You finally found time to visit a good restaurant. For a long time they made up their image - beautiful dress and shoes, painstakingly performed makeup and styling. The beauty! Here you are already at the table, you have made an order and everything goes better than ever, if not for one thing… There are a LOT of different forks, spoons, knives and some other completely incomprehensible little things on the table!

A slight panic sets in. Why so many?! What fork is for what? Why is it so difficult??? You can, of course, discard shyness and try everything out from the waiter. And you can prepare in advance and show off your good manners. This article will help you feel confident at possible banquets, receptions, restaurants and guests.

It is customary to classify cutlery into two groups: basic (individual) and auxiliary (collective). The appliances included in the main group (individual) are used directly for eating, and those belonging to the second group (collective) are used to lay out dishes. In our article, we will talk specifically about the appliances that are used at the table for eating, and not for cooking, so we will leave aside ladles, skimmers, and various stirring spoons.

The main devices are divided into subgroups according to their purpose: canteens, fish, snack bars, dessert, fruit(I think from the names it is clear what the group is for).

The usual base is only 24 devices. (knives, spoons, forks, and teaspoons - 6 each). It seems to be nothing complicated, however, in addition to the standard basic set, as I mentioned above, many specialized cutlery, the purpose of which is difficult to figure out, based only on their appearance.

Cutlery

See for yourself what kind of cutlery you can meet ( pictures enlarge when clicked):

1 - coffee spoon
2 - teaspoon
3 - dessert spoon
4 - table spoon
5 - large pastry tongs for laying out baked goods
6 - spoon for preparing mixed drinks (cocktail spoon)
7 - tongs for asparagus
8 - ice tongs
9 - small pastry tongs for laying out sugar, assorted chocolate
10 - cigar pruner (suddenly you decide to pamper your spouse with a chic cigar)
11 - lemon fork
12 - serving fork (a small fork with two strong teeth, for example, for cold meat cut into slices)
13 - cocotte fork (for julienne)
14 and 15 - a spade-shaped blunt knife for fish second courses and a fish fork with a recess for separating bones
16 and 17 - dessert knife and fork
18 and 19 - dessert knife and fork
20 and 21 - knife and fork diner
22 and 23 - knife and fork diner
24 - pouring spoon
25 and 26 - table knife and fork for second courses (except fish)
27 - confectionery spatula for laying out pastries and cakes
28 - spatula pate
29 - oblong fish spatula for laying out cold and hot fish dishes
30 - spatula for caviar
31 - ice cream spoon in the form of a spatula with slightly curved edges

32 - a grapefruit knife with a serrated and pointed blade
33 - cheese knife
34 - lobster set
35 - pizza cutter
36 - set for cutting meat - a large sharp knife and a fork with two prongs (for cutting roasts and poultry)
37 - squeezer - for squeezing a lemon
38 - tongs for lump sugar.
39 - ice cream scoop
40 - sugar spoon (small deep)
41 - spoon and fork for mixing and laying out salad (the fork has three wide cloves, and the spoon can be with a slot in the middle or with a clove)
42 - salad tongs
43 - spaghetti tongs
44 - spaghetti fork

In addition to the knife, fork and fish spatula shown in the first picture, you can get some special options for their execution:

45 - spatula for serving fish dishes, but already with slots
46 - options for a two-pronged fork for serving herring
47 - a chill set for eating hot fish snacks, unlike standard fish cutlery, here the knife does not look like a spatula, it is just straight, the fork has not four teeth, but three and they are wide
48 - fork for unfolding sardines and sprats, may be without the upper "jumper"

How many times in the cinema have each of us seen comical (mostly) scenes in which the characters were baffled by such seemingly ordinary things as cutlery? Or rather, ignorance of their purpose and inability to use them. Many times, right? At the same time, most of us, having laughed at actors portraying clumsy ones, rarely think about how much they themselves know table etiquette and cutlery. And in vain - everything happens in life. Suddenly you find yourself at a reception, for example, with the Spanish king! Or at a business dinner with potential partners. Or you and your friends will be invited to lunch by Robert De Niro ... In general, this text will be useful for everyone to read. It contains details about cutlery.

Where else to start a story about table etiquette and cutlery, if not with a knife? At first, of course, the knife was a universal object: it was taken to war, to hunt, it was also used at the table. But time passed, needs and habits became more refined, people (at first to know) were no longer satisfied with this state of affairs - knives began to differ from each other in their purpose. A separate type of them appeared - table knives. All of them had (and have) an oval and blunt end of the blade. This is due, as you might guess, with the rather tough mores of the past: a sharp knife on the table could always become a weapon. Actually, it can be assumed that a table knife can also become a melee weapon - it all depends on the situation. But still, one must think that harming them is somewhat more difficult. Not worth checking.

A spoon

Although the spoon appeared later than the knife, it became a cutlery earlier. So, for example, in Russia it has been known since at least the 12th century. Whereas table knives entered European use not earlier than the 16th century (before that, as already mentioned, they were separate category not isolated). Spoons along with knives were usually worn behind the tops of boots. Those who were richer had special cases. In general, it used to be customary to carry cutlery with you - you never know where you have to eat. There are even sayings on this subject: “With your spoon at other people's dinners”, or “A thrifty guest does not go without a spoon”.

Fork

The fork came into use in Europe around the 15th century. Although “came into use” is a strong word: this device appeared in very limited quantities and was the privilege of the nobility. The distribution of the fork "from top to bottom" occurred gradually. As for Russia, it was brought to our state by Peter I. Separate attempts to introduce a fork into Russian life were, however, earlier, but unsuccessful. Thanks to the first Russian emperor, her slow, but eventually victorious march across the domestic expanses nevertheless began. Here is what is written in the Russian Starina edition of the century before last: “A wooden spoon seasoned with ivory, a knife and a fork with green bone handles were always placed at the device of Peter I, and the orderly orderly was charged with the duty to carry them with him and put them in front of the king, even if he happened to dine at a party. At first, the forks were flat, with two prongs. But gradually their shape became more convenient, the number of teeth increased to three, and then four. The common people in Russia recognized the fork and began to use it only in the 19th century.

Starring

Each cutlery separately, you see, we rarely use. With a knife, for example, it is generally impossible to eat - you need a fork. Unless a spoon is, in general, a self-sufficient thing, but it has long been perceived as one of the rather numerous representatives of the cutlery family.

The meal usually starts with appetizers. In this case, there are snack cutlery. Usually it is a knife and fork. The length of the snack knife, as a rule, is equal to the diameter of the snack plate (it is also special). However, it is assumed that it (the knife) will be slightly longer (a centimeter or two). The fork may be slightly smaller. Appetizers are served with cold appetizers of all kinds, as well as some hot ones: pancakes, scrambled eggs, fried ham and others.

Further on the table, most likely, there will be main dishes: first, second. Cutlery should be changed. Actually, a spoon, a fork and a knife for the main hot dishes are called “canteens”. Here, as in the first case, the table knife should be equal in length to the diameter of the dinner plate. Spoon and fork can be a little shorter. In the absence of special devices on the table (which will be discussed below), a tablespoon, fork and knife are also used to transfer portions of food from a common plate to the mealer's plate.

If lunch or dinner includes a fish dish or even dishes, then in order to taste them, it would be good to use special fish utensils. This is a knife and fork. The first one is dumb and appearance resembles a spatula. Fish fork - with four prongs, but shorter than those of the "classic" fork. By the way, they use fish appliances for eating mainly hot fish dishes. There is also (though rare) a separate auxiliary fish device - a fork for sprats. She has a wide base with a shovel, five teeth. The teeth at the end are interconnected by a bridge: to make it easier to pick up fragile fish with a fork, so that it does not deform. Please note that the sprat fork is intended only for shifting fish (not only sprats, but also, for example, sardines) into your plate.

Now dessert. It also requires special devices. Desserts are a knife, a fork and a spoon. The length of the knife, as many have probably guessed, should roughly correspond to the diameter of the dessert plate. A dessert knife is narrower than a snack knife, with a pointed tip (which means not all table knives are blunt!). The spoon and fork can be slightly shorter than the knife. The latter should have three teeth.

Dessert knife and fork are used if cheese, some types of cakes, sweet pies (including the famous "charlotte"), watermelon, melon are served. A dessert spoon is useful for sweet dishes that do not need to be cut. These can be berry mousses, berries with cream or milk, fruit and berry compotes, ice cream, sweet cereals and other types of desserts. It happens that a dessert spoon is also served with broths in cups. This is a common mistake. If the broth or light soup served in a cup - you need to drink it. Eating from a cup with a spoon, even a dessert one, is simply inconvenient.

Fruit is also a dessert, but there is a separate type of device for them. Fruit knife and fork are smaller than dessert ones. The fork has only two tines.

For tea and coffee, separate types of spoons are used: tea and coffee. However, not only for tea and coffee. So, for example, a teaspoon is also useful for coffee with milk, cocoa, fruit cocktails, grapefruits, soft-boiled eggs or “in a bag”. But a small coffee spoon is served, basically, only with coffee: espresso or brewed in an oriental way. There are also special spoons with a long handle - for example, they are served with tea or coffee with ice, other drinks in tall glasses.

Wooden chopsticks are also cutlery. They came to us from East Asia along with dishes of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and other cuisines, which are now very popular in Russia and in general in the world. In fact, chopsticks are not only wooden, but also metal, bone, plastic. If it happens outside of countries where chopsticks are traditional cutlery, then European cutlery is usually served along with them - in case someone does not know how to use chopsticks. However, in the same China, if you eat not quite in a cheap eatery (anything happens), you will also be served a fork and knife if you ask, not to mention good restaurants.

Corps de ballet

In addition to the main cutlery, there are also auxiliary cutlery. One of them (sprat fork) has already been mentioned above. Now a few words about other table helpers.

Knives. In addition to those already described, there are at least three more types of knives. First of all, a butter knife. It is needed to cut and shift pieces butter to your plate (if it is served in a piece). Feature such a knife - a curved semi-arc blade.

In addition to the butter knife, there is also a special knife for serving a piece of cheese. It is called a knife-fork and has a crescent shape with teeth at the end. With its help, the cheese is cut off from a large piece and placed on an individual plate. For cutting lemons there is a knife-saw. After the lemon is sliced, you can take a slice of it with a special lemon fork that has two prongs.

Other “auxiliary” forks: for serving herring (two-horned), in a set of cutlery for crabs, crayfish, shrimp - long, with two prongs, for oysters, mussels, cold fish cocktails - three prongs, one of them (left) is more powerful than the others, to make it easier to separate the pulp of mollusks from shells. The chill fork has three prongs, they are short and wide - needed for hot fish snacks.

Spoons. They are also different. In addition to the above, there is, for example, a salad spoon. It is usually larger than the dining room. There are salad spoons with three small teeth at the end. The purpose of such a spoon is to transfer salad from a common dish to a serving plate. A ladle familiar to everyone is also a spoon (bottling). Need it, of course, for pouring soups, as well as milk, jelly, compotes. The sizes of ladles vary depending on their specific purpose. A very small spoon (about a centimeter in diameter) is for salt. She puts herself in the salt shaker.

Forceps. Do not worry and do not remember dentistry: we remain within the framework of cooking. Tongs are also auxiliary cutlery. So, large confectionery tongs serve to transfer (again from a common dish to an individual plate) flour confectionery. Small confectionery tongs are used for shifting sugar, marmalade, chocolates (assorted, unwrapped), marshmallows. Nut tongs are two V-shaped handles with serrated recesses for nuts. Ice also requires tongs - they are made in the form of a long U-shaped bracket, at the ends of which there are serrated blades on both sides. If you love asparagus, then you probably know that there are special tongs for it. They are needed in order to shift the asparagus from the grill, on which it is often cooked. Actually, asparagus tongs are always sold complete with a grill.

Next, let's move on to the blades. To table blades. There are many of them: caviar is similar to a flat scoop; it is used to transfer granular or chum salmon caviar to a caviar plate. The so-called "rectangular" spatula is used for shifting meat and vegetable dishes. In general, for hot and cold dishes there is also a figured spatula with slots. And without a small figured spatula, you and I, of course, will not be able to cope with the pate. Cakes with cakes (those that you can’t take with tongs) must be shifted with a large figured spatula, these are quadrangular in shape.

Of course, hardly anyone can find a complete collection of cutlery at home. Even restaurants don't always have everything. Nowadays, the culture of food consumption has become somewhat simplified, fast foods and other eateries reign: time is saved on everything, even on food - we are in a hurry to live and feel in a hurry.

Terms of use

In conclusion, just a few words about how to properly use cutlery. Actually, no one doubts that the readers of "Culinary Eden" are well aware of this. Still, it doesn't hurt to consolidate knowledge.

So, never hold a knife in your left hand. This is an unshakable rule. Even for lefties. Bring your fork (or spoon) to your mouth, not the other way around. During the meal, when you carry the fork or spoon to your mouth, keep it parallel to the table. Do not be greedy, do not fill the spoon with soup to the brim - "on the way" you can accidentally spill some, stain the tablecloth or even one of the neighbors. Do not blow on hot soup - again, there is a danger that splashes will reach other participants in the meal. And yes, it doesn't look great from the outside. If you tilt your plate to finish your leftovers delicious soup- Tilt it away from you. Some etiquette experts, however, generally do not allow the possibility of such "liberties" in a decent society: a meal is almost a sacred ceremony.

If you took the device from the table, you should not put it back on the tablecloth. Not in the sense that you should put it in your pocket, but in the fact that, firstly, you can stain the tablecloth, and secondly, dust particles with villi can stick to the device, which have no way into your mouth. During a pause in the meal, put the cutlery on a plate, next to the food. If this is a knife and a fork, then their ends should intersect a little ("draw" a full-fledged cross in a plate is not worth it). When the meal is over, put the cutlery on the plate in parallel (knife with the tip to the fork): the waiter or the owner of the feast will understand that the plate can be removed.

If at home you can afford to eat as convenient, then in a restaurant or a trendy cafe it is customary to eat food with the help of special “tools”. By what signs can they be recognized?

Fork and knife eateries, which are used to eat cold dishes, salads, as well as ham, sausage and pancakes, are slightly smaller in size than canteens.

With a fish fork (with four small cloves and a cut in the middle) and a knife (with a short wide blade), it is convenient to separate the fish fillet from the bones. But if the fish is served as a whole, so that those present can appreciate the size and admire the design, it is surrounded by additional devices. A wide knife with a rounded blade and a round flat fork, more like a spoon with an oblique cut, will help to arrange food from a common dish on plates.

Tea and coffee, in addition to spoons, will also be served with tongs for sugar, a knife with large teeth and a two-pronged fork for lemon. And there are at least a dozen coffee spoons! They differ in size and names: "cappuccino", "melange", "glace" ... The smallest is designed for Turkish coffee.

Exotic dictates its own

Oysters can be easily separated from the shell with a small trident. Snails are cut with tiny tweezers and a small fork. By the way, it depends on the type of snail and the structure of its shell, what shape of tweezers will be served to you - with rounded ends, with a ribbed surface or completely flat.

Game tongs resemble curved scissors with slightly curved blades, which are convenient for breaking bones.

A special device is served for fish caviar. It is laid out in crystal caviar bowls, covered with ice and placed next to a spoon, spatula and knife. The spatula has an elongated pointed shape so that the eggs do not deform.

One for all

The rules of etiquette require that eaters transfer salads, appetizers and cheese from common dishes to their plate using the so-called common utensils - tongs, forks, spoons and spatulas. All these "tools" are placed next to the dish for which they are intended, so it is impossible to confuse them. If you have to break your head, then just to understand which knife is addressed to butter and which one to cheese, they are usually located side by side. But a recognizable detail will help to distinguish them: the one for cheese has conspicuous cloves at the end - they pick up the cut slices.

Pastry tongs are large and small. The first to transfer pastries to their plate, the second - sweets and chocolate. If the sugar is lumpy, then tweezers with sharp blades are placed next to it. With the same device, ice cubes are taken out of a special bucket.

To devices common use include a fish shovel for slicing layouts, and a pastry shop for cakes.

Look for extreme

Two knives, two forks, a spoon - a classic table setting. All other appliances come with the corresponding dishes.

You need to start using the appliances from the edges to the center: further from the plate is a pair for snacks, closer to it is a knife and fork for the main course.

At the end of the meal, the fork and knife are placed parallel to each other with the handles to the right. If you have not finished the meal, but for some reason want to interrupt, the cutlery should be placed on the plate in the same way as you held them: the knife is on the right, the fork is on the left.

poignant story

The fate of the device for pricking food, the fork, developed in Russia dramatically and comically at the same time.

The first fork was brought to us from Poland at the beginning of the 17th century. During a lavish dinner in honor of his marriage False Dmitry I and Marina Mnishek used this new device, which caused a storm of anger from the boyars and the clergy. Some historians even say that the fork provoked Shuisky’s conspiracy: he couldn’t, they say, the Russian tsar eat “not in Russian”. In Russia, even two centuries after these events, holding a fork in your hand, and even more so dropping it, meant bringing trouble on yourself.

How to behave at the table

1. Broths are served in cups with one or two handles. One - a hint that the first can be drunk, two - that it should be eaten with a spoon.

2. The bread is broken over a plate and eaten in small pieces. For buns bring a special saucer. A bun from a common tray is first placed on this saucer, and only then eaten.

3. Meatballs, meatballs, cabbage rolls, scrambled eggs are broken with a fork, a knife is optional.

4. A spoon and a fork are needed at the same time when eating spaghetti. Pasta is wrapped around the fork, which is held in the right hand, and then “cut off” with a spoon.

5. Tobacco chickens (pieces after preliminary cutting of the carcass) can be eaten with your hands. This assumes that the waiter will bring a bowl of warm water and a woven napkin for you to rinse your fingers.

6. Grapes are eaten one at a time, and the seeds are discreetly laid out on a plate. But no matter how hard you try, it looks unaesthetic. Therefore, at magnificent social events, either raisins are served at the table, or grapes are not brought at all.

7. Compotes are not drunk, but eaten with a spoon. First, drinking liquid, and then eating dry fruits is considered not comme il faut. The bones are placed on a saucer, which is served specially.

Anetta Orlova:-Etiquette is some kind of fulcrum that forms a certain style of behavior. When a lot of people gather at the table, everyone brings their own habits - from eating to talking. Here, etiquette is the bridge that can connect different people.

Meal according to all the rules: choose cutlery

Are you invited to dinner at a house of table etiquette experts, to dinner at an expensive restaurant, or even to a reception at the embassy? Wherever you go, be calm: understanding the basics of this very etiquette will help you avoid getting into an awkward situation.

Let's start with the platitudes: you should eat neatly and aesthetically, skillfully using forks, spoons and knives laid out. And certainly it is not necessary, sitting at the set table, to loudly comment on the number of cutlery: in this way you will only sign for ignorance of etiquette.

Individual (basic) cutlery

They are used directly during meals. We are talking about tableware, fish, snack, fruit and dessert appliances.

Cutlery is a spoon, fork and knife. Use them to cope with the first or second course. However, situations are different. If, for example, there is no special spoon in the salad bowl, it is permissible to use your own to arrange the treat on plates.

A fish utensil is a fork (in addition to four short cloves, it has a small indentation that facilitates the separation of bones) and a knife with a spade-shaped wide and short blade. The device is served with hot dishes with fish.

A snack device is a fork and a knife (sometimes with a serrated edge), which are slightly smaller in size than canteens. This couple is used when they want to enjoy the taste of cold dishes and a variety of snacks.

Fruit utensil - knife and fork. The knife has a pointed end, and the fork has only a couple of cloves. Appliances will come in handy if fresh fruits appear on the table: pineapples, pears, oranges, apples.

Dessert device - a spoon and a fork with three cloves. With a spoon you can eat berries served with milk, and with a fork you can prick pieces of a pie or hard cheese.

Also on the table can be chopsticks and an ice cream spoon.

Ice cream sticks and spoon

General (auxiliary) cutlery

All participants in the feast can (and should!) Use them, cutting and arranging food on plates. What could it be? Spice spoon, cake and pie cutter, tea strainer...

Spice spoon, cake knife and tea strainer

This group also includes devices that can be applied to seafood, fish and dishes from it:

fork-shovel with five horns - for canned food lying in oil;
a fork with two cloves - for crabs, herring, shrimps, squids and crayfish;
a fork with three cloves, of which the sharpest is the left one, for mussels and oysters;
shoulder blade - for chum and granular caviar (visually similar to a flat scoop).

Spoons (can, for crabs, for mussels) and spatula for caviar

At the table you can not do without spoons:

with spout-plum - for sauces;
deep - for soup, as well as for compote, milk and jelly;
canteens - for arranging hot second courses on plates;
miniature - for salt.

Spoons for sauces, soups, hot second courses and salt

The life of the participants in the feast can be made easier:

knife-fork for cutting cheese and unfolding it (the device has a characteristic crescent shape and sharp teeth);
a spoon used for serving salads (it has more capacity than a classic tablespoon and sometimes has three cloves at the end);
a butter knife (it is easy to identify it by a slightly expanded base, curved in a semi-arc, and by its location on the table, because it usually lies on a patty plate on the right).

Cheese knife, salad spoon and butter knife

Special tongs will definitely come in handy:

for ice (a pair of pointed blades connected in a U-shape);
for nuts (this is a powerful V-shaped cutlery);
for asparagus (usually lie near the corresponding lattice).

Ice tongs, nuts and asparagus

Indispensable may be:

a rectangular spatula for vegetable dishes and for meat;
grape scissors (they are used to separate the berries from the bunch);
small spatula for pâtés.

Meat spatula, grape scissors and pâté spatula

Well, the tea party will pass without excesses if the guests at the table are:

prick sugar with tongs with sharp blades;
cut the lemon with a saw blade;
lay out cakes and sliced \u200b\u200bcake with a curly confectionery spatula;
take pastries with large tongs;
lay out sweets, cakes, chocolate, marshmallows, sugar and marmalade with small pastry tongs.

Sugar tongs and lemon peeler

Pastry spatula, pastry and cake tongs

What appliances are appropriate to put on the table

It is desirable that forks, spoons and knives are made in the same style and from suitable materials- table silver or cupronickel. However, at a holiday in the circle of close people, it is quite possible to get by with stainless steel.

Silver cutlery

Table etiquette

There are a lot of nuances in this issue, and we are unlikely to cover them all. Let's talk about the main. Each new dish has its own devices. Sitting at the table, you can see several knives and forks at once around the plates, placed one on top of the other. No panic! Just start using them from the very last. If suddenly it seems to you that the waiter has mixed something up, take the plate as a guide. It is with its diameter that the length of a suitable knife should match.

Table setting option

Hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left. Nothing complicated here: press the food to the plate with the cloves of the fork and cut off a piece from the treat. It is not necessary to shift cutlery from one hand to another and eat from a knife. Also, do not immediately cut everything into pieces, so that later you can use only a fork.

When finished with a dish or decide that you will not eat it again, leave the fork and knife parallel to each other right on the plate. So the waiter will understand that it can be taken away. But the devices lying at a distance from each other are a signal that you will return to the treat later.

How to fold a fork and knife on a plate

Let me remind you of the following:

fish bones are separated with a knife;
a dish passed in a circle is first offered to a neighbor, and only then put on their plate;
a sandwich is eaten with a fork and knife;
the soup is scooped from the plate with a movement away from you;
puddings and other treats that do not need to be cut are eaten with a fork, helping yourself with a piece of bread if necessary;
cream cakes and cakes are not picked up, but eaten with a spoon or fork;
bananas are peeled and eaten from a plate, cut off piece by piece with a dessert knife and sent into the mouth with a fork;
peeled strawberries, raspberries and wild strawberries are eaten with a spoon, and cherries, grapes and cherries are eaten with hands (the bones are carefully spit out on a napkin or spoon).

We will also give useful advice someone who can get confused and not figure out how to approach a certain dish. Watch how the host of the evening eats it.

Well, with alcohol everything is extremely simple. The general law is this: the stronger the drink, the smaller the glass for it. However, the types of glasses are a topic for a separate discussion.

Choice of cutlery

You should be interested in:

Material. It can be wood (why not?), stainless steel, aluminum, cupronickel or silverware. There are, of course, plastic cutlery, but this is an option for picnics and gatherings in the country, and not for feasts according to all the rules of etiquette.
Execution quality. The cutlery should shine evenly (with the exception of spoons and forks, the design of which does not imply polishing, but you will probably immediately recognize them). Optimal Thickness- about 1.5 mm. The edges need to be perfectly smooth (otherwise the guests will simply get hurt), and the teeth of the forks should be moderately sharp. The devices should not have a pronounced smell.
Design. Brightness is forgiven for plastic and wooden spoons and forks, as well as sets for children. Cutlery made of "noble" materials, but with poisonous salad or neon pink handles, almost always looks out of place. Conciseness and elegance are valued in design. And yet we will not condemn the one who decides to match the instruments to the color kitchen set or the shade of your favorite plates: this is largely a matter of taste. What definitely should not be allowed is the presence of many small protruding parts on the handles, because dirt will constantly accumulate there. Let spoons, knives and forks be practical.

Bright cutlery

Also decide in advance how much you are willing to spend on cutlery purchased for yourself or as a gift.

Care by all rules

Cutlery made entirely of wood (like the multi-colored spoon that you probably still have in your cupboard) is rightfully considered unhygienic, so it's hardly used anymore. Although, of course, wooden spatulas are very helpful to happy owners of non-stick pans.

But metal spoons, forks and knives, “implanted” on wooden handles, have been preserved in everyday life. The main thing is to wash them immediately after use (preferably without detergent) and dry thoroughly. “Soaking” appliances in warm water is dangerous: the wood swells from this, and the glue dissolves.

Cutlery made of aluminum (which you probably remember from school and university canteens) is more than unpretentious. If you have any at home, clean them gently (so as not to bend) with your favorite detergent, and then wipe dry.

Cutlery made of cupronickel - an alloy of copper and nickel - is washed immediately after use in warm water with a mild detergent, and polished with white toothpaste to shine. Knives and forks, which eat into the smell, are left for six to eight hours in a saucepan hot water with three tablespoons of salt and a spoonful of soda dissolved there. Spots that appear due to long storage in a humid room are reduced with an acetic solution.

Washing and storage of cutlery

Cutlery made of stainless steel is washed both by hand (only not with an abrasive) and in the dishwasher. To shine, wipe them with a microfiber cloth. Remove plaque from knives and forks with a mixture of three parts soda and one part water. Iridescent and dark spots that appear from a brine or marinade are reduced with a solution of citric acid or vinegar.

Silver cutlery is usually carefully kept as a relic, but used on major holidays. They wash all this splendor by hand, get rid of dark plaque with vinegar, soda or white toothpaste, and wipe it with a soft cloth. It is better to store silver cutlery separately from forks, spoons and stainless steel knives.

Strong odors (for example, onions or herring) are easy to eliminate. It is necessary to wipe the knives and forks with a cloth moistened with saline or vinegar solution, and then rinse cold water with laundry soap and rinse with running water.

Cutlery is an amazing gift that can be given for a wedding, anniversary, anniversary, housewarming. Beautiful spoons, elegant knives and graceful forks will become a source of pride and "settle" in a place of honor in the kitchen. Yes, and they will be used regularly. Well, it's time to update your cutlery or give loved ones a stunning present!

Or at a dinner party, it can be difficult for an inexperienced person to figure out how to properly use all these countless cutlery. It won’t take long to get confused, remembering the purpose of several dozen forks and spoons. It will not be possible to study the rules for using cutlery immediately. The ability to eat aesthetically while maintaining a relaxed look is a whole art.
In order to study the table rules of etiquette, cutlery, their types, purpose, it will take time. People who have been taught since childhood definitely have advantages, but others should also start to understand this art.
Information: why and what all the cutlery is for, will help you feel more confident in any society, easily make useful connections, and enjoy the most delicious food beautifully.
There are two styles of table etiquette - continental(for Europe) and American. Each of them implies significant differences in behavior at the table. In the European style of etiquette, every movement of the hands, the position of the items left on the plate are important. According to one theory, it has remained unchanged since the 17th century. Other researchers argue that the Napoleonic era greatly simplified etiquette in favor of convenience.

traditional cutlery

Every item on the table has a purpose. There are several sets that are customary to use in a solemn setting:

Large dining set: contains the usual spoon, knife, fork, which is used to eat most dishes.
snack set: items in it are somewhat smaller than ordinary dining rooms.
dessert set: small in size, but the items are similar to ordinary ones.
Garnish forks: there are two of them, one has 4 teeth.
sauce spoon.
meat set: consists of 2 forks of different sizes with 2 prongs and a knife.
Steak knife.
Salad spoons and salad tongs.
Fish set.

Cutlery serving

Correctly setting the table for guests is the task of the waiters or the owners of the house. The cutlery on the table is arranged in strict accordance with the order in which the dishes are served, so it is easier to navigate which fork and what to eat. Under each item you need to lay a napkin. Which side the spoon and fork lies on depends on whether the guest is right-handed or left-handed.
is needed not only for aesthetics, its purpose is also the convenience of eating. In accordance with the cutlery, lying in a certain order, the rules should be clear: how and why to use them, why they are here. So guests can understand where the fork or knife is for fish, with which fork they eat salad. During meals, the mood of others, the atmosphere is very important. The location of food utensils according to etiquette has been determined for centuries, it serves as a good helper to look aesthetically pleasing and dignified.

How to properly hold a knife and fork according to etiquette

In which hand to hold a knife with a fork depends on the style of etiquette. According to American You can eat pre-cut food with your right hand. The fork is first in the left hand, then the knife is put on the plate, and it can be shifted to the right. This method is convenient for everyone who is not used to frills while eating. You can take a knife only when necessary. It must be put aside on the edge of the dish.

The European style is more strict about which hand to hold the knife and which one to hold the fork. Do not let go of cutlery while eating. The fork must always be held in the left hand.
If the food does not require cutting, hold the fork properly in the right hand and use it like a spatula to break off a piece of chopped steak or scoop up a portion of the side dish. This method does not require special skills. You can just eat soft food with a fork or.
The upper third of the cutlery handle must be clasped with the whole palm in order to eat them more confidently without risking dropping them.

There are 3 ways to hold the fork:

You can cut meat with a knife only towards yourself in order to avoid accidents. It is unacceptable to produce extraneous sounds by touching the edges or bottom of the dishes with appliances.

cutlery language

The knife and fork on the plate can tell a lot to the waiter. Gestures with two cutlery will help confident communication with the staff during the meal. After eating, put the knife and fork in parallel so that the dirty plate is taken away.
If you want to praise the chef, you need to place the items parallel to the edge of the table towards the left on your plate. You can put the fork and knife far apart, which serves as a signal that the guest is full, the food tastes good.
Signs of poor service cutlery can be filed in three ways:

Cross them by holding the knife between the teeth (did not like the food);
Objects are located with their handles up at an angle to each other (the attitude is unfriendly);
Items lie parallel towards the edge of the table (administrator call).

There is another flirtatious signal. Cross objects slightly. Above is a knife. This speaks of a great mood after a wonderful dinner.
To change dishes faster, objects must be crossed perpendicularly. This is a signal that the guest is in a hurry.
A sign of a pause so that the plate is not taken away will be objects crossed or located on the edge of the plate.

Dessert tableware

There are separate serving items for desserts and coffee. The tea ceremony of Europeans is not as complicated as the Chinese one, but cutlery must be put no less.

Tongs, spoon for sugar.

Cake spatula.

Cheese knife.

Spatula, tongs for baking.

Coffee spoon.

Fruit set.

Compote spoon. It is customary for her to eat boiled fruits along with syrup.

Sour cream spoon. She is as fat as a ladle.

dessert set.

Special cutlery

Some appliances are served only with certain dishes.

Lobster fork and lobster tongs. Break the shell with tongs. A two-toothed small fork is used to get meat from the claws.

Devices for black caviar. With the help of a special spatula, caviar can be safely transferred to a plate or sandwich.

Tongs and a small snail fork. They get tender meat from the shell.

Knife and fork for oysters.