The observation of French women eating cupcakes with a spoon at Scarlett’s unleashed many a tale of other foods we (barbaric?) Americans normally eat with our hands given the civilized (or silly?) French treatment.
All of the following fell to the French fork and knife: pizza slices, hamburgers, mini-muffins, fruit, bagel and lox.
The Antiques Diva tweeted an example today that takes the cake, however.
Peanut Butter.
Yes. Apparently her French friend spooned peanut butter onto a plate (and not onto bread), then proceeded to eat it with a fork and knife.
Wow. Just wow.
I mean, sure, you can scoop peanut butter with a spoon. You may spread peanut butter with a knife.
But to eat just a mound of peanut butter with a fork and knife? Amazing.
Thanks everyone for your contributions!
I’m off to dinner tonight and will try to remember my table manners.
paris (im)perfect 
Was it for apero or for dessert?
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LOL.
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Wow, just wow.
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Indeed.
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Different manners…
between French and American…
just a tiny experience…
an average (very average) American, forty-year-old man, mixing some diet coke with an (always too) expensive Bordeaux…
French use cutlery in any circumstances because we do not have any culture of the snack. (and maybe because we know Germans can be back any time)
When that specimen from Texas saw my buggling eyes, his asked: “what?!”
I answered: “Nothing! Just waiting for the burp.”
Ah ! Diplomatie internationale quand tu nous tiens !
So long les amis.
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Wow. Well, I would *never* mix diet coke with wine. I’m not *quite* that bad! 🙂
But yes, definitely just a cultural thing this whole utensils issue. I just think it’s funny.
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Now I understand how I am supposed to eat jam at my in-laws! They only give us spoons for breakfast and it always puzzled me 🙂
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Ah-ha! Glad to help solve a mystery 🙂
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Huh? That makes absolutely no sense!
Although I am American, I am victim of the “When in Rome…” mentality. The day I visited Brussels (a day trip from Versailles where I was staying with a French friend for two weeks), I actually ate a slice of pizza with a knife and fork!
You could tell I wasn’t a native how I had to press down so hard on the knife just to slice through the pizza. Part of me wanted to throw down the cutlery and just have at it but then I didn’t want to automatically give myself away as a Yank. Let them think I was a Canadian… LOL… 😉
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Oh, I am totally a “When in Rome…” type of person, too. I *do* eat my burgers with knife and fork (when I’m in France, I mean), but the peanut butter, the cupcake? I just cannot go there. 🙂
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Oh my gosh, I burst out laughing when I read this! The thought is just hilarious.
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I know, right? I burst out laughing, too. That’s why I had to share!
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…… I once saw a French girl / lady at a sushi restro here in Paris trying to cut her piece of sushi with two chopsticks!!!!! Yea I know right???? HELLO…….
Has anyone ever read the art of eating sushi? It clearly states that sushi is to be ate with one’s hands….. It’s a fung thing.. you know, no wood can touch with something!
Anyway in the end her sushi ended on the floor, and me rolling my eyes… I mean come on….. EAT WITH YOUR HANDS it’s ok, and it even taste better….
Now we know why you can’t get good Mexican food in France… It’s mostly finger food!
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Hmm, yeah, chopsticks don’t actually work to cut sushi 🙂
And wow, that’s a brilliant deduction about the Mexican food. I MISS Mexican food SO MUCH. But you’re right! Would they cut nachos and guacomole? Tacos? At last I’ve found an answer for why there’s no Mexican food here! Thank you!
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I laughed too, Sion. Partly because when I was home, I began to eat my pizza with a knife and fork. My god, I’ve been tainted. But the truth is, I’ve never even seen a French person eat peanut butter. That in itself is amazing! Hope all is well and you’re surviving the winter.
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Yep! That takes the cake! That is hilarious and I would love to have seen it! Although, I don’t know whether to be more surprised that she used a fork and a knife, or that she even bothered eating peanut butter in the first place.
Great post!
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I’m shocked her friend even TRIED peanut butter! Usually mentioning the word garners grimaces 🙂 funny!
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Stephanie, Lindsey – it’s true! Most French people do not like peanut butter, so I guess it’s interesting that the friend tried peanut butter at all!
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Ick! It’s okay to dip a knife into the Skippy and finger the peanut butter from that. Or to scoop some Nutella with a spoon from the jar and eat a mouthful (or two or three) for dessert. But forking peanut butter? Come on!
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