Children learn from a young age food etiquette and behaviors that are positive, such as not reclining elbows on the table, not chewing food with an open mouth, and avoiding talking while eating. Where did these rules come from? How did it evolve over civilizations and centuries?
Meat knives and soup spoons
The Spanish newspaper “Genial” says that the ancient Greeks ate 3 meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a diet consisting mainly of Mediterranean products, such as grains, olive oil and grapes.
The Greeks usually ate while sitting on the floor, and used metal and clay dishes. Although they ate with their fingers, they used knives to chop meat and spoons for soup.
Men and women ate separately, then meet after finishing eating. Until the 3rd century BC, the Greeks refused any renewal or change in their eating habits, and their meals were always simple and frugal.
Luxurious seats around the table
Roman gastronomy and customs were directly influenced by Greek culture, yet the economic boom enabled the Romans to provide more varied and lavish meals.
The most important meal was dinner, as it was taken in a private room with plush chairs around the table.
Men and women from the wealthy class ate together, washed their hands and feet before eating, and they used fingers, along with two types of spoons.
Fork and manifestations of extravagance
Byzantium arose as a Greek colony around 660 BC, and was re-established in 330 by Emperor Constantine the First as the capital of the Byzantine Empire under the name Constantinople.
The Byzantines were known for their meticulous way of preparing and serving food, and were difficult to satisfy.
Among the changes they made in this regard, they began to eat in a sitting position on a chair, and sitting on chairs became an official ritual, and the table was cleaned, a blanket, napkins and a bowl for washing hands were also cleaned.
The Byzantines invented the fork and brought it to Venice at the beginning of the 11th century, and it was considered at that time a manifestation of extravagance, and some described it as a "satanic tool."
The fork was flat at first and had only two heads. It did not take its known form until the 18th century, when it spread and became popular in Europe.
Gentlemen avoid breakfast
People in Europe during the late Middle Ages only had two meals; lunch and dinner. As for breakfast, it was usually reserved for workers, children, the elderly and women, and noble men avoided it, because they considered it immoral in the early morning.
During this period, food was eaten with a spoon, and everyone brought their knife with them, and before eating, guests washed their faces and hands.
Food etiquette
And in the Renaissance, the so-called "etiquette" rules emerged, which became a distinction between the nobility and commoner classes, and clear rules for disposing of banquets and banquets spread; Such as being clean, placing both hands on the table, not leaning on the elbow, sitting upright, putting the spoon, knife and cups on the right, and the bread on the left.
In this period, the nobility's way of serving banquets became influenced by Italian customs, whereby all dishes are served simultaneously, so that the guest can choose what he or she desires.
In the 17th century, the use of fork became common in France, after it was restricted to the wealthy class, and from there it moved to the Iberian Peninsula, Italy and Britain.
Nobles and commoners
During the 18th and 19th centuries, table manners distinguished nobles from commoners, and books appeared defining these manners, and they began to be taught to children at an early age.
Specific tablecloths and tableware were used for each food, and eating and drinking in style became a manifestation of culture and science, and a way to win the admiration of others.
During this period, it was decided how to accept invitations, the topics that may be raised during eating, where each person sits, and how to cut meat.
Simple and basic rules
In the 21st century, some simple rules for eating have become part of our daily habits, such as not drinking water when the mouth is full of food, avoiding opening the mouth while eating, and refraining from speaking, and there are other rules also that you must pay attention to to avoid embarrassing situations, namely:
- Do not start eating before your host.
- Use the cutlery from the outside in, as it is arranged accordingly.
- Your share of bread is the piece on your left, and it is cut by hand, not with a knife.
- Do not move food between your plate and someone else's plate.
- Do not blow on food to cool down.