home

Etiquette layout of cutlery. How to use cutlery

To the right of your plate you will find knives, depending on the menu, in next order large dinner knife, fish knife, small snack knife. If you order soup, then between the snack knife and the fish knife you will be put a tablespoon with the convex side down.

Rule Two

To the left of the plate you will find the forks (convex side down): closer to the plate, a large dinner fork, then a fish fork, and finally a small appetizer fork. By the way, you will set a good example for your companions if you use cutlery in accordance with their location: from the outermost ones to those next to the plate.

Rule Three

If you stop using the device (knife, fork, spoon), then put it on the edge of the plate, but not on the tablecloth. In this case, the knife should rest on the right edge of the plate, where, according to experts, it interferes least of all with you and your neighbor at the table.

Rule Four (Completely Mandatory)

If there is a pause in the meal, put the cutlery on the plate crosswise - the knife with the tip to the left, the fork with the convex part up - so that the knife handle is located like a clock hand pointing to the number "5", and the fork handle - to the number " 7". The crossing point should be on the tines of the fork and a third of the knife.

At the end of the feast, put both devices on a plate parallel to each other, their handles should "show at five o'clock."

Rule Five

If dessert is supposed to be served, then you will see a spoon for it just above the plate with the handle to the right or next to it on a saucer, if the dessert is served in portions. The fork for dessert will be placed in the same place, only with the handle to the left.

The last and most important rule

Of course, what a feast is complete without wine!
The glasses stand next to the plate, closer to the middle of the table, parallel to its length or arc, starting to the left of the largest in size. Or they are arranged in two rows so that the large ones do not cover the smaller ones. Having understood which vessel is intended for a particular drink, you will simultaneously find out what its maximum dose is - or, if you like, optimal - for a single "use".

After you have firmly mastered these far from simple truths, it would not be bad to remember again which device is intended for what.

Festive etiquette rules

Although many foreigners pay tribute to the national dishes of our country, in catering for a foreign delegation it is desirable to take into account the peculiarities of the national cuisine of guests, their culinary tastes; habits. Most foreigners prefer a light breakfast. In many countries, it usually consists of fruit juice, butter, muffins, coffee or tea. Sour cream, soft-boiled eggs, and ham are also served for breakfast. Such a breakfast is usually called European.

In England, USA, France, countries Latin America, Canada, the second meal (during our lunch) is called lunch (second breakfast). It differs from the usual lunch by the absence of first courses in the menu and includes appetizers, main courses, dessert, and ends with coffee or tea. The third meal - lunch (during our dinner) includes an appetizer, soup, main courses, dessert and also ends with tea or coffee.

Most foreigners eat soups in small (250-300 g) portions, they prefer broths, mashed soups with finely chopped products. Bread to the table must be served with wheat and rye, and for guests from Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Korea, Arab countries- wheat.

Sometimes toast is served instead of wheat bread. Many foreigners prefer to drink mineral and fruit water or plain water during breakfast, lunch and dinner. boiled water with ice. At the same time, the Mongols, Japanese, Koreans, for the most part, do not drink mineral water.

The hosts will show their courtesy by knowing the products and dishes from them, which, due to religious prejudices and national traditions it is not recommended to offer representatives of certain peoples.

First of all, this applies to pork for Muslims and beef for foreigners who profess Hinduism. Residents of the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Denmark, Norway do not like lamb dishes.

Hungarians don't eat jelly; Romanians - sauces; the British - boiled sausages, pancakes, dumplings; Koreans - broths; Swedes, Danes, Norwegians - cottage cheese dishes. Koreans should not serve rice dishes, although it takes their important place in the diet. This is due to the fact that rice processing in our country is completely different than in Korea.

There will be nothing reprehensible if the organizers of the visit ask the guests about their culinary preferences in advance.

The history of business and table etiquette in Russia and abroad

The regulation of human behavior and communication permeates the entire human history. Without compliance with certain norms or regulations, it is impossible to build political, economic, cultural and family relationships, because we cannot exist without considering each other, without imposing certain obligations on ourselves.

Etiquette is a set of norms, rules for the communication of people among themselves, the behavior of each specific person in society - in the social environment where he lives, with whose members he interacts.

The history of the development of business etiquette and its transformation over time can be traced through the monuments of literature and culture. Knowledge of the history of business etiquette is also important for our time, since many modern rules behaviors originate in the distant past and often initially had a completely different meaning. Some etiquette norms of the past have changed almost beyond recognition, while others simply disappeared along with the conditions that gave rise to them, but one way or another, all the accepted rituals of behavior left their mark on the development of Western European culture.

The word "etiquette" was first used in its modern sense at a reception at the court of King Louis XIV of France (1638-1715), when cards (labels) were handed out to guests outlining how they should behave, but the very existence of codes of a certain order of behavior for people much older.

This is evidenced by the cultural monuments of ancient Egypt that have survived to this day with its complex system palace relations and extensive diplomatic ties, and the Sumerian kingdom with its numerous records on clay tablets, in which all more or less significant events were recorded, including the transfer of items necessary for a temple exchange, or the procedures for presenting gifts intended for a deity.

Since ancient times, chroniclers, philosophers, writers and poets have given numerous recommendations regarding human behavior at the table. In ancient Egypt in the III millennium BC. e. one of the popular manuscripts was a collection of good advice "Teachings of Kochemni".

In the collection, in the form of recommendations from the father to the sons, the need to practically teach young people the rules of decency and exemplary behavior in society was explained. Even then, the Egyptians considered it necessary to use cutlery, as well as the ability to eat beautifully, silently.

Such behavior was regarded as a great dignity and a necessary component of culture.

The monument of Old Norse literature "Edda" also tells in detail about the rules of conduct at the table. For example, for pronouncing toasts, the Business Etiquette, and violation of these rules led to a fine. We also borrowed from the Scandinavians the rule of giving places of honor at the table to women and the most respected guests.

The first written diplomatic treaty was concluded in 1278 BC. e. between the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II and the Hittite king Hattushil III.

A home cutlery set is usually limited to a simple trio of a knife, spoon and fork. However, any of us may find ourselves at a banquet, a dinner party, or simply in a status restaurant, where the atmosphere and menu will dictate completely different rules for using cutlery. And knowing them will be absolutely not superfluous.

Cutlery: general rules of etiquette

Table setting is the first clue. What lies on the right side is supposed to be taken in right hand, and vice versa.
If there are difficulties, you can delay the start of the meal a little and see how others are doing it.
Dessert devices are placed with their handles towards the hand with which they need to be taken.
The knife is always held exclusively in the right hand, regardless of whether the left is free.
It is unacceptable to first cut a whole piece of food into pieces, and then put down the knife and eat them with a fork. There is more - shifting it to the right hand.
If there are several forks or spoons on the table, you need to start with those that are further from the plate as the dishes are served.
Holding the instruments almost vertically is a bad form. Strive for them horizontal position while eating.
If you need to transfer the device to another person, hold it by the middle. But it is better to ask the waiter about it.
You can’t put food on a fork with a knife, they can only slightly tweak what is taken with a fork.
Broths, even those served in a cup with a handle (broth pot), are eaten with a spoon, like any soups and other liquid dishes. The spoon is held in the right hand. At the very end, when there is little broth left in the cup, it is permissible to drink it. But not from a plate!
After the dish is eaten, even if it is not the last one, the used cutlery is placed not on the table and not on the edge of the plate, but completely on it. If there is a desire to convey to the restaurant workers that the food was tasteless, then crosswise, passing the knife between the tines of the fork. The position of the devices on the plate is a whole language that is desirable to know in order to avoid misunderstanding with the waiter.

Sausages, cut and whole sausages and cheese from a common plate is first transferred to their own plate, and then cut off one piece at a time and eaten.
Bread and sandwiches do not require any appliances. However, not everything is so simple with them. They are supposed to be first transferred to your plate (usually a separate pie or just a snack bar is served) and only then eat. But not biting from the whole, but breaking off in parts.
Cutting vegetables is not accepted. Including boiled potatoes. It is crushed with the edge of a fork, but not put on it.
Compotes from kremanka are not drunk over the edge, but eaten with a spoon, like ice cream or cream. After that, the spoon is placed on a dessert plate, and not left in the bowl.
Pieces of watermelon or melon are taken from a common plate by hand, if they are not peeled. In this case, the watermelon is placed sideways, and the melon - crust down. Then we act with the help of devices, cutting off in portioned pieces - everything is normal, as is done with meat.
Desserts (cakes, cakes) are eaten with a spoon only if they are soft enough and do not crumble. Otherwise, you can take them with your hands or break them off piece by piece. The fork does not need to be used.

What appliances to eat fish and seafood?

Fish in any form, except in certain specified cases, does not allow a knife. But if something in the form of a spatula is served with a dish, this is what will replace it for us. Feel free to take it in your right hand and carefully separate the grain from the chaff, that is, the flesh from the bones. If nothing but a fork was given to the fish, then shift it to the right, and left hand arm with a piece of bread. But do not eat it with fish, but only correct the pieces.

The most difficult case is fish served whole. First you need to separate from the ridge and eat the upper sirloin, then use a spatula or fork to separate all the bones entirely and set them aside. It remains to eat the fillet of the second half. After the fish is done with, the plate should be a neat skeleton, not a messy mountain of bones.

Shellfish cannot be eaten without helping yourself with your fingers. But this does not mean that the matter should be taken completely into hands in the truest sense of the word. For lobsters, crayfish, oysters and more, there are special devices depending on their type - a spatula, a short fork, tweezers.

Pickled or salted herring, smoked eel and other hard fish can be used with a knife.

Read also:

No thanks! How to politely refuse an unloved dish?
All ladies do it! Rules of etiquette for a social event

If the salad is served in a common salad bowl, you should use a special spoon to transfer it to your plate. Sometimes a snack plate is placed in front of the guest, and a portioned cold dish is behind him. In this case, it is necessary to deal with it, as with a common salad bowl, imposing food in portions.

No matter how large the leaf lettuce is, it is not supposed to cut it into smaller ones.

Hold the fork with the convex side up or down? In the left hand - only up, in the right both options are acceptable.

Unlike in Italy, where spaghetti is handled with just one fork, in our restaurants this dish is often served with two utensils - a fork and a spoon. In this case, the spoon serves only as a safety net and is held in the left hand. Do not try to wind a lot - it will not work. Enough to capture 2-4 "macaroni". In the case of very large lengths, they can be cut. The fork is held in the right hand and rotates towards itself. If the cheese is served separately, it is added independently to taste.

Hi friends!

Today we’ll talk about table etiquette, how to behave in a restaurant, consider the basic rules table etiquette at the table during lunch or a special event (wedding, birthday).

I am sure that some of you know the basic rules of conduct at the table, but many will learn a lot of interesting things from this note.

Basic concepts of table etiquette

Etiquette- a set of historically established rules of human behavior in society. The rules of etiquette are based on the education in people of attention, politeness, respect for each other.

In particular, the rules provide for the ability to behave at the table, to use cutlery correctly, all this needs to be known to both waiters and guests. Very often guests contact us in the course of your work with questions regarding these rules, you need to know and follow them.

Most importantly, when you see a huge number of different devices and plates on the table, do not get lost and observe the following:

Each plate or cutlery at the table have their purpose. The most important rule to remember is that all cutlery to the left of the plate is held with the left hand while eating, and the cutlery to the right, respectively, is held in the right hand.
Start taking cutlery from the extreme, gradually approaching those that are closer to the plate. In the picture above, first snack fork 2, then table fork 3, on the right, first knife 9, then for the first course, use spoon 8 and in combination with fork 3, use table knife 7.
A knife can only cut food on a plate or hold what you take with a fork. The main device is a fork, the knife is only auxiliary, and in no case should you eat from a knife or shift the knife to your left hand, and the fork to your right.
When you bring meat or fish, you do not need to cut it all in a plate. It is necessary to cut off a piece and eat, then just cut off the next one, because the cut food cools down faster and loses its taste.
When drinks are poured into glasses, ask to remove those that you will not need during dinner (if the waiter does not do it himself). Extra wine glasses clutter up the table and can be accidentally hooked and broken, so it's best to remove them from the table.

Basic rules of table etiquette

Additions to the rules of etiquette for waiters

If guests ask you to serve some fruit from a common vase, be sure to use tongs or, in extreme cases, a paper napkin. You can’t take fruit with your bare hand and serve it to a guest. You need to take a clean plate from the utility table in one hand, tongs for layout in the other and put the fruit that you asked for or make a platter on the plate, then put this plate to the guest. Not everyone will want to eat the fruits that will be served with bare hands it's not hygienic.
If you are carrying dirty dishes(in full view of the guests in the hall), dishes to the sink and at the same time a piece of food or a dirty napkin falls from them, do not lift them with your hands. Go to utility room, take a broom and a dustpan, only with their help remove what has fallen on the floor.
Give a little more attention at the table to guests of honor, the elderly, and children. It’s just that you often have to watch the picture when, in the company of guests, the waiter finds a young, attractive woman and gives her the most attention, while the birthday boy and the elders at the table feel a lack of attention and this may affect their attitude towards you and the amount of remuneration when calculating.
Not all guests know the rules of etiquette, all the more so they follow them, but the waiters are obliged to know them and tell the guests if they ask for your advice on how to do this or that action at the table correctly. There is no need to teach guests how and what to do correctly with a smart and arrogant look, until you are asked. You can offend the guest and humiliate in the eyes of others, be tactful and smart, it is not always necessary to say what you think.
When you are in the restaurant hall, learn to behave tactfully, not to shout, not to laugh out loud, not to put your fingers into your nose, mouth or ears, preferably not to cough or sneeze. Control your hands and do not touch different parts of the body with them, try not to straighten your hair in front of the guests. Many do it out of habit full automatic actions (correcting or touching yourself where it is not necessary) that are noticeable to the guest and not very pleasant. Keep this in mind.

There are many more rules of etiquette, I have presented you the main ones. If you follow and apply them yourself, you can easily recommend them to guests in a restaurant.

How to use a linen napkin

In addition to the fact that a beautifully folded, starched and carefully ironed linen napkin gives solemnity and aesthetics, decorates the table and gives it a solemn look, it also has its main purpose.

The main purpose of a napkin is to protect a guest's costume or dress from crumbs, accidental drops of grease or drinks.

Before you start eating, take a napkin from the table, unfold it, fold it in half, and place it on your lap. If you need to wipe your mouth or lips, as well as lightly wipe your fingers, feel free to use a linen napkin for this purpose.

So filling a napkin at the table is no longer accepted))

If your hands are too dirty, then you should go and wash your hands thoroughly in the toilet, because you cannot wipe them thoroughly with a napkin.

In some Chinese and Japanese restaurants, moist warm terry towels are served for this purpose, it is very convenient for wiping hands.

Previously, in films, one could see how a napkin was laid at one corner behind the collar so as not to stain clothes while eating. Now this is considered the rule of "bad taste", times are changing))

It is also considered uncultured to additionally wipe the frage (cutlery) before eating, thus you do not trust the owners of the establishment. If in doubt about the cleanliness of the appliances, ask them to replace the waiter.

A few more rules for waiters that will increase your tip))

The main thing is to be sincere with guests and follow a few rules:

A friendly tone and smile is your main weapon;
The desire to help the guest will always see and appreciate;
Learn to think one step ahead of your guest. If he finishes eating another snack, you should already prepare a replacement plate. If a guest finishes the wine in a glass, you must prepare this wine and, after asking permission, fill it again. If a guest at a banquet began to eat crayfish or game with his hands, prepare and put a vase of lemon for his hands. Over time, you will learn to think one step ahead, practice));
Greet guests and be sure to see them off at the entrance, regardless of the size of the reward.

Now you are familiar with the basic rules of table etiquette and recommendations for their application.

All the best, see you soon!

With respect, Nicholai

Related Notes:

Since 1996, he has gained vast experience working as a waiter, bartender, administrator in cafes, nightclubs and restaurants. I have experience of working at banquets, receptions, outdoor events, I know many colleagues in the field of catering, I am the author of a video course for waiters.

What are the rules of table etiquette

They are based on compliance with aesthetic standards, expediency, convenience. Fundamental rules:

You should not sit at the table very far and not too close to the edge, you also can’t put your elbows on it, you can only brush.
Table etiquette says that you must sit upright in a chair, not leaning over a plate of food.
Do not reach for the dish, if it is far away, ask other participants in the meal to pass it.
Adults lay down a napkin for individual use on your knees, children (preschoolers and schoolchildren) tuck it in by the collar.
The ethics of behavior allows you to take some products with your hands: sugar, cookies, cakes, fruits.

Rules for the use of cutlery

Everyone needs to know the table rule of the left and right hands: all appliances laid out on the left side (only forks) must be held in the left hand (but there are exceptions here too). Knives are placed on the right, spoons are wielded with the right hand. Soups and broths are eaten with a spoon, hot meat dishes with a table knife and fork, hot fish with a fish knife and fork, desserts with a tea or dessert spoon, cold snacks with a snack knife and fork, fruits with hands or fruit utensils.

How to properly hold a fork or spoon

Hold the spoon so that thumb was on top of her arm. Scoop liquid from a plate away from you, so you will not stain your clothes. If you are served a broth with pieces of chicken, first eat the liquid part of the dish, then - with a knife and fork - the meat. Don't take the fork too close to the base. Its teeth look down or up depending on the dish.

Which hand to hold the knife

How to hold a fork and knife according to the rules of etiquette at the table? When you eat only with a fork, take it in your right hand, if you use a knife, hold the fork in your left. index fingers while leaning on upper part handles of the device and help to make pressure.

Restaurant etiquette

How to behave at the table in a public institution? Cultural people adhere to such rules and feel "at ease":

You can start eating when everyone has brought food or drinks.
According to restaurant etiquette rules, the waiter opens bottles of alcohol at the table.
Guests of the institution need to monitor the volume of their conversation - to talk in such a way as not to cause discomfort to others.
The rules of conduct in the restaurant say that you should not clink glasses loudly every time, this is done only during important, solemn toasts.

Table setting rules for etiquette

It is best to arrange items according to the photo - so you can see what and where lies. It is not difficult to arrange cutlery correctly. Very refined English style, he wins the hearts of girls, women, men. However, many are more familiar with the usual home serving:

a tablecloth is laid;
2-3 cm from the edge there are plates - on shallow deep ones, on the left - pie;
under each device put small cellulose napkins;
to the right of the plate - a tablespoon with the convex side down, a knife with a sharp side to the plates, on the left a fork with the prongs up;
a glass for juice, water is placed in front of the knife edge;
snacks, salads are placed in the center, common appliances are placed to them.

Video about table manners for children

The younger generation best learns knowledge presented in a playful or cartoon form. Show your kids a video about Koksik and Shunya. Fairy tale characters together with the kids will learn the rules of table etiquette. Aunt Daria will become a kind and wise mentor who will lead boys and girls into the world cultured people.

What else to read

What does "wear a hat on a butch" mean? In domestic places not so remote, all prisoners are divided into four prison castes (they are also called ...

How and how much you can drink coffee from chicory If doctors categorically forbid you to drink coffee, then do not despair! Chicory will be an excellent substitute for your favorite ...

What foods promote serotonin synthesis? We have all heard of the miraculous hormone of happiness. It is found in chocolate and bananas, after which the mood ...