Spoon Wars

What a cultural disconnect! So much fuss over proper dining etiquette. I remember the first time I went to an upscale restaurant when I was a child...I didn't even know what to do with all those spoons, forks and knives lined up on the side and top of my plate (which kept on being changed by the way!). And tell me, do I use a teaspoon or a small fork to eat cake? I don't know. Anyway, I eat with a fork and spoon at home, unless I'm having crabs or prawns, then I do it "kamayan" style. I only use the knife and fork routine in high-end restaurants, and of course chopsticks in Japanese and Chinese restaurants. Speaking of "kamayan," I find it amusing that a lot of Pinoys, so as not to appear "barbaric" go so far as to eat chicken or pizza using their knives and forks! That's not barbaric, that's plain stupid! Who taught them this? There is a restroom where you can go and wash your hands, people! In the States, you see Americans heartily eating chicken with their fingers. And so too Italians use their fingers to eat their pizzas. Well of course in Canada, pigs use spoons. It's a strange world we live in...

Spoon wars
First posted 08:49am (Mla time) May 14, 2006
By Michael L. Tan
Inquirer

MANY of us will remember the way we were nagged by our elders about the polite way of holding our spoons. But hey, most of us were never told the spoon was only for soup and dessert. For Filipinos, and most Asians, spoons were the greatest invention ever. Throw away the knife and the fork but never the spoon, which we use for soups, desserts, vegetables, even to cut meat. To read on, click on blog's title.