Would you know what to do with ten pieces of cutlery up to table? Whilst it is common in certain cultures to eat with one’s fingers or chopsticks, in France, using cutlery is such an important part of daily life, that they exist for every occasion and every sort of dish.

Soup, dessert or coffee spoon? Bread, fish, meat or cheese knife? And we haven’t even started with the forks! The French meal can become a real headache!

But don’t be afraid. In general, all these varieties of cutlery are rarely used in everyday life. They are kept for festive meals or chic cocktails parties.

If you find yourself in this situation one day, use those that are furthest from the plate for the first dish and so on until you get to those close to your plate. And if you have a doubt, copy your neighbouring diner.

Furthermore, in certain cultures, it is custom to leave a little food in your plate: it is a way of saying that the person hosting you has been generous and that you are no longer hungry. In France, it is rather the opposite: people finish their plates to show that they have appreciated the meal that was served. 

Did you know?
In France, when someone buys you a knife as a present, the tradition is that you give the person a coin. Through fear that the knife “cuts the friendship”, people give coins in exchange in order to show that the friendship is well and truly preserved.