Fork & Spoon

[ercorn]

Hi All

I have been having a discussion with my wife about why Thai`s eat with a fork and spoon I realise that chop sticks

are still used but isn`t this generally in the Thai-Chinese population?Anyway in China,Taiwan,Hong Kong & Veitnam

the majority use chop sticks ,Indonesia they mostly use their hands when eating though chopsticks are used by the

more educated.Korea also chopsticks.Malaysia I dont know as I`ve never been there but I guess it would be similar to

Indonesia.

Just wondering why out of all the asian countries in the area Thailand adopted using fork and spoon more so than

chopsticks.

regrds ercorn

[lazeeboy]

Hi All

I have been having a discussion with my wife about why Thai`s eat with a fork and spoon I realise that chop sticks

are still used but isn`t this generally in the Thai-Chinese population?Anyway in China,Taiwan,Hong Kong & Veitnam

the majority use chop sticks ,Indonesia they mostly use their hands when eating though chopsticks are used by the

more educated.Korea also chopsticks.Malaysia I dont know as I`ve never been there but I guess it would be similar to

Indonesia.

Just wondering why out of all the asian countries in the area Thailand adopted using fork and spoon more so than

chopsticks.

regrds ercorn

thai's are lazy people so less time eating (more food on a spoon) more time sleeping .

[donna]

King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) is largely credited with modernising Thailand in the latter half of the nineteenth century; he was educated by the an Englishwoman, courted Western diplomates and leaders and travelled abroad. One morning he ordered his kitchen to cook a multi-course Western meal and invited the British consul over, sat him down and asked him to 'eat as they do in Europe' so that he could observe their table 'skills'. After everything was done, the King decided he had no use for a knife when eating Thai food (for it was all already chopped up), but found the fork and spoon handy and so begun the use of cutlery in Thailand. Nowadays everyone uses the fork to push the food onto the spoon (in your right hand), which then goes in your mouth. The fork, however, never does.

So, when do you get to use chopsticks? Well, these are a Chinese import, so they are only used to eat noodles (and Chinese food of course), which can be tricky seeing as soft dripping noodles aren't the easiest things to grasp between two sticks; luckily they give you a small spoon to help.

Taken from 1stopchiangmai.com

[ercorn]

Question answered.

Thank-you

[lopburi3]

In Thailand you almost always have the choice. I will normally use (Thai style) fork/spoon for most rice based eating but chopsticks for noodles (have never had success eating noodles/pasta from a spoon). If chopsticks are not available for a dry noodle dish will often go Western and use fork to eat with and spoon to twist in. But there are times when I will eat my fried rice with chopsticks also. Being a foreigner we are free to do as we like.

The only time I have seen extreme rules was in China at The Beijing Hotel about 30 years ago where there was one side of dining room set up for western food and the other side Chinese. You did not cross order or use eating utensils from the other side; and they were very serious about that. In Thailand have never had any suggestion that whatever you like is wrong. Obviously those that are not practiced with chopsticks would be much better off sticking to what they know in most cases (or if they are hungry).

[cdnvic]

I prefer chopsticks for most Thai food, though I rarely get to finish my soup.

[colino]

Where are all the knifes??????

[phibunmike]

Where are all the knifes??????

Only used in the kitchen. And forks only as pushers, not for the mouth.

[lamphun]

Hands are still very popular, especially when eating sticky rice.

[toptuan]

Where are all the knifes??????

Only on the chef's cutting board, Colino. And it's not the butter-knives you'll find there, either.

As mentioned earlier, most Thai food is cut up into bite-sized pieces anyway. For some things that are not (jumbo shrimp, the occasional large piece of veggie, etc.) it's not impolite to pick up the larger object with your chopsticks or fork, and bite-off a chewable-sized chunk to eat in installments. Especially with something like large shrimp, you might get lucky and look around to see your Thai table-mates are using their hands for such a delicacy.

[kmart]

Where are all the knifes??????

Between your shoulder blades.

I have never really mastered chopsticks. Last time I went to one of those Korean style "all you can eat" restaurants, I had more food down my shirt than my gullet. I had to pay the extra 100 baht.

[glaitong]

Traditionally Thais used their hands and mashed rice together with meats and vegetables. It is still a common way to eat with most N and NE Thais and older generations.

Sticky rice is also a common staple used to clinch food and eat without the assistance of an instrument.

[November Rain]

Couldn't it have something to do with the sauces, as well? Many of the curried dishes are done in a very thin sauce, like soup. Far easier to use a spoon than chopsticks to pick up the sauce laden rice. Just my take on it...

[uptou]

ive started to like using chopsticks for noodles,som tam,korean bbq,etc,as i tend to shovel my food down rather quickly with a fork & spoon.i seem to taste the food more with chopsticks,possibly because it takes more of a conscious effort to pick it up. somebody told me that eating with chopsticks was a good way to lose weight because it takes twice as long to eat the meal.

[ProThaiExpat]

Grew up with Japanese chopsticks, O-Hashi, which are pointed and much prefer them over square ended Chinese Chopsticks.

When I first came to Thailand, I always ordered my rice in a rice bowl, as eating rice off of a plate with any form of chopstick is problematic.

With time I have drifted off to eating rice dishes off of a plate with a very long handled spoon as Thai rice is not sticky like Japanese rice, except for sticky rice eaten with your fingers, and most dishes have sauces not captured with chopsticks.

Perhaps I am "going native", wouldn't that be a laugh!!

[meadish_sweetball]

King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) is largely credited with modernising Thailand in the latter half of the nineteenth century; he was educated by the an Englishwoman, courted Western diplomates and leaders and travelled abroad. One morning he ordered his kitchen to cook a multi-course Western meal and invited the British consul over, sat him down and asked him to 'eat as they do in Europe' so that he could observe their table 'skills'. After everything was done, the King decided he had no use for a knife when eating Thai food (for it was all already chopped up), but found the fork and spoon handy and so begun the use of cutlery in Thailand. Nowadays everyone uses the fork to push the food onto the spoon (in your right hand), which then goes in your mouth. The fork, however, never does.

So, when do you get to use chopsticks? Well, these are a Chinese import, so they are only used to eat noodles (and Chinese food of course), which can be tricky seeing as soft dripping noodles aren't the easiest things to grasp between two sticks; luckily they give you a small spoon to help.

Taken from 1stopchiangmai.com

This story (although common belief) has no factual basis. The real reason they use the fork and spoon was because of an American visitor to the country, not British Diplomats. The practice of using both the fork and spoon was picked up by accident and was not intentional. Although it did become popular during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, it is not surprising he is accredited with it's invention (however debatable that may be) due to his popularity and status among Thais.

The real reason knives are not used is they were a symbol of battle.

Interesting claims. Have you got any supporting evidence for your version?

[technocracy]

Well from my view over here in Laos all of my wifes family in general will eat with there hands be it sticky rice or normal rice. The fork and spoons are standard fare here also so I kind of think this must of been copied from Thailand for restaurants etc. as a 19th century Thai king wouldn't of had any influence here of how people eat.

Laos does have its own style of chopsticks though - which are used for eating the traditional 'geng fur' (white noodle soup) or 'kao bpiak' (large white rice noodle soup . . interestingly called 'rice wet' in direct translation!) soups. They are identifible being about 1cm square at the top and half down becoming round with a 1cm-ish diameter, alot larger and thicker than chinese or japanese sticks.

My wife has had some of the snootier types staring at her when we've visited Bangkok and she eat here food with here hands (none sticky rice) - and that was in Soi 11 on Suk!

Personally I go with the natives -

Sticky rice - Hands complete with sauces got this technique sorted, have a soup spoon at hand for any soups cooked

Normal rice - Fork and Spoon or if just BBQ meat and rice - hands

Noodle based soups - Chopsticks and spoon

I did laugh one time sitting in BKK at a street stall when a guy, a backpacker I was pretty certain hadn't been in Thailand long, anyway he points out to the seller he wants pad ka pow and sits down. Food comes he looked the basket on the table with spoons, forks and chopsticks in and pull out a pair of chopsticks! So he sat there struggling with these chopsticks trying to eat his food obviously he thought that was the way! I didn't hang around to see if he managed to finish his meal or not!! I don't get why anyone would choose chopsticks to eat rice if a spoon and folk at available! Particularly at street seller when the rice in general is near a watery mush from being reheated so often and the cheap variety of rice available.

Edited June 10, 2007 by technocracy

[ercorn]

I have gotten` used to useing chopstick,when I was in Indonesia it used to make me sick how people eat rice with tomato sauce useing their hands in places like KFC and Mac`s.

[pop_corn]

whAt is that "sponsor" post???????????

[Luckydog]

I prefer chopsticks for most Thai food, though I rarely get to finish my soup.

Hahahahaha! I had a Chinese meal the other day.

I used Chop Sticks and a Chinese looking git opposite used a Spoon and Fork!

[ercorn]

Hahahahaha! I had a Chinese meal the other day.

I used Chop Sticks and a Chinese looking git opposite used a Spoon and Fork!

LOL classic

[think_too_mut]

Chopsticks are not used in Norway.

Chopsticks are not used in Ireland.

Chopsticks are not used in Thailand, but they are known.

[kmart]

I can play "Chopsticks" on the piano, Errol Flynn stylee. ie using my knob. *Interesting fact*