How to hold a fork in your left and right hand, etiquette

It would seem that there is nothing easier than the ability to properly hold the fork in your hand. This skill was instilled in us in childhood, and we teach it to our children. But sometimes it turns out that all our science does not comply with the rules of table etiquette. Why is this happening? Yes, because this cutlery can be used solo or strongly require a pair.

How to hold a plug

To understand in which hand the cutlery should be, you should pay attention to the dish to which it is served. This will be discussed a little later, but for now we will focus on the technique of holding the fork in hand.

Hidden handle method got its name due to the fact that the handle is covered with a palm. This option refers to the European style of using cutlery, when when a fork and a knife are used together, the first is always in the left hand.

To prevent anyone from accusing you of ignorance, you should keep a straight index finger on the back of the handle. The pad of the index finger is close to the base (but not close enough to contact food), and the rest of your fingers wrap around the handle, holding the fork in position.

American style easier to learn because it involves holding the cutlery in the same way you hold a ballpoint handle: the thumb and middle finger hold the handle from the bottom and top, and the index finger just rests on top of her. In this case, the cutlery can be used both with the left hand (at the time of cutting a piece) and with the right (when the food is sent to the mouth).

How and when to hold it right in your right hand

A fork can be in the right hand not only with the American style of using cutlery, but also when eating dishes that do not require the help of a knife when cutting them. For example, these are desserts or pilaf.

This situation assumes compliance with only one serious rule: the teeth should be oriented up most of the time. The fork is turned over only in one case - when it separates the next piece of the dish.

How and when to hold it correctly in the left hand

The fork is in the left hand when it is paired with a knife. This rule of etiquette appeared for a reason, because most people find it more convenient to wield their right hand, cutting rather tough steaks or cutting into pieces some other dish.

The left hand in this process only helps to hold the product in place. Well, the subsequent eating of the dish with the fork held in the left hand is just a tribute to decency - an attempt to avoid the constant shifting of cutlery from hand to hand.

It is important to remember, however, that the fork arms must always point downward. The rather widespread habit of holding it with the left hand with the teeth pointing upwards is a sure sign of the ignorance of the person using the cutlery.

When you can shift from one hand to another

Above, the American style has already been mentioned, which allows you to use a fork with one or the other brush. But besides this, there is another situation where you can deviate from the general rules. Rather, do not deviate from them, but mirror them.

We are talking about left-handed people: if in everyday life you use your left hand more actively, then at the table you should hold the knife in it. In this case, the fork is sent to the right hand, and all the rules of etiquette work in a "mirror" format (left brush - teeth up, right hand - down, and if the device is used without a knife, then it is in the left hand).