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The cutlery war

No problem with the spoon since everyone uses it! But it gets slightly more complicated when we move on to knives and forks or chopsticks! Knives are normally only found on tables in European and American societies. Elsewhere, this item of cutlery is out of place on the table. The fork, which dates from over 6,000 BC, only arrived in Europe in the 14th century along with individual plates and glasses.

Chopsticks and fingers

With chopsticks which never touch the lips, everyone can serve themselves directly from a shared dish. Nice tradition don't you think? And eating with your fingers isn't rude after all! This method is commonly used throughout the world. Nor do the fingers touch the lips. Today, knives and forks are winning over "hand eaters" while eating with your fingers is all the rage among the "knife and fork" brigade.

My grandmother from the Americas

Whatever you eat, even that amazing dish concocted by your grandmother, you go on a journey. In fact, there are hardly any dishes which don't have at least one distant ingredient. Even the legendary "cassoulet" from southwest France would never have come into being without beans and tomatoes imported from South America in the 16th century. It is now increasingly true to say that cooking borrows ingredients and flavours from all over the world.