Dear ladies, gentlemen and children, we often eat fruit at the table. However, some rules defer when you attend high-end dinners. Which fruits can be eaten with fingers, which ones should be eaten only with a fork? I propose you to discover it together!

Eating fruit in a formal way
In formal occassions, fruit is eaten at the end of the meal. You will have a fruit plate together with a fruit knife and a fruit fork. The general rule is that medium-sized and larger fruit should be cut first before eating. Candied fruit and small fresh fruit should be eaten with fingers.

Watermelon
If you don’t mind about the seed then you use the edge of the fork to cut bite-sized piece and eat one bite at a time. If you want to remove the seeds, flick the seeds away using the tines and push them on a side of the plate.

Mango
The skin of a mango is inedible, therefore you may use a knife and a fork to cut the flesh away from it. To achieve the same cut as on the picture, cut 2 large slices along the mango pit, then with your knife do some squares on the flesh of the fruit.

Cherry
Cherries are eaten with a spoon in formal occassions. The pit is inedible so it should be removed. Take a cherry with a spoon, place into your mouth, clean the pit and put it back on the spoon. Use your opposite hand to cover your mouth while you are putting the pit on the spoon. Then put the pit on your plate.

Pineapple
This fruit is usually served on a plate or in a bowl. Use your fork for cutting and eating and dessert spoon for pushing the pieces.

Orange
If it’s already peeled use your finger to eat. In case there are pits inside use the tip of your knife to remove them and place on a side of a plate. If it has the rind, cut off both ends of it. Cut the peel off in strips. For more details please refer to our previous fruits etiquette article.

Papaya
If the pieces are sliced and peeled you will eat them with a fork or from the shell with a spoon.

Grapes
Use your fingers to eat grapes. Some grapes are seeded, in case you would like to remove the seeds you may use one of two ways:
1. After you put the grape into your mouth, place the seeds between your thumb and index finger and then put them on the side of a plate. This way is not that elegant, but the seeds are too small to use a fork.
2. You can use the point of your knife to pierce the grape and remove the seed.

Lemon
Rarely people eat only lemon, usually it’s used as a garnish to other dishes or beverages. When squeezing a lemon no matter if over a dish or a beverage, protect others from squirts. You may hold your cupped hand in front of the lemon or use a spoon. After squeezing, place the lemon on the egde of a saucer, in your beverage or on a plate.

Banana
Start with a cutting off the both ends, next cut the rind from one to another end and remove it. The skin goes on one side of a plate. Eat the banana one bite at a time. For more instructions please refer to our previous fruits etiquette article.

Strawberry
Strawberries should be eaten with fingers. If they are served with a cream, sugar, ice cream you should use a spoon.

Kiwi fruit
First you have to peel the inedible outer skin with a knife or spoon. Next, slice the kiwi crosswise. The seeds are edible so now you can enjoy your kiwi with a fork by cutting it in a bite-sized piece.

Pomegranate
Pomegranate are usually served in halves. Use your hand to secure one half and then with another hand scoop some seeds with a spoon and place onto your plate. From the plate take the seeds with your spoon and eat them.

Dear all, is there any other type of fruit that you are wondering how it should be eaten? Please share your question with us!