Table Etiquette: 5 Things You May Not Know

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Mistakes in our behavior at the table they can play a bad joke on us just when we most want to perform well. Just as cooking has rules, so do you the table label they exist and require compliance. Here are some rules that exist that you may not know about yet.

1. Cut or fold the salad?

The salad is not cut with a knife. It must be folded with a knife and fork. Why? Because in the past the utensils were made of silver. However, vinegar does not react well with silver and therefore the tradition of folding the salad was created. Today, this rule remains, despite the fact that our utensils are mostly made of stainless steel. Still, the chefs take care to prepare the salad in small pieces before serving it.

2. Where is the napkin placed on the table?

At the beginning of the meal, the napkin is to the left of the plate. When you sit down, unfold it and place it on your knees. At the end of the meal, fold it slightly and leave it on the right side of the plate.

For lunch, the napkin is placed on a plate. Never in the glass! Remember that if you have to get up from the table while eating, you need to leave your napkin on the chair. This is done to signal the waiters - so they will know that you will return.

3. Should we cut the bread or tear off a piece?

Break the bread with your hands, do not cut it with a knife. And yet - do not put the bread directly on the table, it should be in a pan, basket, napkin or other. Why? The answer to this question is in hygiene rather than in symbols. Yet in some countries, including Bulgaria, bread symbolizes success and work and must be respected, as are the people who work.

4. How are the utensils arranged?

In regard to the arrangement of the utensils it should be noted that the sharpness of the knife is always facing the plate. The point of this is that the danger goes to you, not to the neighbor at the table. What about forks and spoons? The curved part is placed either upwards or to the table. These are the French and English ways of deploying them. In both cases, however, they must be placed in the same direction.

5. How to behave when others do not follow the label?

If someone doesn't have what it takes table behavior, pretend you don't notice it. The purpose of nutrition is to collect, not to ignore or humiliate someone. There are many anecdotes from the history of high-ranking officials who tell how, because of their guests, kings and queens drank from the water in which they washed their hands, threw eggs on their shoulders or ate with their hands. The label on the table is the art of adapting to any situation. And the politeness of the table obeys the same.