Sometimes its easy to know when its appropriate to eat with our fingers but sometimes, with certain food, it may become a question of if its acceptable to eat with your fingers or use utensils. And not wanting to offend, we should know when its appropriate and when its not. Here are some tried and true rules to when to keep your fingers clean and when to get them dirty.
Pizza, Hamburger, Hot dog, French Fries and Sandwiches are the easy ones that everyone knows are OK to eat with your fingers.
Corn on the Cob – May be picked up and eaten. The approved method of doing so is to butter one or two rows at a time and to eat across the cob cleanly.
Hors d’Oeuvre’s – Almost everything that is served at a cocktail party or during a pre-meal cocktail hour is intended to be eaten with the fingers.
Caviar – The simplest way of tasting Caviar is to place a little on the back of the hand at the junction of the thumb and forefinger.
Small fruits and berries with stems – If you are served strawberries with the hulls on, cherries with stems, or grapes in bunches, then it is okay to eat them with your fingers. Otherwise, as with all berries, the utensil of choice is a spoon.
Artichoke – Its both proper and polite to pluck the leaves with your fingers, leaving fork and knife aside. Pull off a leaf, holding it by the pointed end. Put the other end in your mouth and pull it between your teeth, scraping the length of the leaf.
Asparagus – Asparagus may be eaten with the fingers as long as it is not covered with sauce or otherwise prepared so it is too mushy to pick up easily.