How to properly serve cutlery: the subtleties of etiquette

Since ancient times, festivities have been accompanied by feasts, and it was then that customs and table setting rules began to take shape. Over the years, they have been honed, turning into peculiar rituals. Some of them flowed smoothly into everyday life.

Many table setting, shown in films and series or described in books, scares with its complexity. A lot of devices, the purpose of which is not always clear. A variety of dishes that are scary to approach, and wine glasses of various shapes and sizes is not clear for which drink. But everything is not as scary as it seems at first glance.

The basic rule of table etiquette is “from the edges to the center”. As the dishes change, appliances located farther from the plate are used. The same goes for glasses and glasses, changing from left to right.

Table etiquette includes the rules for serving dishes, the order in which cutlery is used, as well as the rules of behavior at the table and basic principles of courtesy. The basic rules of etiquette include:

• the location of the napkin is strictly on your knees;
• “Thank you” and “please” it is necessary to say both at requests and at their fulfillment;
• stoop sitting at the table is not accepted;
• men sit at the table after women, having previously pulled a chair for them;
• being late for the holiday event is regarded as disrespect:
• elbows on the table are a sign of bad manners;
• you should not start eating if your companions have not yet brought plates;
• the knife must be held exclusively in the right hand;
• fork and spoon - the perfect combination for long pasta;

• it is indecent to cut or bite bakery products; you should eat them in small pieces, broken off from the whole;
• the appliance left on the floor must be replaced;
• educated people chew with their mouths shut;
• champing in society is indecent;
• bad taste - eat with a knife;
• Before pouring a drink, offer it to your neighbors;
• no need to be greedy when applying from a common plate;
• the interlocutor needs to close his eyes for violation of table etiquette;
• slightly unfinished soup is better than a tilt plate;
• using a knife and fork, count strength to chew immediately, without biting;
• the cutlery laid crosswise means that you are waiting for the next dish, stacked in parallel - a sign of a finished meal;
• in any awkward situation it’s worth apologizing.

As mentioned above, there can be many devices on a served table, but not all of them are there right away. Today, there are many different cutlery, designed strictly for your type of dish.

General rule applies "From the central plate to the sides."

Types and purpose of spoons:

• dining room, oblong - for soup;
• broth - round, otherwise indistinguishable from soup;
• dessert, less dining room;
• tea room;
• coffee - less tea;
• for ice cream - has the dimensions of a coffee, but longer;
• salad - served in a plate with salad;
• for caviar - another small spoon resembling a shell;
• pate - a common cutlery for all guests;
• sugar scoop;
• ladle for sauce - served with a gravy boat.

Plugs:

• dining room - for main dishes;
• dessert;
• for spaghetti - has five teeth, facilitates winding pasta;
• for sprat - a common device;
• for seafood - a two-toed fork;
• for mollusks - with three teeth, the largest of which separate the meat from the shell;
• herring - a two-toed fork for transferring herring from a common dish;
• salad - served in a plate with salad;
• cocotte - an elegant trident fork used for imposing julienne;
• lemon - serves to shift the pieces;
• for olives;
• for fruits - used for chopped or small fruits.

Knives:

• dining room, its prerogative is the second courses;
• snack bar;
• meat - served with the dish;
• fish;
• cheese - used only for cutting;
• oil - a common device;
• fruit - served for unpeeled fruits.

All the tongs (except the last) are used by all the janitors together:

1. for ice;
2. Confectionery
3. asparagus
4. for spaghetti;
5. salad;
6. for lobsters.

Plates:

• soup - better wide and shallow;
• a bowl - narrow, of small diameter, very relevant for cream soups and broths;
• snack bar - usually flat;
• dessert, served only for confectionery;
• fish - a common dish for all guests;
• chill mold - a small ladle for julienne;
• scaffold - a sign that a buffet is organized at the celebration;
• herring - an oblong dish;
• Egg
• saucer - used as a stand for cups;
• socket;
• creamer - used for jelly, mousse and ice cream.

Wine glasses and glasses:

• high under champagne;
• wine (separately for white and red varieties);
• liquor;
• cognac;
• for a martini.

Glasses:

• for whiskey;
• for cocktails;
• punch;
• for juice and water.

As well as glasses for vodka and other drinks of comparable strength.

Cups:

• teahouse - on a silver platter with a corresponding spoon;
• small cylindrical - for espresso;
• under a cappuccino;
• for a glance.

As you can see from all of the above, there are a lot of serving items. Do not be scared, because everyone speaks the name for themselves. Appliances, which impose dishes from common utensils, are common.

Color is always important, and their harmonious combination will help in the design. A white tablecloth is a tribute to traditions, it fits almost all colors of dishes. Variegated dishes look advantageous on a plain tablecloth, but for a plain service you can equally choose both types of tablecloths. Napkins should be in harmony with the tablecloth.

It might seem that the black and white version of the serving is something that goes beyond the scope, but it is not. A harmonious combination of these two colors can give a special charisma to the reception.

The combination of purple and mint (green) looks very fresh, red color gives solemnity. Silver and gold are essential attributes of a wedding. A dinner in honor of a man must be concise, with white dishes and contrasting napkins. Bright colors are the surest decision for a bachelorette party.

Do not put too many appliances on the table, it is better to leave some free space. No matter how many meal changes are planned, it is better to take out the required appliances and objects with a new serve. In the figure below you can see an example of proper serving.

As you can see from the image, the knives and spoons are always placed to the right of the plate (except for the oyster fork). There are wine glasses above them. To the left of the plate are forks, with a pastry plate above them. Dessert devices should lie above the plate. As mentioned above, the arrangement of devices depends on the queue for their use.

Place the napkin on a serving plate. Before serving, you need to put it on your lap. Shared dishes must be placed symmetrically.

Putting dishes for a new dish is necessary only after the previous shift has been removed. It is recommended to place devices at the same time.

First served snacks - first cold, and then hot. They are followed by the first dish (soup), after it - the second: fish, meat. Dessert is served in front of fruits, which are the conclusion of the meal.

In appetizers and cold main dishes, you should switch from fish to meat, then to vegetable and mushroom, and finally to dairy (cheeses).

The serving sequence is respected to prevent loss of appetite and dull taste. Of course, everyone has the right not to eat what he does not like, especially if everything is immediately present on the table.

If you have finished the meal, the napkin from the knees should be rolled up, hiding the dirty parts. You need to place it in the place of your plate, but if it is busy - to the left of it.

After receiving liquid food, the devices should be left in the plate or bowl in which the dish was served. Scolding a cook is considered bad form, as well as frankly lying that you really liked everything. Better highlight something you really liked.

Table setting is necessary not only for guests, it can be done every day for yourself.

Breakfast is the beginning of the day and it can be spent beautifully. The plate for the main course is best placed in the center, in front of you. Put the fork or spoon on the left, and the knife on the right. You can put a tea cup and saucer over the knife, and put bread over the fork.

At home, it is quite possible to dine with two dishes. Take soup and pasta for example. Under a deep plate we place a plate for the second, which will play the role of serving.On the diagonal, there will be bread on the left, and on the right you can put a glass of water and a cup of coffee. The spoon and fork will traditionally be located on the right and left, respectively.

Dinner can be a great end to a busy day. One needs only to add a couple of devices, and arrange the glasses with the glass of wine. Paper napkins are placed on the left.

There are a lot of options for table setting.

As mentioned earlier, black and white will add solemnity and special chic. Black strips of fabric and candles are in perfect harmony with gilded instruments. A white tablecloth echoes with napkins and roses, and snow-colored wine glasses and plates are perfectly combined with all of the above.

A white tablecloth on a round table with pale pink napkins and flowers in a vase will be a great decoration for the holiday in the women's team. Glass candlesticks matching the colors and napkins, in shape resembling glasses, fill the atmosphere with comfort.

To create a beautiful table, it is not necessary to invent something special. A service with unobtrusive cream painting and a bouquet of flowers standing on a white tablecloth are all that is needed for a small family dinner.

Turquoise wine glasses, napkins and tiny gift boxes are perfect for a celebration, and flowers that match the tablecloth will only cheer you up.

The layout of the fruits is very simple - you can just cut them into plates. However, you can create a whole installation, which will become a real decoration of the holiday.

And, of course, do not forget about alcohol. Buffet tables can be arranged in different order, forming different shapes. Glasses are placed on them by a snake, a glass Christmas tree or triangles. And the pyramid of wine glasses can make a splash.

A creative approach can be found to everything. Table etiquette is not so strict. You can arrange your own, unforgettable and unlike any other banquet.

You can learn about the correct layout of cutlery from the next video.