5 ms·

Forks aren't great at scooping. My Asian family members require only chopsticks and a spoon (large) to eat anything, and spoons are much better for scooping.

frosted-flakes 4y ago
Forks are great at scooping. Think Kraft Dinner, or mashed potatoes.
- britch 4y ago
  Forks can scoop but there's nothing a fork can scoop that a spoon cannot. There's plenty that spoons can scoop that forks cannot.
  - ajot 4y ago
    Well, but a spoon cannot stab/hold a steak while I cut it, so forks still have their merit.
    - adrian_b 4y ago
      Actually you can stab, hold or even cut a steak with a good spoon (by good spoon I mean one made of stainless steel or titanium with good mechanical strength; there are some cheap spoons that would bend at any significant pressure applied on them), so a good spoon can also be used instead of a fork or instead of a knife, while those cannot be used instead of a spoon, for taking small particles or liquids, but it is obvious that a spoon is less convenient than the tools made specially for those tasks. There are people, like myself, who believe that any food cutting should be done when cooking the food, not when eating it. Because of this, I no longer use any table knives, which are anyway much worse for cutting food than the high quality super-sharp Japanese knives that I use for cooking. I also no longer use any forks, because when the food is already cut in pieces of the right size, it is much easier to take them in a spoon than to stab them with a fork. When I was young, I ate the food in the manner considered polite traditionally, with knife and fork, but after I grew older, using the most efficient and comfortable methods for doing anything has become much more important than caring about how something was traditionally done or caring about what others believe to be the right way. After I have started to eat everything with a spoon, for a long time that was a subject of jokes and amusement for other family members. Nevertheless, eventually they all began to imitate me, after recognizing that it is indeed much more convenient than the traditional European manner of eating.
      - lukas099 4y ago
        > so a good spoon can also be used instead of a fork or instead of a knife When I read this I pictured a guy sitting cutting and eating a steak with two spoons - one in each hand.
        adrian_b 4y ago
        Indeed, that is much easier than it seems (with properly cooked meat), even if it will look very weird for any bystanders. Dull table knives usually do not cut much better than a stainless steel spoon. Any food that is so hard or so elastic that it cannot be cut with a spoon is probably not cooked well.
        nomel 4y ago
        I sharpened a spoon once. It's not as useful as you would immediately assume.
      - crooked-v 4y ago
        When getting a steak at a restaurant, I usually find myself mildly resentful that I'm stuck with a clumsy serrated knife against a non-flat plate, when the cook could have turned it into slices in about five seconds while plating.
    - rippercushions 4y ago
      In Asia, it's the chef's job to cut everything into bite size pieces, so the diner doesn't have to.
  - tempestn 4y ago
    I would argue that a fork can scoop certain foods more effectively than a spoon though. Especially when eating off of a plate rather than a bowl. Fork interfaces with the flat surface better.
skywal_l 4y ago
Depends on the viscosity of what you are trying to scoop.
moate 4y ago
As with just about everything in this weird culture clash thread: YMMV. What would your family do when presented with an uncut 16oz steak or chop? It’s easy to eat food with chopsticks when the culture is designed around it. It’s easy to eat with a fork when the culture is designed around it.
- pwinnski 4y ago
  In my experience in China, steaks or chops aren't served uncut. In cooking at home, I usually slice meat when serving it, rather than forcing each diner to slice it themselves. That said, I've also eaten uncut steak with chopsticks and a knife.
  - moate 4y ago
    Exactly: the food culture has adopted to chopsticks. Eating double cut pork chop with mashed potatoes using chopsticks would require substantially more effort than a fork and steak knife. >> That said, I've also eaten uncut steak with chopsticks and a knife. What kind/size steak? I said a very specific thing.
glandium 4y ago
The only thing I can think of off the top of my head that would require a fork is spaghetti.
- pwinnski 4y ago
  Amazingly, most Asian cultures have some experience with noodles. ;) Growing up in the USA, I do love the visceral thrill of twirling a fork to wind up spaghetti. It's like a childhood memory! But I have also eaten spaghetti (yes, spaghetti noodles with marinara sauce) with chopsticks. It's easy!

frosted-flakes 4y ago

Forks are great at scooping. Think Kraft Dinner, or mashed potatoes.

britch 4y ago
Forks can scoop but there's nothing a fork can scoop that a spoon cannot. There's plenty that spoons can scoop that forks cannot.
- ajot 4y ago
  Well, but a spoon cannot stab/hold a steak while I cut it, so forks still have their merit.
  - adrian_b 4y ago
    Actually you can stab, hold or even cut a steak with a good spoon (by good spoon I mean one made of stainless steel or titanium with good mechanical strength; there are some cheap spoons that would bend at any significant pressure applied on them), so a good spoon can also be used instead of a fork or instead of a knife, while those cannot be used instead of a spoon, for taking small particles or liquids, but it is obvious that a spoon is less convenient than the tools made specially for those tasks. There are people, like myself, who believe that any food cutting should be done when cooking the food, not when eating it. Because of this, I no longer use any table knives, which are anyway much worse for cutting food than the high quality super-sharp Japanese knives that I use for cooking. I also no longer use any forks, because when the food is already cut in pieces of the right size, it is much easier to take them in a spoon than to stab them with a fork. When I was young, I ate the food in the manner considered polite traditionally, with knife and fork, but after I grew older, using the most efficient and comfortable methods for doing anything has become much more important than caring about how something was traditionally done or caring about what others believe to be the right way. After I have started to eat everything with a spoon, for a long time that was a subject of jokes and amusement for other family members. Nevertheless, eventually they all began to imitate me, after recognizing that it is indeed much more convenient than the traditional European manner of eating.
    - lukas099 4y ago
      > so a good spoon can also be used instead of a fork or instead of a knife When I read this I pictured a guy sitting cutting and eating a steak with two spoons - one in each hand.
      - adrian_b 4y ago
        Indeed, that is much easier than it seems (with properly cooked meat), even if it will look very weird for any bystanders. Dull table knives usually do not cut much better than a stainless steel spoon. Any food that is so hard or so elastic that it cannot be cut with a spoon is probably not cooked well.
      - nomel 4y ago
        I sharpened a spoon once. It's not as useful as you would immediately assume.
    - crooked-v 4y ago
      When getting a steak at a restaurant, I usually find myself mildly resentful that I'm stuck with a clumsy serrated knife against a non-flat plate, when the cook could have turned it into slices in about five seconds while plating.
  - rippercushions 4y ago
    In Asia, it's the chef's job to cut everything into bite size pieces, so the diner doesn't have to.
- tempestn 4y ago
  I would argue that a fork can scoop certain foods more effectively than a spoon though. Especially when eating off of a plate rather than a bowl. Fork interfaces with the flat surface better.

skywal_l 4y ago

Depends on the viscosity of what you are trying to scoop.

moate 4y ago

As with just about everything in this weird culture clash thread: YMMV. What would your family do when presented with an uncut 16oz steak or chop? It’s easy to eat food with chopsticks when the culture is designed around it. It’s easy to eat with a fork when the culture is designed around it.

pwinnski 4y ago
In my experience in China, steaks or chops aren't served uncut. In cooking at home, I usually slice meat when serving it, rather than forcing each diner to slice it themselves. That said, I've also eaten uncut steak with chopsticks and a knife.
- moate 4y ago
  Exactly: the food culture has adopted to chopsticks. Eating double cut pork chop with mashed potatoes using chopsticks would require substantially more effort than a fork and steak knife. >> That said, I've also eaten uncut steak with chopsticks and a knife. What kind/size steak? I said a very specific thing.

glandium 4y ago

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head that would require a fork is spaghetti.

pwinnski 4y ago
Amazingly, most Asian cultures have some experience with noodles. ;) Growing up in the USA, I do love the visceral thrill of twirling a fork to wind up spaghetti. It's like a childhood memory! But I have also eaten spaghetti (yes, spaghetti noodles with marinara sauce) with chopsticks. It's easy!