How To Use Every Utensil | Method Mastery | Epicurious

[@darragoldstein8100]

Thank you all for so many enthusiastic comments! I can’t manage to respond to each of you individually, so I want to highlight a few things here. First, a big shoutout to the kitchen staff at Epicurious-they did an awesome job with the food! I don’t have the recipe for the cherry pie but sure wish I did. Next, you’re right that I discuss the specifically American style of eating. The fork was originally kept in the left hand, first for stabilizing the food while cutting with a knife and then for getting the food into the mouth. This “continental” style is how most Europeans eat. I agree that it’s the most economical way to use the fork, and the way I often use it myself. When the design of the fork changed in the 18th century-more tines were added, and they were spaced closer together, with an upward curve-so did its manner of use. The French developed the method of transferring the fork from the left hand to the right for putting food into the mouth. This so-called “transfer” method was eventually adopted in the US-probably for reasons of pretension-and in the early 20th century the famous arbiter of etiquette, Emily Post, named it the “zigzag” method. For better or worse, it’s what we Americans seem to be stuck with. It would be great to have an episode on non-western eating utensils. Even for the western ones, we couldn’t begin to cover all the specialized forks, knives, and spoons that exist. If you look at the late 19th-century silver catalogs produced during America’s Gilded Age, they list as many as 55 different spoons, 50 different forks, and 32 knives-and that doesn’t include serving pieces. It was totally out of control! I loved your lively defense of the spork and agree that it’s perfect for backpacking. I just find it a struggle to use at receptions when I’m trying to balance a wine glass and still get food easily into my mouth. On caviar: it does seem counterintuitive that caviar would be sold in tins, but they’re lined with an edible film that protects the roe from any contact with the metal. On the gendering of utensils: because of its rounded shape and the fact that it’s used to feed infants and invalids, the spoon is associated with nurturing, with the maternal and feminine. The French royal chapel at Chateau de St Germain-en-Laye has a wonderful 17th-century painting of the Virgin Mary feeding the infant Jesus from a spoon. The fork was initially considered effeminate because it was introduced from Italy, where it had been used by courtesans who were seen as effete. Its use implied homosexuality, notably in regard to Henri III of France, who was a big fan of the new implement. He was mocked in Thomas Artus’s 1605 novel The Isle of the Hermaphrodites. As for the Catholic church, in addition to St. Peter Damian railing against the use of the fork, St. Bonaventure in the 13th century similarly blamed the death of the Byzantine princess from plague on her use of the fork, considering it “a just punishment from God.” Resistance to the fork was later strong among Protestants, too. You can find the Latin citations for saints Peter Damian and Bonaventure in Carolin Young’s essay, “The Sexual Politics of Cutlery,” in Feeding Desire: Design and the Tools of the Table, 1500-2005 (Assouline, 2006). This is the gorgeously illustrated catalog for the exhibition of the same name that I helped curate at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian National Design Museum in 2005.

[@serendipity4346]

Have a wonderful day Darra! I loved that you enjoyed the food, you are such a graceful person!

[@darragoldstein8100]

@@serendipity4346 Thank you!

[@ericxutxxex]

Queen!

[@ericxutxxex]

We want more of this type of video.

[@Drastt]

You are amazing.

[@ramonasaroldi834]

The way she threw shade at sporks and announced she'd have to eat all the caviar herself after sticking her spoon in it XD Darra was living her best life during this shoot! Love these videos :)

[@radhiadeedou8286]

And she didn't even put the spoon in her mouth 😂

[@sarahmeacheam7517]

I'm jelly of her

[@scheru]

"I'm so sorry, I just can't be enthusiastic about sporks, I don't think they're very good-" "*GASP* WE ARE SHOOK." Heehee~

[@johntan4997]

I don't like sporks either, even as a baby

[@abirchunara7785]

she shaded it in lower case

[@69cheesyfries]

I like how she openly appreciates all the food that she likes, the food itself isn't highlighted in the video but I'm pretty sure whoever is preparing those meals is working really hard for a single shot etc. It's good to see she recognises the efforts

[@nojustno.91]

Right? Such a small detail but let’s us know so much about her and puts everything into perspective of how much collective work it takes to put these videos out there. Just great

[@juliabishop1408]

Exactly! I just found myself smiling as she was enjoying eating! ^_^

[@Azymites]

@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ nty

[@imthebossofme63]

And did you catch how she double dipped in the caviar? Brilliant!

[@tom_something]

I felt the same way. It was nice to see her enjoy the food so much and being so complimentary. I did get a kick out of the spork, because she didn't even taste the food, unlike most of the other items. As gracious as she was, she drew the line at the spork.

[@barryallen9669]

This is a very comprehensive video and it's really insightful. Not only she's giving us lessons about how to use utensils but she's also giving full lecture about food, table manner/etiquette, and on top of all that the history. She's such a wonderful and brilliant woman.

[@ArshedNabeel]

Alternative Title: How much of a peasant you are, explained in 22 minutes.

[@HermanVonPetri]

Or, how people with more money than sense can be persuaded to buy anything.

[@FoxFireNaruto]

@@HermanVonPetri Waiting till they do one on serving utensils. It gets wacky.

[@leevancliffneridacampo7769]

We need to learn proper etiquette!?

[@somethingsomething4393]

Don’t worry, her etiquette would make her the king’s food taster. They’re usually peasants too and that position is always open for any takers. It’s a matter of luck for how long you can do it. :)

[@audriellaaudrentia3598]

I feel very peasant 😂

[@yeowo]

This was so interesting!! Thought I'd do a brief dive into Japanese, Chinese, Korean chopsticks too here just for fun! The real complexity with East Asian cuisine comes with table manners and etiquette, but who doesn't love a good chopstick so I hope someone enjoys this as well :D Chinese - Thicker and longer than the others - Longer because in Chinese cuisine, it is etiquette to share food, so ppl sit around large round tables with large dishes placed in the middle, and a long chopstick makes it easier to get food further away from you and also to grab food for other people - A lot of Chinese food is also oily, so a longer chopstick just keeps the oil further away from your hands! - The backs are more squarish and the tips are roundish, which is meant to symbolise the traditional Chinese philosophy, yin yang, that had a saying like "The sky is round and the earth is square/stable" (tian yuan di fang), that talks abt how the vast universe moves endlessly like a circle, and the earth carries us with stability, like a stable square (common in Chinese culture to have a lot of things represent different traditional philosophies/sayings etc!) - A wider, flat end is also to enable a more convenient way of eating rice. Chinese dont often use spoons to eat rce, so they usually eat rice by bringing their bowl to their lips and pushing the rice into their mouth with chopsticks or picking up small portions with chopsticks (similar to how a spoon would work, so the thickness of the chopstick is helpful in this respect), unlike Koreans who do commonly use spoons with chopsticks! Japanese - Shortest and sharper/more pointed than the Chinese chopstick - Often made out of bamboo/wood to accommodate the abundance of forests and low production of metals back then in Japan - Sharper because main Japanese diet consists of seafood, so a sharper tip makes it easier to pick the small bones of fish out ans it's also a more delicate touch for fish meat! - Shorter because they traditionally eat "set meals" (teishoku), wherein everyone has their own portion, so there is no need for a longer chopstick to grab main dishes that are shared like Chinese cuisine Korean - Mostly made of metal, flat and thin, medium length - Made of metal because back then, Korean royals used silver to detect if there was any poison in the food! - Metal/stainless steel also ensures the cutlery doesn't get stained by pickled/marinated food that are very common in Korean sidedishes - Often paired with a long metal spoon as well (this set is called "sujeo") because it's common in Korean cuisine to have a lot of soup dishes that go well with rice, so the spoon is for soup and rice and chopsticks for everything else - Flat and thin because that way, it's easier to tear apart pickled cabbage (kimchi), a staple side dish in Korean cuisine, and easy to grab small things like pickled radish and such which is further because of the wide range of little side dishes in Korean cuisine!

[@anniestumpy9918]

Wow thank you, that's a really nice compacted piece of information! I noticed that there were different kinds of chopsticks but never really bothered to wonder about the backgrounds. Now I know! :)

[@Lysandra-8]

Thank you🤗

[@pedroLB30]

You deserve more likes! Those are actually interesting facts about eastern cuisine/etiquette 😯

[@gameguild2396]

Huh, as a korean I never really thought about the utensils I usebon a daily basis. This was all very eye opening.

[@kaytlinjustis5643]

Thank you for the effort for the history of one of my favorite eating utensils! ^^

[@shogun2215]

I had to laugh at the genuine reactions to the delicious food, brilliant

[@vermont741]

I know! Those were the gems in this vid. My fave was the soup spoon segment!

[@Goldi-Luc]

haha it was like she hadn't eaten decent food ever before

[@flowertrue]

I know, I was waiting for them every time. I imagine the Epicurus chefs were all watching and laughing as she tasted things expecting nothing special but getting delicious gourmet stuff.

[@sarahmeacheam7517]

I want to know what kind of soup that was and how to make it or where to get it

[@pingho8287]

@@sarahmeacheam7517 zoom on it, you can clearly see that its a lobster bisque. yum...

[@slate3013]

I just love it when she compliments the food and break character, i love her so much

[@crloscee]

never in my life did i think i would see someone dragging a spork to filth but im so glad she did. speak your mind queen!!

[@christinalipez6874]

SO TRUEEE

[@pikapi4455]

I love sporks 😢 it's the best utensil ever created

[@ilikeserenity5811]

@@pikapi4455 I love them too!

[@kaytlinjustis5643]

@@pikapi4455 True, until the plastic suddenly breaks when you try to get a specific bit! ^^;

[@Daeneiracorn]

​@@kaytlinjustis5643 petition for stainless steel sporks being a norm?

[@spacefalcon6900]

I have to admit that i watched this video right before I took my girlfriend and her parents to dinner in a fancy 5 star restaurant. This helped me so much, in fact it helped me impress my girlfriend's parents.

[@lazarus5595]

I have no use for this information, but will be watching every second of it.

[@ravenmiller3305]

And enjoying it

[@masmasmas9]

Never say that this is useless info. You'll never know when its aplied ^^

[@sworddomo1951]

If you ever go to a red lobster and they have the lobster fork, youll know.

[@mistermangoman69]

I mean you never know when you’ll have to go back to 18th century France and gather information from the bourgeois by attending dinner parties

[@jeweltorkelson]

666th like

[@anikaflauschi4459]

It's really interesting to see her change the fork to the right hand and rest the knife, because here in Europe/Germany it's different. We use the fork always in the left hand, the knife in the right hand, and we use both simultaneously

[@varoonnone7159]

The american way is tedious and surprisingly exceedingly "too refined"

[@annasolovyeva1013]

@@varoonnone7159 what is refined in being unable to handle the fork with your left hand? It comes from the fact americans don't normally eat with a fork and a knife on everyday basis, it's considered fancy, therefore their left hand isn't trained

[@annasolovyeva1013]

There are also many other differences. Like there's also a continental fish fork that has a wide side, but no dips, and is always served with a knife. And in Russia you typically see sturgeon caviar served with tiny (half the size of a teaspoon) normal-shaped silver spoons, not with the flat mother of pearl stuff.

[@varoonnone7159]

@@annasolovyeva1013 You clearly lack manners. Why are you unecessarily so rude? I meant the American style is tedious and usually when a style is too tedious, it's because people are looking for more refinement. I'm pretty sure Americans know how to handle a fork with a left hand. Do you still see them all as ruffians in a saloon?

[@annasolovyeva1013]

@@varoonnone7159Sorry, I wasn't going to be rude, I was just meaning to be direct (my language doesn't have English polite constructions and vice versa). I do not see Americans as ruffans at the saloon, but as people who mostly stick to eating fast-food such as pizza, burgers, nuggets and fries from an early age. You are supposed to eat it with hands. In the US they are considered the normal kids' menu as well. I saw jamie Oliver's documentaries - many kids don't know what carrots and tomatoes are. As a result, many Americans I saw on European resorts aren't trained to handle basic cutlery properly (neither European, nor the American way). On the opposite hand in many european countries including Russia it's forbidden to give children fast-food on a regular basis (in canteens), neither it's considered to be normal everyday choice. As a result, people normally use cutlery, and children are trained to use cutlery in a proper way starting at the age of five or six. A proper children's menu is a proper dinner minus fried (not even speaking of deep fried), spicy, hard and difficult to digest foods, and you're given a blunt table knife and a fork to eat it. Using cutlery with your left hand is a motor skill which is best developed while your brain and spine are still growing. If you write with the right hand and eat nuggets and fries - you have difficulty manipulating your left hand when grown up because the right part of your brain is underdeveloped.

[@fatemaflores8955]

love this so much. can we have a similar version for cups, plates and serving trays pleeeaaase?

[@kris_pang]

Agreeeee!

[@cazzabojangles]

yessss

[@_ranituran3161]

yes please!!!

[@cortesdomukaeditados9139]

HELL YEEEAH, YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH, YYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAH, CUPS!

[@caylatesner5739]

Who doesnt know what to use those for 🤣

[@Platypi007]

"Oh noooo, I've put my spoon in the caviar! Guess I'll have to eat it all!" She's so charming, I love it!

[@K_i_t_t_y84]

Haha! I'm so glad she got to enjoy all the delicious food with her presentation, that's so fun.

[@smallspace7]

Very well deserved indeed. I hope they gave her the time to finish all the things that she liked 😁

[@TastySchu4]

My mom used to teach us etiquette lessons all my childhood. This was very well done for those who do not know the differences 😊

[@PaolaBarrientos]

I work at a Montessori school and we use a blunt fruit knife, a demitasse spoon and a oyster fork to teach toddlers how to eat using silverware. it's too cute🥰.

[@aohoaam]

I used to think that I do not need to know all types of utensils as they only exist in high-class restaurant or rich family. But this video just drew my attention without any disruption for almost 22mins and I enjoyed it a lot! She presented everything in such an elegant way and I love that. After all, it is never useless to learn new things ^^. A great thank to the whole ekip!

[@kellynolen498]

it also helps to think about how you look when you eat you llok more refined if you look like you care when eating

[@Kateydid18]

my grandparents used parfait spoons to mix up the syrup and carbonated water in homemade sodas. They were always in tall glasses. My family owned a soda fountain from 1910-2015.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

It's probably worth mentioning the etymology of the word silverware has the root of silver. When rich people flexed with all their fancy forks and spoons and knives it wasn't just "Look how much etiquette and knowledge you need here," but also "Look at how much money I have". Silver is also fairly non-reactive so unlike modern nickel-plated silverware it didn't alter the taste of the food at all. Sometimes if you have very cheap silverware, you can taste the metallic nickel when you're eating.

[@antimatterg]

Can't people be allergic to nickel, this forcing to spend more money? Ah yes, another reason why capitalism is pretty bad.

[@sarahtan8045]

Cutlery, but most notably, chopsticks of members of royal families in asia also used to be made of pure silver because of the belief that it would react to poison on contact. Not that it stopped them from using food testers, of course.

[@KimJongUnGamingAndVlogging]

​@@antimatterg So you're going to create a conspiracy theory over spoons?

[@antimatterg]

@@KimJongUnGamingAndVlogging yeah I think so

[@cody7991]

THANK YOU, KIM JONG-UN ❤

[@smileawhile3788]

I'm just a few minutes in an am loving the history going along with the video! Love it! Thank you

[@americanenglishlearning]

This lady knows a lot about cutlery. I'm impressed there is too many of them haha. Amazing!

[@yay-cat]

I was very confused with the soup spoon as I had always been taught that they were round …. and then the bouillon spoon was revealed! Thank you!

[@kxyr28]

same here! i've always referred to the first soup spoon as a tablespoon. now i'm wondering what tablespoons actually are haha

[@yay-cat]

@@kxyr28mmmm my mom also used the word tablespoon. Like a bigger version of a dessert spoon? but at home we just used those for dishing up - though I presume that wasn’t their original purpose…

[@chaddaifouche536]

Well as she said, you (US/UK ?) currently call them tablespoons much more frequently than soup spoon. In France, they're still called the "Cuillère à soupe" though. Bouillon spoon (correct spelling) are much less frequently seen (though I've had the occasion to encounter some from time to time in really formal settings).

[@rachelsavard851]

It was the one thing new I learnt!! I though round was for creamy soups, but often find I switch out and use the dinner spoon or else that shorter round spoon would fall into the wide flat bowl. Obviously, that made her explaination of it being a boullion spoon for smaller higher bowls make immediate sense.

[@CrimeVid]

If you need a “steak” knife the steak is not fit to eat ! chop it up and stew it. Tablespoon ! Tablespoon ! we do not eat in a seventeenth century manner. The Spork is for camping/throwing away ! I still can’t get my head round the strange American “change hands” thing with your knife and fork.

[@kuro.hitsuji]

Omg she's so incredibly sweet! The way she kept praising the food, she's so adorable!

[@TheBakmoi]

This is an informative piece. Hope you guys can do a quick history explaining chopsticks next 👍👍

[@rufflesinc]

Uncle Roger: 21 utensils?? Only need chopstick! Everything else is useless!

[@luladrgn9155]

@@rufflesinc lmfao true

[@air_]

Some dudes in a forest found two sticks and ate their food with it.

[@m.bexzyy]

@@air_ &

[@izak5775]

@@rufflesinc what video is that from? thanks in advance

[@infallibleblue]

I love the history and educational part of this topic. Understanding how things came to be and why brings appreciation and insight. More of this please.

[@EVEspinosa79]

I love that she pretty much made a 20+ course degustation menu out of this vid.

[@mangocat1433]

i love how enthusiastic she is towards the history of kitchen utensils

[@willardroad]

One of the most useful videos on this subject I've ever seen, and I am old AF. As a kid, once in awhile due to my Dad's work we would go to formal dinners... and I was dazzled by the array of utensils. Later, in college, I worked as a water in a super-posh Chicago women's club, and had to learn ALL of these - we got tested on each! This brings back such memories!

[@Ninjaananas]

I love her caution to not putting utensils that were in her mouth into common plates or dishes. People often call me crazy for that but not doing this is nasty.

[@kenopsia9013]

do you have autism or something nobody cares about etiquette these days it’s so useless

[@kellynolen498]

yeah i will admit im less careful when eating at home with people i live in such close proximity to anyway but as soon as i moved out shields were up i also ragged on family for being so careful maskes sanitizer then just grab a cartful of stuff anyone could have touched at the store and eat the fruits without cleaning them

[@Ninjaananas]

@@karenbertke3149 Yeah, these are all things I pay attention to. It is much more enjoyable to know that your food is clean.

[@Closer2Zero]

I can very much appreciate how this was very much about the history of the implements, rather than about the prim and proper usage of every style of utensil you can think of in a modern day bougie dinner

[@nishilee3029]

Every country has their own eating style and table manner and that present how much delicate person you are ... I really want to learn those all table manner .... thank you so much for making such a useful video

[@jollyrogerud]

In Europe (or at least in Italy) is considered unpolite to leave the knife onto the plate and swap the fork from left hand to right hand after every cut.

[@mccorama]

Definitely the same in the UK

[@dukeofwyoming]

It used to be the opposite I believe where people from the US would leave utensils in the hands they were in when cutting and at some point it switched and a spy had their cover blown because of it!

[@trudbenik]

Same in Serbia. You cut with knife in right hand, and eat with fork in left hand.

[@davonc1391]

Yea, i thought so too. Was kinda odd to see for me, because I'm not used to it. Interessting though that even between America and Europe there are still some differences in Eating Culture.

[@peadar-o]

I know. US way is a little odd, or some might say ‘wrong’. I was also taught to keep the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand.

[@CarloFernando-j7q]

Loved this! Loved Darra's candor, charisma and gracefulness! Hope to see more of her! :)

[@Michaelflexin]

Sporks aren’t “good” for anything but they are decent for everything.

[@cazzabojangles]

sporks are what you chuck in the bottom of your bag in case you get pasta or something from Tesco and forget to get a fork

[@indiragajah]

I might steal this line for my CV.

[@benjiusofficial]

@@cazzabojangles But you remembered the spork so it's equally likely you would remember a fork & spoon should such an occasion arise. Similarly, OP, why surround yourself with decent things when you can have exemplary things? Why choose decent?

[@cazzabojangles]

@@benjiusofficial Ah, but you own the spork so that you can keep it in your bag, your fork and knife would normally stay at home

[@aruemon78]

I don’t know, the sporks with the longer tines are, in my opinion, the best utensil. Sure, they shouldn’t be used for a ‘fancy gathering’, but they’re nice and functional.

[@gabriel-]

I enjoyed so much seeing her eating her food with such gratitude and pleasure, it is just so good watch a person enjoy a good meal. Makes me wanna eat something nice too.

[@indocookingvids]

East Asians be like: A pair of chopsticks is enough. Other Asians be like: Your washed and cleaned right hand is enough.

[@cristsan4171]

Normal people: mouth

[@JameyJoeshuaOfficial]

based

[@mustikadarmawan4365]

@@cristsan4171 cat : "bro? What? People?"

[@annasolovyeva1013]

South-east Asians use spoons and knives as well, and DIFFERENT kinds of chopsticks. At south-west asian traditional table you often have knives.

[@chazzychanz]

Spoons

[@klausoshaunacey8429]

I think Dara is my new favorite person! I could listen to her give an entire history lecture on the forms and shapes that silverware have taken over the span of history

[@daltigoth3970]

The spork is useful only as a multi-purpose utensil in very specific circumstances. Backpacking, for example - most backpackers want to minimize their load as much as they reasonably can. One way they can do that is by carrying multi-purpose tools that are useful to them and weigh less than the individual tools they replace. A spork replaces the need for having separate fork and spoon, even if it is a less efficient version of both. The weight of a single spoon/fork isn't much on its own, but when you are carrying 50 different little things like that in your backpack, it adds up fast. If you can cut that down to 15 different little things that have multiple uses, that is a lot of saved weight and space.

[@mzaite]

I mean, when the weight of three utensils puts you over the edge, you may just need to consider a slightly better shoe insole.

[@daltigoth3970]

@@mzaite Its not just the weight of 3 utensils. Its the weight AND the space they take up in the bag. That's why you also carry a knife with a rope inside the handle and a serrated edge on the back, rather than a knife with a solid handle and saw and a separate rope. The weight of the separate items doesn't add up to much, but they take up space AND all of the extra weight combined can add up to a lot. You have 80 - 100 pounds of gear, which can easily be 20 pounds more if you don't use multi-purpose tools to cut down the weight and you would possibly have to sacrifice having some gear since you won't have enough space to carry everything. You think a "slightly better shoe insole" is going to help with that? It isn't a question of how much weight/space the 3 utensils take versus the one, its the question of what do you NEED to have. Do you need a fork, knife and spoon if you have a single utensil that can perform the function of all 3? The answer is no, so you take the spork. Its less convenient to eat with, but it gets the job done. You do the same with ALL of your gear.

[@jantralee5800]

Sporks have no taste and refinement. Only crude and cheap people use them.

[@xander0901]

The idea of a spork being useful for backpacking is somewhat of a joke because the weight is truly negligible. Also, if you are camping in such a way that minimizing weight matters, you should also be meal planning appropriately. If your meal plan requires the use of a fork/spoon hybrid, perhaps you should reconsider your meal plan or just accept that having an extra gram is okay.

[@annasolovyeva1013]

@@xander0901 yes. Why don't you even need a FORK while backpacking (and weight matters)? In my country, a traditional backpacker's personal kit is a cup, a spoon, a bowl and a knife, and everything except the knife is aluminium. You eat something boiled in the pot typically, so it's fine with a spoon. A knife is a useful tool while backpacking (cut ropes/pick mushrooms/whatever), it's normally either something small like a Finnish pukko, or a decent foldable knife.

[@feelzyfeelz]

I vote for more hosts enjoying themselves during these segments, please!

[@Nurse_Lucy]

She's adorable. I love that she's also enjoying herself and all the fancy foods

[@rochelle9562]

I loved everything about this video-especially her musings about the value of the utensils and the surprise she showed when she tasted something she liked!! I must have the pork chop recipe. Kudos also to the photographer.

[@nicholashandley4456]

I agree with her about the spork at the table; kind of mostly a weird spoon and generally useless. BUT I've noticed it's utility as a camping utensil/trend (time will tell) often including the original one serrated edge design. It CAN come in handy, more so than regular spoon shapes, for camp foods that may be cooked in pots or dutch ovens, eaten in bowls, and can be thick, robust, and/or often scoopable in a way that the tines at the end can grab in and deliver a good mouthful. The problem is that these are still usually plastic and not often rigid enough for the knife edge to be very effective, except for maybe a crusted dessert made in camp. I wonder if a still rounded METAL (it was interesting to see the metal spork she was given, I'd never seen one and it kind of spurred me on to consider this comment) design with a deeper side bowl to eat from and slightly deeper tines to use with a gently serrated edge might actually be a solid camping/survival utensil for all sorts of more rustic cooking. Though, of course, that is where it would be used best rather than the general everyday or fine table.

[@jantralee5800]

Thank god I don’t go camping.

[@miloxxxyloto]

A must watch for those who want to learn about table setting. Very informative. Well presented! Thank you Ms. Darra! ❤️

[@theabadabam]

I love these types of videos. I would really appreciate one about chopstick edict and rules. There are so many cultures with it, it would be great to learn. Not enough here on KZbin.

[@Short_Kitty]

Her reactions to the food gave me life!!

[@nooperspism]

Same! The soup reaction had me reeling. “I’m sorry. I can’t resist.” Love that.

[@ryuugureen4969]

Regarding the western focus you mentioned at first. I was watching a local etiquette show once, and one of the things she said that struck me was "when in western countries, don't use the spoon to scoop, use the fork". Things like rice, peas, etc.. are often eaten with a spoon here. The fork is only used for things that need to be picked up, like meats, fish, etc. Maybe it's just because I'm used to it, but I find using the spoon much more practical, as you don't really need to use both a fork and knife to scoop up some foods.

[@iamscoliosisgirl]

agree, things fall through when using forks for scooping

[@Pommezul]

I agree but maybe because I am too used but eating meals I usually eat using a fork with a spoon makes it look quite childish

[@nim205]

Very interesting and well presented! We have plenty of grapefruit spoons. They didn't start life as such, but the sink waste disposer took care of that.

[@yachishairclips2250]

Wow!! I never knew table utensils have a lot of history behind it!!! Thank you 😊

[@user-sd1bm6hs2n]

Funny thing is as because I'm from subcontinent I've never used fork of knife in any restaurants, parties, homes, yet I'm hooked in this content.

[@flowertrue]

Next time I get invited for meat, fish and fruit at the governor's ball, I'll be ready! Everyone will be like, that gurl is just some nobody but damned if she didn't know how to use an oyster fork like a boss.

[@cookiekunty]

This women is a delight to listen to! ✨

[@Sparky-uj2hp]

Would love to see more international utensils shown and explained. Very informative!

[@mariaclaramonachesi9726]

i had a lot more fun than i thought i would. love her enthusiasm and the way she explained everything

[@woldewhosonolden]

Great! She's lovely. Now can you do non-western utensils? Different kinds of chopsticks, Chinese soup spoon, Korean spoon, etc

[@nooperspism]

Yes!!!! So many forks and all I could think was “chopsticks could do that”. lol

[@Ninjaananas]

@@nooperspism Chopsticks cannot scoop or cut.

[@nooperspism]

@@Ninjaananas you’re not trying hard enough

[@kelanahalim3226]

I’m from Indonesia… it’s either hands or just one spoon for everything 😂😂😂

[@vishwajith5229]

@@kelanahalim3226 same here in India although we do use forks and spoons (interchangeable) to eat noodles lol

[@peeuio357]

Epicurious really out there buying top notch food for a utensils instructions video

[@osver36]

Sporks are good for camping, when you don't want to pack more utensils, especially if they have the serrated cutting edge on one side.

[@siarhian10]

she's someone who cares about etiquette, which is why she hates sporks so much but is totally raving about caviar spoons. I would hate to eat with her

[@harrypimentel2247]

She has a Toak. Toaks have the right size tine to spear food and the bowl is deep enough to eat soup efficiently. Its a very good all-in-one utensil. I doubt she even used it. The right spork could replace everyone of those other spoons except the straw one.

[@etf42]

its not a spork, its a f'poon

[@etf42]

its not a spork, its a f'poon

[@chaddaifouche536]

@@siarhian10 She didn't critique the etiquette (which she knows but doesn't always follow or like, given her remarks) of the spork, she just said that in practice it's an inferior fork and an inferior spoon combined… Seems pretty fair to me, I dislike sporks very much, though I understand that in a setting where you must minimize weight and encumbrance it has its pluses. I just think it shouldn't ever be used outside of those cases.

[@brianartillery]

Brilliant video! Thank you! I was brought up in the 1960's, and table manners were instilled at an early age. The only two items I've never encountered, were the caviar spoon, and the straw spoon. When I was five, as a birthday treat, a rich uncle took my mum, my gran, and myself, to afternoon tea at the Savoy hotel in London. I was complimented on my table manners. I fear I might have lapsed somewhat, in the 54 years following that!

[@kris_pang]

Love this! Been interested in table manner for the longest time.

[@inisipisTV]

I like it that she actually use and demonstrate the utensils and eat and enjoy the food too.

[@TMIvey-gk4mw]

Sporks are handy for scoops of ice cream served in a bowl, specifically where the ice cream is still very hard/frozen solid. It helps you get a footing to crack the sphere without it slipping out of the bowl.

[@jessicaroseelizabethp.7911]

I feel ya there ... I am such a slow eater that it melts enough for me that I would likely still want a spoon too- I think sporks also work pretty well for baked macaroni and cheese with a large amount of harder melted then crispened cheese- casserole- style?

[@12345678abracadabra]

Yeah... Ice cream that hard isn't worth eating 🤣

[@alorockss]

There's actually an ice cream spoon that has a square shape at the end, kind of looks like a square shovel. That way, you can dig into hard ice cream without much effort.

[@giovil]

Darra is the best! I enjoyed every bit of her praise for the food she tasted.

[@DanteYewToob]

I don’t care what anyone says, sporks are my favorite utensil. Some foods are just spork foods, like chunky stews, rice dishes with chunks, chili… anything that involves scooping with occasional stabbing or cutting.. I keep a few plastic sporks around that I wash and reuse because they’re the perfect shape, and I have a few metal ones I made myself from spoons.. lol (not like crappy ones… I have a knife making workshop, they actually look really nice. I just don’t like the shape so I use the plastic ones.) I don’t know why people don’t like sporks, but I’ll defend them forever. They’re awesome for tons of meals I love to eat like pot roast I had yesterday and a few days before that I had salmon and rice and I enjoyed those meals with my favorite spork hahaha

[@DangerSquiggles]

I love how you apparently find more joy in this one utensil than the presenter displayed in the entire video.

[@etf42]

its not a spork, its a f'poon

[@ytuseracct]

They're economical and use less waste in fast food settings, so I think they're as useful as the others. Not fine dining sure, but they're okay.

[@pikapi4455]

sporks are the best, it's hard to find a good spork tho, tines long enough to spear but not too long like a fork, spoon deep but not too large, handle must be broad to not hurt the hand

[@devereuxxo]

LOVE her and this video. Great presenter who you can tell is having a great time.

[@SnowWhitejolee]

I enjoyed the history lesson and how she just had to compliment the food cause it was so good. That was super cute. Can't wait to see her again

[@calvinchandra5759]

this is the most useful video EVER!!! For 9 years i dont know how to use the spoon until NOW!!! i would paypal you 5 cents real!!!

[@iamsam8446]

Although some may consider this an effete topic, I thought the presenter did a good job in decribing the origins and showed she really enjoyed the food she was sampling.

[@sarahcastellanos652]

finally someone who appreciates and shows to enjoy the food just as much as I would like to😫

[@jshu-_-]

The best part of this is her being surprised by how good the food is

[@sonalsonawane9816]

She is amazing. I loved how she nicely explain all utensils .

[@douglasmijangos3327]

I love how she enjoys the food 😂❤️

[@jadenephrite]

Regarding 14:58, Mother of Pearl is composed of Nacre which is calcium carbonate. Calcium Carbonate can be damaged by exposure to acids such as found in lemons, oranges, lime, grapefruit, tomatoes or vinegar, etc. Regarding 18:04, the Spork has been improved with the design of the Splayd which has longer fork tines and a tapered side edge suitable for cutting soft foods.

[@popokatepetul]

at home we had big soup spoons with sharp front edge (facing kind of little diagonal upwards) , we used it to eat stew and cut the meat inside in smaller easy to eat pieces ☺️ never seen anything like that on tv

[@makarand1985]

Great Great Video Thanks Epicurious and Darra Goldstein !!! lots of love and respect from India !!!

[@BunnyFett]

This was a great video, and I really enjoyed the presenter's personality and demeanor.

[@frithkennedy5923]

Nooooo! The Splayd (the Aussie version of a spork) was a much-loved utensil - popular as a wedding gift between the end of WWII and the '70s. I adore them and will use them in preference to most other tools.

[@EmL-kg5gn]

Yes I always associate them with birthday cake!

[@TheTobeyLP]

Love the way she enjoyed the food! Very relatable Lol

[@orleansartist6095]

I wonder if Epicuruous staff have ever heard of a cake that is made with diced apples, which are combined with a spoon of sugar and left to brown purposely for about an hour? Then a spoon of flour is added which makes them more pleasant in a cake, they bind into the batter. Also I believe coconut is added, and some nuts like chopped pecans. Make praline and pour the hot praline over the cake sealing it. It stays moist. The praline is firm but not like a brick. It is so very distinctive. I believe German in origin. Reminiscent of a carrot cake in consistency and flavor. With tiny bits of lovely apple to the moist cake. I have found a similar cake called "Apple dabble", but nowhere can I find a cake using apples left to oxidize into his way. It slightly colors the batter, and for some reason, makes the cake better. My Grandmother made it. She was Irish. Her name was Pearl Arabel.

[@Gluttonysan]

This was so good!! Informative and hilarious (especially with the food reactions). Though I must say the thought of having to switch hands with the fork everytime you cut and eat something seems exhausting to me!!

[@dianahellman9254]

This was really fascinating, and I loved Darra's explanations and frankness. I'd be interested in more like this, please!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

“After cutting, set the knife down and switch the fork to your right hand to eat” Me, a lefty: *has an existential crisis* Plot Twist: She's not really a utensil expert she just wanted a free meal 😂But all jokes aside, Darra is a delightful presenter! I learned so much about culinary history. I also enjoyed her simple pleasure in tasting good food. She's talking about table utensils etiquette, but I love that she said fingers are the best utensils of all. Food is better appreciated when you feel its texture.

[@kartikamarjeet2082]

This Lady made me watch the whole video! Loved her reactions for the food.

[@OverlordMaggie]

I was surprised to see the grapefruit spoon and the fruit knife, but I had seen something else growing up. It was more like a very thin-bladed knife with serrated sides and it was bent to run along the inside of the wedge and to separate out the fruit. I assume it's not as common as the grapefruit spoon, but I find it much easier to use!

[@emilyhunter666]

My parents had a grapefruit knife, I remember it well because it always seemed to get in the way in the drawer. I don't know what happened to it, it wasn't in the drawer the last time I visited them.

[@OverlordMaggie]

@@emilyhunter666 Ah! We actually had a pair of cutlery drawers so thankfully our 'weird cutlery' spot had plenty of room.

[@northascrowsfly]

Earlier this year (2022), I bought a package of plastic spoons just to have on hand if needed. The first time that I used one, I discovered that the curvature from side to side was so deep that my upper lip could pull only about 3/4 of the food off, and even that was very awkward. You would have to hold these upside down and use your tongue to scoop off the food. 😄 I never imagined a manufacturer could mess up a plastic spoon!

[@mangilitking4572]

Came for the tutorial stayed for the food reactions, amazing!!!

[@margmgallo8836]

I absolutely loved this video!!! You brought humor to a topic that some might consider boring, but not me!!! I love learning the history and purpose behind utilitarian objects we use everyday and take for granted. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us.

[@hongkongfueynz3071]

If I ever turned up for dinner and was confronted with all these utensils, I’d probably just turn around and go straight home 😂

[@countesselizabeth]

I love this lady so much!

[@ratiuvictor9533]

I agree the spork is such a meme concept. It's so unpractical and it looks really cheap. I would be amazed if I saw a spork at an event other than a kindergarten party.

[@hoeseidon]

the hair, the dress, the expertise, she’s so elegant

[@giovannibonfiglio9243]

It’s crazy to me to think about how offensive a lot of the etiquette in this video is for a Brit. It’s so interesting to observe the differences in cultural norms!

[@onstlati287]

We talking about cutting with the knife and then putting it down and eating with the fork?

[@giovannibonfiglio9243]

@@onstlati287 Also the idea of ‘scooping’ with a fork is a big no, you put food on the straight side, not the curved side.

[@insertname7325]

@@giovannibonfiglio9243 Honestly? Most Brits would not care in the slightest.

[@kamikamkamm]

@@insertname7325 Can confirm! I’m too busy shovelling food into my mouth to care about what others are doing with their utensils

[@rinsolaris2284]

She's using American style. There's 2 styles of using silverware in the West: American and European/Continental. The American style is commonly used in North America, Latin America, and former US colonies/territories.

[@Euoie]

I learned something today... Thank you... 😊😊😊

[@emilykreouzi1340]

The info on the utensils is nice and all, but I want the links to these amazing recipes. She sells them so well

[@thesparks00]

Who's cooking tasty and beautiful dishes?! I'm hungry! I wish I could eat it as she does 😭

[@fuge74]

So I love that she has gone through and stated the history of each style of fork, but as a modern consumer I use the salad for for the double duty of a pastry fork, a salad fork, and a fish fork because of the particular fork I own which is very scoop like at the base and ends in thinner tines. we also have a dinner fork which we mostly use for meats or anything else you normally need to spear to hold still. we don't serve lobster in the way that requires a special fork or eat with our hands. we do not eat oyster, but instead use our hands if needed. we have two knives and then culinary blades. stake and table we use them for either or. we have a "serving spoon", a "table spoon", and a "fruit spoon," I actually use the grape fruit spoon or "fruit spoon" as I call it as a general purpose fruit spoon in dealing with melons, squash, and bowling out bread. the only reason I use a spork is for survival, there are some survival dishes that the spork is useful in eating as it is a wet sold that needs spearing and scooping, very much the consistence of those beans. I have also seen longer tine sporks used for salads, and pre-packaged meals. the other place they seem useful are chopped salads with re-fried beans. we have a mixed parfait we call a "mixing spoon" or "tea spoon" because we often use them for mixing and stirring, but also milkshakes when we make them. this kind of spoon is commonly found at diary queens and though wee keep nicer models. so if this lets you know how utensils have evolved. I love the history, I know there are some dishes that you need special utensils, and they will always be around.

[@kjm4939]

I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation! Thank you!

[@TheGlamorousLifeofNae]

This was so fun to watch!! So informative and I love her depth of knowledge. 😃🥰💖

[@mindlessky545]

Step by step eating tutorials literally saved my life like I forgot how to eat but these videos saved me

[@TheCat4791]

I appreciate this video so much. Maybe I will never use all those utencils but who knows... I like the idea to feel not hopless in case I have to use them 😊

[@infallibleblue]

That’s why these history and educational videos are helpful. You never know when you need it but it’s great should you need to

[@SumitYadav-xm5dy]

*have three assignments due in 2 hours but here i am watching this lady drag spork through the filth, I love it*