Dear ladies and gentlemen, today I propose you to get relieved from confusion you may encounter at a dining table with cutlery of uncommon shapes. How to recognise them and how to use them: never lose face anymore.
Which one do you know?
Which one do you know? Do you know when we will use the sixth one? (All these cutleries are from Christofle)
Here are the answers!
Function: This fork is for oysters. You may spoon or pick the flesh and even detach it if it hasn’t been completely done.
How to recognise it: Smaller than table fork, it is often as round as a spoon, but with short tines.
Function: We mentioned this fork in a previous article, it is used to eat fruits in China and…snails in Europe! More generally, most of the seafood with a shell (like clams).
How to recognise it: this is the only fork with two tines, you can hardly get wrong.
Function: Many of you probably recognised the butter knife, also called « spreader ». Don’t cut the bread with it (only with your hands) but spread the butter on the small piece of bread before eating it.
How to recognise it: it is always much shorter than table knives, very round, and not sharp.
Function: This particular shape shouldn’t rise a single hesitation from you, it is a fish knife. When you are served a fish with its bone and skin, you will use it to open the skin and sort the flesh from the bones.
How to recognise it: It can be as long as a table knife, or slightly shorter. The little notch on the upper right part of the blade is very distinctive.
Function: I have seen this knife in almost every country I have visited, so you better remember the cheese knife! Hard cheese, to be precise. You cut a piece, then with the two tines on the top you pick this piece and bring it to your plate (don’t bring it to your mouth!).
How to recognise it: With a similar size as the table knife, you cannot get confused thanks to its two tines on top!
Function: This is not the most common of the spoons, but if you have one you are probably enjoying a fine dining at a refined restaurant. This is for the sauce, which you are normally not supposed to eat once your food is finished. But if you have this spoon it means the chef wants you to enjoy the sauce by itself. Don’t hesitate then!
How to recognise it: Smaller than a soup spoon, it has a notch on the side, like the fish knife. Actually, this spoon may also be used for fish instead of the knife.
Function: This fork is used for pastries, cakes, which would be eaten in the afternoon. It will be served without any other cutlery, unlike desserts at noon or dinners which come with dessert fork and dessert spoon.
How to recognise it: Smaller than a table fork, it has only 3 tines, one of them is larger than the other one. Why? Because you will use the side to cut a piece of cake, which you will then pick and eat! That’s why this fork is served without knife or spoon.
Is there any other cutlery you have seen and you are wondering the use of? If yes, we are waiting for your comments!
