I think most lefties have a few random things they prefer to do with the right. For me eating w/a utensil has always felt somewhat similar to “writing” so I’m not surprised I do both with the left.
My parents are from Europe, so they taught me to eat European style. They never even knew there was another way until much later.
Interesting that so many choose the right hand for the knife for better control. When cooking I’ll also use the knife in the right hand, and carving too. And I think if I were going to entirely cut up a steak into pieces before eating any, I’d switch to fork in left and knife in right. But I don’t think I’ve done anything like that since my kid’s were little. I guess I don’t find any food that difficult to cut that I need to bring my right hand into play. I’ll usually just use the side of the fork to cut things if I can. And if a piece of meat is so tough I need my right hand to cut it, I don’t think I want to eat it.
I always eat with a fork in my right hand, regardless of whether or not I am cutting anything. So when I do eat food that requires cutting with a knife, knife goes in the left hand, fork stays in the right. I’m right handed so this is very natural for me. I can’t even imagine the embarrassment that would befall me should I try to bring a fork to my mouth with my left hand.
I have one European parent and one American parent, and my siblings and I are divided over the fork-holding. I keep the fork in the left hand, like Dad; they switch hands like Mom.
Not switching hands is absolutely more practical. But I always switch hands. Why? I really suck with my left hand. If I try to eat with it I’m not even positive the food will make it to my mouth! Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little bit, but really, I’m just steadier with my right hand.
I see at least **drewtwo99 **is in the same boat as me. So some of us don’t do it because of any reason, because we’re American or because we’re trying to make a point. Some of us just aren’t sure that left hand can handle all that responsibility.
Other.
When eating something that requires a knife and fork, accompanied by other foods that require only a fork, I use two forks: keep fork in left hand, use knife with right hand, switch knife with 2nd fork when necessary.
I can’t recall the last time I used a knife while eating.
If I did, I’m pretty sure it would go in my left hand, as it’s much easier to cut with the dominant hand.
So other on two counts.
I switch hands, because that is what I was taught. What is the point of holding a knife throught the whole meal, when most of the meal doesn’t require it?
I am right handed. I eat with my right or left hand. If I’m using a knife, I cut my food, put the knife down until it’s needed again, and continue eating with my left hand. I never saw any reason to put my fork in my right hand, knowing full well that I’d be using the knife again. If I’m eating something that doesn’t need a knife, I’ll use whichever hand picks up the utensil first.
I’m right handed, and keep the fork in my right hand all the time. Left hand is for the knife.
As an American, I eat food the American way as God intended, dammit, switching hands as a sign of respect for God and Country.
OK, I’ve tried the European way, and it’s OK I guess. It feels awkward to me, but I’ll probably try it again sometime.
As a scientist, I can see the efficiency argument, so if I were European, while I’d probably try switching hands, just to experience it, I think I’d be much less likely to switch.
From an efficiency stand point the European Way is certainly the best. Assuming you are right handed, it does all the heavy cutting with the left hand politely bringing the food to the mouth.
Any other way makes you look like a savage.
DMark, I never figured you for a handist :mad: You’d think 10-14% of the population would be enough not to get overlooked in polls about using whatever hand…
I of course use my left hand to cut, then put the knife down and pick up my fork with my left hand to eat. Why would I hold the knife the whole time? It reminds me of cartoons where they show the savage characters holding both the knife and fork and salivating while waiting to be fed tasty human flesh.
Okay, that’s not really why I switch hands. If I try to use a spoon or fork with my right hand, odds are good I’ll end up spilling food all over the place. Ole rightie isn’t so bad with gross motor activities, but that hand has pretty poor fine motor control.
I grew up eating Euro-style with the fork in my left (non-dominant) hand, and it just feels weird to me to even have the fork in my right hand.
While intellectually, I know that different cultures have different rules for how utensils are to be used at the table, when I notice someone with the fork in one hand and the knife in the other and not putting them down my first thought is “raised by wolves.” Even more so when they’re holding them in fists. And still more when they have no trace of a non-American accent. I don’t go around scrutinizing the way people hold their forks, but if I do happen to notice I think it odd, at best.
No, switching isn’t efficient. So what? If efficiency was the point, you’d not bother with utensils other than a sharp knife.
Interestingly, when I’m carving a joint, I have the carving fork in my right hand and the carving knife in the left. I’m left-handed, albeit modestly ambidexterous, so I suppose it’s a case of the business tool being in the dominant hand.
I’m right handed and will switch back and forth if I’m eating something that needs just a few cuts. On something like a steak I’ll eat with the knife in my right and fork in my left.
How does the switching hands thing work at banquets? You’re packed closely, so not eating in synchronisation your neighbours is going to cause elbows to collide, isn’t it?
Or is this one reason why Americans have banquets at round tables?
My German mom taught me to keep the fork in my left hand, and I honest-to-God didn’t know there was another approach until I was in my 30s. I was out to dinner one night with co-workers in Kansas City when one of them began quizzing me about it.
Then of course I was sensitized and looking to see how other people eat. The savages.