A video of an American woman trying to use her cutlery the “European way" is making the rounds on social media and sparking cultural debates about dining etiquette.
TikTok user Amy Gordy @amygordy1 posted a video of herself trying out the "continental" dining style while eating steak and a salad at a restaurant.
"I'm gonna try to not switch my silverware," she said. "It's challenging for us Americans."
Highlights
- Amy Gordy was roasted after she attempted to use cutlery the “European” way.
- The American mom struggled to eat her food without using the US cut-and-switch method.
- Her viral video sparked a global debate about dining etiquette, as people were surprised she found the European style “challenging."
"I don't even know how to do this," the mom admitted while holding her knife and fork in a way that looked natural to many viewers. "So I don't put this down, right?" she said, referring to her knife.
A video by American woman Amy Gordy attempting to eat "European" style has gone viral
Image credits: Valmedia/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
Amy asked whether people use their knives to "scoop things on the back of the fork" after they've cut their food.
The video amassed over 2 million views and over 7,000 comments, with people expressing disbelief as to why Amy was struggling to hold her cutlery.
"I'm confused, so how do Americans use cutlery?" commented one perplexed user.
Image credits: amygordy1
Someone from the States explained, "We use fork in right to eat.
Knife use with the right is only for cutting, then gets set down and fork goes back in right hand."
The mom struggled to eat without her familiar cut-and-switch method
Image credits: amygordy1
"Scottish here 🙋🏼♂️🏴 Absolutely baffled why you're struggling to use a knife and fork 😂" said someone else.
"I'm too German for this," said a third, while a fourth added, "This is a hard watch."
An additional viewer asked: "It's like it's your first day on Earth? I'm so confused why this is a thing."
"Guys relax. It's almost like different countries and cultures have different norms and standards of etiquette," someone else penned.
They added that changing any task involving fine motor skills can be confusing and feel "unnatural," as these skills are developed in childhood.
People in the US typically cut food with the knife in the right hand, then set the knife down and switch the fork to the right to eat
Image credits: D_S_Burchell
But there was another part of the video that surprised viewers in addition to Amy's eating habits.
Her husband, sitting across from her at the table, could be heard criticizing the "European" way of eating and telling her that holding cutlery while talking to someone is considered "rude" in the US.
Image credits: Ilmurosp
"Am I missing something??!?" one viewer asked. "Eating properly is rude in America?"
"How is it rude to hold the cutlery?" echoed someone else.
"It just is," an American viewer shared, defending the cut-and-switch method.
Image credits: amygordy1
"The same way it's offensive to stick chopsticks straight up in food in Japan. It's just etiquette."
Fork-switching is said to have its origins in 19th-century France, but it fell out of fashion there more than 150 years ago, as per The Guardian.
Amy's husband commented that holding cutlery while speaking is considered rude in the States
Cutlery gymnastics isn't the only food-related difference in etiquette between the US and Europe.
According to British etiquette coach William Hanson, there's also no consensus on where to place the spoon on a small plate when drinking a hot beverage.
"Did you know there is a British and an American way to place a teaspoon on a cup and saucer?" Hanson asked in a video.
Image credits: Calliope13
"The spoon in line with the handle is much more correct and British," he said. "It's what we see in Buckingham Palace.
"With the teaspoon facing you, at a slight unseemly angle, is much more American," Hanson explained, repositioning the spoon so its handle pointed towards him.
Amy said she found the “European” eating style “challenging”
Image credits: sianrodgers
These differences may be subtle, but in other countries, table manners can be much more pronounced.
For example, in Thailand, putting a fork directly in your mouth is considered tacky, especially in formal situations, Condé Nast Traveller notes. Forks are used only to transfer food to your spoon.
Image credits: triocean/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)
In Chile, touching food with your hands is considered rude, according to the travel magazine.
In the Middle East, India, and parts of Africa, the left hand is associated with washing up in the toilet, so they always eat with their right.
International dining customs vary widely—like not putting a fork in your mouth in Thailand or not eating with your left hand in India
Cutting your salad leaves with a knife is not that glamorous in France. Instead, the French fold the lettuce using their forks.
In South Korea, you have to respect your elders at the table. You can only eat after the eldest male has begun his meal. People also accept any drinks offered with both hands.
Viewers from around the world reacted with a mix of confusion and amusement
