Eating With Your Hands

[TheEpitome1920]

Do you eat with your hands??

Growing up we ate a lot of foods that were better to eat with your hands. And I think I still adhere to this today sometimes. I don't do this at resturants, unless its a part of the experience,lol.

[f8nacn]

It depends on the restaurant, the meal, and the people I'm with...oh yeah, and i what I have on...Sometimes, I will eat a chicken leg with a knife and a fork (obviously there isn't any cleaning on the bone that way)... but when I'm home...sometimes etiquette isn't at the forefront of my mind because I'm at home.

[aephi alum]

If I may crash...

When I was little, I had it drummed into my head that certain foods were "finger food" and certain foods were "fork food". I can only think of a few things that my parents deemed "finger food" (leaving aside things like hors d'oeuvres): corn on the cob, hamburgers and hot dogs, sandwiches, fries, pizza... actually I think that was it. My parents required me to observe proper table manners even when it was just the three of us at home, so I was not allowed (for example) to pick up a chicken leg and gnaw on the bone to get the last scraps of meat. Which, I guess, was a good thing - it meant I learned one set of rules, as opposed to "rules for home" and "rules for company/restaurant".

These days, I'm a little more lax at home - for example, I will pick up the chicken leg and gnaw on the bone. And there are a few situations where you just have to use your hands - for example, when you're eating lobster or ribs, you just have to dive right in and not mind the mess. But for the most part I stick to knife and fork.

[ZetaStorm]

I'm pretty much with f8nacn. At home or at KFC I eat chicken legs with my hands but if it's a banquet or more formal setting I use my knife and fork. When I was growing up table manners were important.

I remember when I was younger I had a formal lunch meeting with a client. This was my first business lunch with a client and I was very nervous. My God this client's table manners were awful. He ordered food like he was with his family or something. I had to endure him talking with his mouth full of food, eating with his hands, and licking his fingers. I was done when he had to blow his nose. He had the nerve to ask me, "Is that all you're ordering?" I wanted to slither under the table and disappear.

I coudn't wait for our 'lunch' to be over - LOL . I mean this was a high ranking manager at his company. When I got back to the office I told my supervisor what happened and he jokes, "Good Lord I'm glad it was you and not me!" Fortunately the deal went through but I swear there should have been some extra pay for dealing with this clients bad table manners.

[nonchalant]

It depends on the food and how it's laid out. I don't care where I'm at. Most foods that are prepared with bone in, I eat with my hands, with the exception of fish and whole meat. Any finger foods with lots of dressing on it such as fries drowned in ketchup or onion rings covered in ranch, I'll use a fork. Food in a bag warrant me using my hands. Food laid out on a plate warrants a knife and fork unless they are exceptions I named above. Most side items are usually eaten with a fork. Of course, some foods have to be eaten with the hands such as crab legs.

What really bothers me is country people that mash there greens and cornbread together and eat them with their hands. My ex did that. Eww.

[raregem1913]

I know this sounds really weird but if I have on something really nice, I'll eat hot wings with a fork.

*side note* I tear my chicken off the bone and then place it in my mouth. I can not bite into chicken. Like put the chicken (with bone) in my mouth and tear the meat with my teeth, I can't do it.

My grandparents always "mashed" their greens, cornbread and hotsauce and ate with their hands. Granny always said "you can't get to it good with a fork/spoon"....lol

[KSUViolet06]

I eat EVERYTHING with a fork. Yes, even chicken wings and pizza. It's weird, but that's just how I roll.