AY Honors/Flower Culture/Requirements

Utensils

• Do not eat food with your fingers unless you are eating foods customarily eaten with fingers, such as bread, French fries, chicken wings, pizza, etc. At more formal occasions, it is acceptable to eat asparagus or some romaine lettuce dishes with ones hands. However, as this is an obscure etiquette rule, in more casual settings, it is customary to use utensils.
• The fork may be used either in the American (use the fork in your left hand while cutting; switch to right hand to pick up and eat a piece) or the Continental (fork remains in the left hand) fashion -- either is now acceptable.
• The fork is used to convey any solid food to the mouth.
• The knife blade should be placed on the edge of your plate when not in use. The blade should always face inward.
• When you have finished eating soup, the spoon should be placed to the side of the saucer, not left in the bowl.
• Keep your napkin on your lap. At more formal occasions all diners will wait to place their napkins on their laps until the host or hostess places his or her napkin on his or her lap.
• When eating barbecue or some other messy foods, a 'bib' napkin may be provided for and used by adults. Usually these foods are also eaten by hand, and wet wipes or paper napkins should be used to clean the hands.
• When using paper napkins, never ball them up or allow stains to show.
• Use your silverware from the outside moving inward toward the main plate. (Salad fork, knife and soup spoon are further from the main plate than the main course knife, fork and spoon. Dessert utensils are either placed above the main plate or served with dessert.)