Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Tabletop Tuesdays: Topsy Turvy


About ten years ago I sent my youngest daughter, Jenny, to etiquette school.  She learned about the history of fine dining, etiquette surrounding the table, and even etiquette for tea and dessert courses.  She loved doing it and came back with a lot of useful information.  One of the things we enjoyed practicing upon her return was the European style of eating.



Did you know that most sterling silver patterns still carry decoration on the back of the fork?  This is because, in Europe, where eating with utensils originated, the fork is laid tines down.  When you eat, you have the fork in your left hand the whole time, and you place the food in your mouth with the tines facing down the whole time.  You never switch handsand you never flip the fork over.

For a few more detailed explanations, click here and here.

In many ways it's a much more elegant style of eating, with less complication.  It takes some getting used to for those of us on this side of the pond, but we highly recommend it!  Another added benefit?  You're forced to slow down and take smaller bites, always a good thing!

To view beautiful Old World forks with decorations on the back, stop by the store today!