Potatoes Etiquette


eating etiquette (how to eat...)

The potato is native to Bolivia and Peru. Depending on the way it is cooked and served, potato is eaten with a fork or fingers.

french fries

Table manners for eating french fries. French fried potatoes are eaten with a fork or fingers. When french fries are served with food that requires a fork to eat, such as fish, they are eaten with a fork. If served with food eaten with fingers, such as a hamburger in a bun, they are eaten with the fingers.

Table manners for eating french fries with finger foods. When French-fried potatoes accompany finger foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, or other sandwiches, eat them with your fingers.

Table manners for eating french fries with other foods. At other times, cut them into bite-sized lengths and eat with a fork.

Table manners for using ketchup. Don't drown French fries in ketchup or other sauces. Instead, pour a small pool next to the fries and dip them in one by one, replenishing the sauce as needed.

baked potatoes

Table manners for eating baked potatoes. Baked potato is eaten with a fork but is steadied with the fingers of one hand, while a fork is used to break open the skin in a piercing motion crosswise and lengthwise. To let the steam escape, the potato is pushed open with the fingers, and the fork is used to mix in butter and other flavorings.

Baked white potatoes and sweet potatoes can be eaten in more than one way.

The most common is to slit the top lengthwise with a knife, push on each end of the potato to open it wide, and mash some of the flesh with a fork.

An alternative is to slice the potato clean through and lay the halves skin-down side by side.

Add butter, salt, and pepper (plus extras like sour cream, cheese, or bacon bits. if desired) and use your fork to mash the additions lightly into the flesh before taking a forkful from the shell.

Another method is to slice the potato in half lengthwise and use your fork to scoop the flesh of both halves onto your plate. Neatly stack the skins together on the edge of your plate and mix butter and any other condiments into the flesh with your fork.

If you like to eat the skin as well as the flesh, cut the potato into two halves and use your knife and fork to cut the potato and skin into bite-sized pieces, one or two at a time.

potato chips

Table manners to eating potato chips. Potato chips and shoe string potatoes are crisp, scatter when cut and are eaten with the fingers.

resting knife and fork etiquette

Our resting utensils etiquette section covers the rules (american and continental) for resting your utensils when taking a break from eating, when you are finished eating, and when you are passing food [...]

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