What is the correct way to put food in your mouth using a fork, prongs up or prongs down? Now I see both.?

Question

I was tought growing up to put food in your mouth using a fork with the prongs down shifting the fork from your left hand to your right after cutting your meat. Now I see R. Ray from T-V and others in dinning rooms using their right hand to hold their food while cutting and putting food in their mouth with the prongs down. Are both correct?

When I was growing up I was tought to cut food using my fork in my left hand to hold the item and a knife in my right, then shifting the fork to my right hand and placing the food in my mouth with the prongs up. Now I see R. Ray from T-V and other food shows using the fork with the right hand only and placing the food in the mouth with the prongs down. Which is correct or are they both acceptable?

Answer 1

Chunck of meat: prongs down
Spaghetti or something else: prongs up
Changing hands: still valid. R. Ray is not your role model.

Answer 2

It's less a matter of "right" and "wrong" and more a matter of culture--the way you were taught is typical of the way that many Americans use utensils, while the prongs-down (and not switching hands) is more "European" somehow. Many people, therefore, see the latter as more refined. I was taught (American parents, by the way) to use a fork tines up, but never to switch hands.

Answer 3

There are two distinct styles, both of which are considered proper:

There are two ways to use a knife and fork to cut and eat your food. They are the American style and the European or Continental style. Either style is considered appropriate. In the American style, one cuts the food by holding the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand with the fork tines piercing the food to secure it on the plate. Cut a few bite-size pieces of food, then lay your knife across the top edge of your plate with the sharp edge of the blade facing in. Change your fork from your left to your right hand to eat, fork tines facing up. (If you are left-handed, keep your fork in your left hand, tines facing up.) The European or Continental style is the same as the American style in that you cut your meat by holding your knife in your right hand while securing your food with your fork in your left hand. The difference is your fork remains in your left hand, tines facing down, and the knife in your right hand. Simply eat the cut pieces of food by picking them up with your fork still in your left hand.

Polly

Answer 4

For biting meat, prongs down is best, for everything else, prongs up.

Answer 5

prongs down for most stuff

Answer 6

prongs up

Answer 7

I eat with my fingers
what is a fork anyway?

eat fried chicken with your fingers then you fix your hair! forget gel!
fried chicken will do it!