cutlery. An exception to this rule are fruits, sugar, cookies or cakes.
- It is important to remember that devices that lie on the left are designed to be held by the left hand, and those lying on the right are intended for the right hand.
Besides, Don't talk loudly at the table. When maintaining a conversation, first of all, you need to listen to the interlocutor, without interrupting him, and only then give an answer. The implementation of these recommendations is not particularly difficult, so they should always be followed.
It is also necessary to teach this manner of behavior to your children, and it is advisable to do this from a very early age.
Introduction to serving
Table setting is the main component of any meal. If a gala dinner takes place at home, then the impression of the owners of the house will depend on its design. Many people compare table setting with a real work of art, as it is important not only to properly arrange the cutlery and know their purpose, but also to create a festive atmosphere with the help of flowers and napkin decor.
To beautifully set the table, first of all you need to lay a tablecloth, then you can arrange plates, glasses, glasses, wine glasses, cutlery and napkins. Their location is set by the rules of etiquette and cannot be changed at one's own discretion.
The tablecloth serves as the basis for the design of the table, so its choice should be taken responsibly. It is recommended to use canvases in white or light colors.
According to the serving rules, the corners of the tablecloth should cover the legs of the furniture, but not be too long, leaving a distance of 25-30 cm from the floor. You can not stretch the corners of the tablecloth, otherwise the canvas will lose its shape and aesthetic appearance.
After the tablecloth has taken correct position on the table, you can proceed to the next stage of serving and start arranging the plates. There are many varieties of plates, each of which has its own purpose. Most often, the main plates are placed on the table, which can be used to serve different types dishes, as well as additional ones - for salads, bread, pies, oysters, eggs, jams and fruits. The number of plates used depends on whether you are planning a regular dinner or a gala dinner.
Plates before a meal are thoroughly washed and wiped dry, preferably to a shine. Place plates opposite seat. It is ugly when they lie on the edge of the countertop, so this should be avoided when serving. In the event that the dinner will consist of several dishes, table plates are placed under snack bars.
Great attention should also be paid to the placement of cutlery. Forks should be laid out to the left, and knives to the right of the plate. In this case, next to the knife must be a tablespoon. For a gala dinner, which provides for a rich menu, snack utensils are first placed: a fish and table knife, a soup spoon, a fork. The distance between cutlery should not exceed 1 cm.
After the cutlery, they move on to the arrangement of glasses and wine glasses. They are ranked from largest to smallest, starting with glasses for water, wine, champagne and ending with a glass for juice and glasses for spirits. The finishing touch in table setting are napkins, which are decorative element and fall on their knees.
Do not wipe your face and hands with cloth napkins; paper disposable napkins are used for this purpose.
How to behave at food
A gala dinner or lunch begins with a seat at the table. At the same time, guests must occupy the place indicated in the invitation. If this is not the case, you need to wait for the owners of the house and clarify where you can stay. After landing at the table, a napkin is placed on your knees, which must be unfolded and shaken. In the event that the table is served with napkins in rings, they are carefully removed and the ring is placed in the upper corner from the cutlery. At the end of the meal, the cloth napkin is taken by the center and put back on the ring.
Sitting at the table should be comfortable so that it is convenient to use cutlery. It is strictly forbidden to put elbows on the table, as this is an example of bad taste. After serving the dishes, you need to wait for all the participants in the meal, and only then you can start eating. Dishes that are located at a distance must be asked to pass, and not to reach for them across the entire table.
At the same time, according to the rules of etiquette, each of the guests must make sure that his neighbor has pepper, salt and oil available.
It is also important to take into account some other points.
- Food is only transferred from left to right, so all dishes can only move in that direction. To do this, one participant in the meal holds the dish, and the second fills the plate, or the neighbor simply passes the dish, and the addressee holds the plate on his own and pours food.
- Inconvenient in shape and heavy dishes cannot be kept on weight - they are put on the table before each transfer to another guest.
- Dishes with handles and tureens are recommended to be passed in such a way that the handles are directed to the neighbor who is taking the dish.
In the case when food must be taken with a spoon or fork, the spoon is placed to the right of the plate, and the fork to the left.
You should eat slowly - this will allow you not only to fully enjoy the food, but also to communicate with the owners of the house or guests. During meals, the mouth should be kept closed, without champing or chattering teeth. If the first dishes are too hot, you can’t blow on them - just wait a bit until they cool down.
It is only worth talking when the food is swallowed. If you need to leave, you should first ask for forgiveness from those present, and only then get up from the table.
What appliances to take first
To properly behave at the table in a restaurant, it is important to know how to use the appliances. As a rule, all main dishes are located on the left, and drinks are on the right. Therefore, everything that lies to the left of the plates can be safely taken. It is necessary to start a meal with the help of devices that are located closer to the plate, and then apply the following as new food is served. It is important to remember that the fork is used with the knife and is always placed on the left. If the fork lies on the right, then this means that the dishes will be eaten without a knife.
During the meal, you need to know how to properly place the fork and knife. As a rule, two different styles are used for this.
- American. Provides for the placement of a fork in the left hand and a knife in the right. A portion is cut off with a knife, after which it is placed on the upper edge of the plate with the blade inward. It is allowed to eat a dish with a fork, holding it both in the left and in the right hand. To rest, the fork is placed on a plate with the teeth up in the direction of 5 o'clock.
- European. The knife is placed strictly in the right hand, and the fork in the left, while it is impossible to shift the fork from one hand to the other. In the process of eating, it is important to ensure that the fork is constantly teeth down.
In the event that it becomes necessary to take a short break, the knife and fork are placed on a plate in the “I am resting” position. To do this, the fork rests with the handle at 7 o'clock, and the knife at 5 o'clock.
How to bring a spoon to your mouth
All first courses are eaten with a tablespoon, so you need to know the rules of etiquette regarding how to bring this cutlery to your mouth. Usually, when serving, soup bowls are placed on the table along with spoons, or soup is then served with a spoon. You can bring a spoon with food to your mouth both with the side and with the sharp edge of the device. As for scooping the first dish, this is done in two ways: from oneself or from right to left.
The spoon towards the mouth should not be overfilled. To prevent the leftovers of soup from dripping from it, it is recommended to lightly touch the edge of the plate with the device. If the soup is poured, the spoon should remain in the bowl.
Holding is also important cutlery in hand. The spoon is placed between the index finger and thumb, so that the handle rests slightly on the middle finger.
How to hold a glass
Table etiquette provides not only for beautiful table setting and good manners communication, but also the rules that must be observed when eating. An important point it is considered holding glasses and wine glasses in the hand. Most often, wine is served at gala dinners; for these purposes, special glasses “tulips” or stemmed wine glasses are used. Glasses with white and red wine should be held only by the stem and in no case should they be covered with a hand. Champagne is treated similarly - the vessel filled with it is held with three fingers.
As for cognac glasses, they can be placed in the palm of your hand - this way the drink will warm up to the desired temperature. You can give the cognac an amber hue with the help of light shaking of the glass. A glass of vodka is taken with three fingers, the drink is not held in the hand for a long time and is drunk quickly.
How to put down cutlery when finished eating
After eating, when the meal is over, you must give the waiter a sign. To do this, a fork with a knife lies parallel to the plate - so that the prongs of the fork look up and the knife blade to the side. Exactly the same procedure is performed after the end of the dessert.
Spoons after taking the soup should not remain in a deep plate, they are placed near the lower appliances. In the event that you really liked the dish, you can show it to the waiter with “gestures of a fork and knife”. In this case, the cutlery lies horizontally in the middle of the plate, the fork is placed with the teeth up, and the knife blade should “look” at it.
How to use the menu?
A menu is a list of dishes that can be prepared in a restaurant or cafe. If the name of the dish does not mean anything to you, ask the waiter for an explanation.
When ordering dishes, it is advisable not to get carried away by their quantity, it is better to stop at two cold appetizers and one hot one (meat or fish). Dessert and drinks are usually ordered during the meal.
Usually the menu is compiled in the order in which all dishes are served, excluding drinks.
How to choose drinks?
According to experts, it takes almost a lifetime to become a connoisseur of wines. But if you are invited to a gala reception, it would be nice to get at least a small amount of knowledge in this area (you can consult with experts or use the Internet). There are generally accepted rules: chilled white wine is served with fish, red wine is served with meat and cheese. room temperature, but vodka, champagne and cognac (in our country) accompany the meal from appetizers to its completion.
Before the start of the meal, an aperitif is usually served - a weak alcoholic drink stimulating the appetite.
There is such a rule: the stronger the drink, the smaller the capacity of the glass into which it is poured. Fill glasses, as a rule, 2/3. Only cognac is poured into a special tulip-shaped glass, filling it 1/3.
All alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, except for sparkling ones, are poured into dishes standing on the table.
They always hold glasses by the expanding upper part, and if they drink white or red wine - by the “waist” so that the drink in the glass does not change its temperature.
How to use the devices?
Before you start eating, carefully, calmly unfold your napkin (it is often on a plate) and, folding it in half straight or diagonally, cover your knees with it. Don't let the cutlery scare you with its brilliance and quantity - they are placed in the order in which the dishes are served: soup, fish, meat, dessert (toward the meal). If the first course is not provided, the spoon is missing. Often a dessert spoon and fork, as well as a bread knife, are placed on top in front of the plate. If you do not order fish, the waiter will remove unnecessary cutlery
How are eggs eaten?
If you are served an omelette, you can only use a fork; if fried eggs - a knife and a fork, since only a knife can handle a fried dense crust.
If served quail eggs(usually 4-5 pieces on a dish or in a basket), hard-boiled, eat them one at a time, after breaking the shell on the edge of your plate and peeling it. You can dip the egg in salt on the edge of the plate. They eat with their hands.
Soft-boiled eggs are served in special stands. With a teaspoon, gently break the upper narrow part of the egg, peel a small area from the shell and eat with the same teaspoon.
How to eat an orange?
First, pierce it with a fork (hold it in your left hand), divide it into four parts and remove the peel with a knife. Then divide into slices, remove the grains and eat a slice. In less solemn occasions, holding the fruit with your hand, cut it into large rings with a knife, cut in the middle, open and eat, holding the peel with your hands.
How are apples and pears eaten?
At official events, a knife and fork are used. Pierce the fruit with a fork, cut it into quarters, remove the core and remove the skin. Then cut into small pieces.
On less solemn occasions, these fruits are usually eaten without utensils, only by cutting and removing the core.
How are first courses eaten?
If the first course is served on a plate, it is usually not customary to raise the edge of the plate at the last drops. But if it is a bowl or a bowl with two handles, you can, after eating the leftovers, remove the spoon and drink straight from the cup (naturally, without sound).
A tablespoon is better to use "on your own." If you use a spoon with a wide, blunt nose, then bring it to your mouth with the side, if with a narrow one, from the narrow end. And most importantly, when using any cutlery - collect as much food in them as you can put in your mouth at a time.
How to eat meat dishes?
Meat dishes are very varied. Each country has its own unique recipes for their preparation. The meat is boiled, fried, eaten raw (Tatar steak, for example), stewed, marinated, smoked. And all this is eaten quite simply - sometimes with your hands, more often with a fork and knife (in China, Japan, Korea - with chopsticks), less often - with a tablespoon (for example, Hungarian goulash). When used meat dishes, whether it be pork, beef, game, poultry, etiquette provides for almost one basic rule: you should always try to use the appliances to the maximum and only in case of extreme inconvenience eat with your hands. The logic here is simple: eating with your hands is not entirely hygienic, and not aesthetically pleasing, and, in addition, your hands get dirty, and they must be washed in a specially served dish.
Some liberties in table etiquette are allowed, mainly at picnics, barbecues, sometimes at buffet and buffet receptions. There, taking something with your hands, such as barbecue, is considered natural. In restaurants, at receptions with seating at the table, meat food is eaten mainly with the help of the above-mentioned devices, and they are laid out by waiters strictly in the order of serving dishes, so it is almost impossible to make a mistake. For steaks, cutlets, chops - another fork on the left, another knife on the right. For stew, goulash - special spoons.
It is generally accepted that a fork is held in the left hand, a knife in the right. The meat is usually cut into one small piece. North Americans, however, have their own tradition. They first take the utensils properly, cut off a few pieces of meat, then shift the fork to their right hand and eat the cut, and then repeat the procedure. Strange, but acceptable.
It is customary to hold the devices as they hold a pen or pencil. It is not necessary to put utensils down while the food is being chewed.
How are fish dishes eaten?
Usually with a fork and knife. There are even special fish knives with a curved handle, but if they are not served, ordinary ones can be used. Fish must be handled with care, as they usually contain a lot of bones. All bones and bones must be separated with a knife and fork, it is better to put them in a separate plate, if served, or on the edge of your own. If the skin of the fish is not particularly edible or there are scales left on it, then it also separates. Everything else can be eaten, not forgetting, however, that small bones may remain. If any are found, they can be pushed out with the tongue onto a fork or removed gracefully with your fingers and put on a plate. With fish fillet, everything is simple: it is eaten in the same way as a piece of meat.
Small fish such as sprats are eaten whole. If it is a fried small fish, then you can separate the bones and head.
How is seafood eaten?
For lobster special devices are required: tongs, various forks, a large sheet of paper or a plastic bib, a container for split and crushed shells. It should be eaten like this: hold the lobster firmly with one hand, take tongs in the other. Now you can separate the claws. You need to crack the claws very carefully so as not to splash the neighbors with juice. Then the meat is removed with a special fork and eaten. The meat from the tail is separated alternately from each side. If the entire strip is removed, it should be divided into pieces with a knife and fork. Lobster liver and caviar are considered delicacies and are eaten with a fork. The remains of the shell are put in a trash can. For hands can serve a bowl of hot water and a slice of lemon and, of course, napkins.
Raw oysters, and shellfish And mussels served on ice on open shells. The sink must be held large and index fingers on a plate, and the meat is eaten with a special fork or spoon. If the meat is difficult to get, you can resort to using a regular fork. Sauce for oysters is added directly to the sink, or you can simply dip the meat into the sauce. They try to take out the contents of the shell and eat it at a time. delicious juice you can drink straight from the sink. Crackers for oysters are put into the sauce several pieces at once and eat them with a fork.
To break the shell crab, you will need tongs, everything else is done with your fingers. The meat is taken out and eaten with a special small fork. The process of cutting crabs is exciting in itself, but at the same time you risk getting dirty, so prepare napkins and water for your hands. At official receptions for VIP guests, crab meat is removed from the shell in advance.
What are the characteristics of eating sushi?
Sushi is a Japanese dish made from pieces of raw fish and rice seasoned with vinegar. A piece of fish is taken with fingers and, dipped in soy sauce, is eaten immediately. It is customary to eat it whole, but if the piece is too large, bite off a part, dip the rest again in the sauce and finish eating. If sushi is served wrapped in seaweed, then you have to, like the Japanese, with chopsticks, and only in last resort in European style - with a fork.
Can you eat with a fork and knife in a Japanese or Chinese restaurant if you don't know how to use chopsticks?
Can. Moreover, in a decent restaurant, the waiter should always ask what cutlery to serve.
How do they eat pasta, potatoes, stewed vegetables and other side dishes?
Pasta in its form is different, and therefore they are eaten in several ways.
If serving Italian pasta (long, thin noodles, sometimes referred to as spaghetti), you will mostly need a fork. The tines of the fork are dipped into the pasta and twisted in the hand until a sufficient amount is wound. If the spaghetti hangs too much, you can try to bite off the excess, and quietly pull something into your mouth. You can wind the spaghetti, helping yourself with a spoon, that is, twist the noodles with a fork along the bottom of the spoon.
If winding manipulations are difficult for you, you can cut the pasta into small pieces and eat it in the usual way with a fork and knife. We do the same when the pasta is small, that is, in the form of rings, curls, feathers, etc.
As a side dish, potatoes are served fried, boiled, baked.
You can eat french fries in fast food places with your hands, but in a real restaurant it is better to use a fork. We also do with potatoes fried in Russian in a pan.
Baked and boiled potatoes are cut into pieces, if peeled, and eaten with a fork. Potatoes in uniforms are cut in half, the middle is laid out on a plate and eaten with a fork, salt and sauces are added to taste. The peel of a potato is considered healthy, so it can also be eaten, which is done in many countries.
Stewed vegetables, and there are a great many of them (as well as ways to cook them) are eaten mainly with a fork, sometimes with a knife if the vegetables are large. You can eat something with your hands, for example, asparagus, but it’s better with the help of utensils, including a special spoon, if vegetable or other side dishes are served in the form of liquid puree or porridge.
How are salads eaten?
From a regular plate, salad is eaten with a fork for the main course, especially if everyone is served at the same time.
If the salad is served separately, it is customary to eat it with a salad fork. The restaurant may even offer a special salad knife. It, like a salad fork, is smaller than conventional cutlery. If the vegetables in the salad are large, then they are cut using a fork and knife. Cut off usually one piece at a time.
Cherry tomatoes are eaten like this: larger ones are cut, smaller ones are eaten whole.
If cherry tomatoes or olives are hard, small and not poured with sauce or oil, then it is better to take them with your hands and eat them at ease than to drive them around a plate with the risk of driving them onto someone's knees. The main thing is to do everything naturally.
Where is the bread bowl?
The bread and butter plates are always placed to the left of your main plate, and the drinks glasses to the right.
How to eat bread?
Bread is broken from your plate into small pieces. Do not pick out the crumb or bite the crust.
If there is a common butter dish on the table, take a little butter from the total mass on your plate, and then spread it on a broken piece of bread. Hold it all over the bread plate, not the main plate.
Never butter the whole piece at once - it's not a sandwich.
Is it customary to eat decorations (greens, tomatoes, etc.) on served dishes?
You can eat everything that is edible and intended for food. If you are sorry to “cut beauty”, or greens or vegetables that serve as a decoration (hard curly parsley, raw carrots and beets) do not like to taste, then feel free to leave everything on a plate.
Can you use a toothpick at the table?
All hygiene procedures (taking pills, combing hair, applying eye drops, as well as putting your teeth in order) should be done only in toilet room. Rarely does anyone succeed, gracefully covering their mouth with a napkin, to clean up their teeth with a toothpick. The same can be said about the use of dental floss.
What if you download a meal before others?
When you have finished your meal and put the cutlery diagonally on your plate, an experienced waiter will understand you. Not many people know that the waiter must not clear the table until everyone has finished eating. If you finished your meal early, sit still and continue the conversation. Never stack plates one on top of the other and, moreover, do not push them away from you - this is against the rules. The rest of the time you can drink tea, coffee, juice. Avoid activities that will drive your companions. But if you're the slowest eater at a business lunch, it's better not to finish your meal than to keep everyone waiting.
Good luck and bon appetit!
A.V. Rogova, senior lecturer at VGIK named after V.I. S.A. Gerasimova, B.A. Shardakov, senior adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
At least once in a lifetime, every person has come across such a thing as table setting. Whether it is preparing a home feast or going to an expensive restaurant, where several plates on the tables are complemented by more than one appliance. In fact, there are not many rules that you need to know for proper serving table.
Before you start lay out cutlery on the table according to the rules of etiquette, it is worth considering the dishes that will be served. Usually glasses, glasses, cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons are placed on the table. You need to start with plates, which you will then lay over with the rest of the devices. Everything you need in the first place should be closest to make it more convenient to take. And even if the owner has planned a ten-course menu, this does not mean that you need to put a whole mountain of plates in front of the guest and build a fence of forks. A classic serving is considered to be an arrangement of no more than three devices.
Schemes on how to lay out cutlery
Video instruction on how to properly lay out devices
Rules for laying out cutlery on the table
It will be important to observe the distance between the devices. It should be about a centimeter from each device and from the edge of the table. It is rather an aesthetic rule to achieve an even distribution of all appliances on the table. Therefore, you do not need to run around the table with a ruler and measure the exact distance.
Forks should lie to the left of the plate. They are placed upside down. Classic serving consists of three forks. The main one lies first from the plate, then comes the fork for fish, and the final fork is for salads. To the right are knives. Their blades are directed towards the plate, and the number of knives is also three. The first knife is the largest for dinner, the second is for fish and the smaller one is for snacks. After the last knife, spoons are placed on the right. If the menu provides for serving first courses, then a large spoon is located between the knife for fish and for snacks. If there is no fish, then between the big knife and the diner.
The arrangement of plates is as follows: first, a plate for the first course is placed, and on top of it - for an appetizer. If butter is served on the table, then on the left there should be a plate with bread and a butter knife. Dessert cutlery is placed at the top of the plate. The knife goes first, the fork comes second, and the spoon goes farthest from the plate. All glasses are arranged in height from left to right. The very first on the left, regardless of height, is a champagne glass.
