Which everyday foods do people consume incorrectly? —Sally S., St. Louis
While the term “incorrect” may spark debate, there are certainly foods that can be enjoyed in a “more ideal” way. For some, it ultimately depends on personal taste. I curated a list of examples in both categories, with contributions from the SLM dining team.
Incorrect:
- Sushi rolls/nigiri/sashimi: Generally, you can forgo the chopsticks…for the most part. Proper sushi etiquette suggests that cut rolls and nigiri are best eaten with your hands; use chopsticks exclusively for sashimi and ginger. For nigiri, turn it fish-side down, use soy sauce in moderation, and place it fish side down on your tongue. If wasabi is necessary, apply a small amount with chopsticks. Mixing wasabi into soy sauce is a no-no. Sliced ginger is intended as a palate cleanser between bites, not during a bite.
- Yogurt: Some individuals remove the liquid (whey), but stirring it in enhances texture and adds nutrients.
- Leftover pizza: For those who care about taste (and you should), rebaking pizza slices (or squares) in a partially covered skillet over low to medium heat is best. This method gets closest to restoring the original crust texture (and takes just a little longer than microwaving for 40 seconds).
More ideal:
- Hot dogs: Chicago dog enthusiasts know to cup the hot dog with your hand and enjoy the toppings “goodie side up.”
- Chicken wings: To reduce mess when handling the two-boned “flattie,” twist off the bones (starting with the smaller one) before eating to create a boneless wing.
- Cupcakes: Some opt to slice the cupcake in half horizontally, flip the top, and enjoy it like a sandwich with icing in the middle.
Subjective preference:
- Pizza: Using hands? Utensils? We tackled that topic here.
Now, insights from the SLM dining team:
From Dave Lowry:
Risotto should be enjoyed with a spoon. Using a fork can create gaps that cool the rice more rapidly, whereas a spoon allows for carving off the edges, keeping the rest of the risotto hot.
Paella is best eaten directly from the pan, carving out a wedge and working inward.
Japanese and Chinese individuals typically pick up rice bowls, but Koreans do not. (Korean bowls are often metal and too hot to hold easily, contrasting with Japanese and Chinese lacquer or porcelain bowls.)
When you have a piece of Beaufort d’été, a lovely summer cheese that complements a good Burgundy, and you balance a chunk of that exquisite cheese atop a salted cracker, whether it’s a Saltine, Triscuit, or an Italian Sophia—prepare to savor it. No, no, no. Stop. The cheese, or any topping, should go on the bottom of the cracker, not the salted top. This way, the salt enhances the flavor of the cheese as it hits your tongue first. Flip the cracker over and load it up. Following this simple guideline could very well lead us to world peace.
From Holly Fann:
- Bugles should be worn like tiny wizard hats directly on your fingertips before consumption.
- White Castle Chicken Rings are finger food but should be balanced on the pointer finger like a spoke and rotated as you take bites.
- Heath and Skor bars should have their chocolate coating removed before indulging in the toffee.
- The first bite of any sandwich made with traditional, square-ish pullman-shaped bread cut diagonally should always be taken from the most acute corner.
- When enjoying an STL-style square-cut pizza, the four small triangular “corner” pieces should be consumed first. Neglecting this may disturb our delicate internal balance and has been associated with irritability, pizza dysthymia, and existential malaise.
From Pat Eby:
My younger brothers were baffled by the baby ears of corn in Chinese takeout, mimicking what Tom Hanks did in Big.
Later, the little girls I babysat taught me how to properly enjoy string cheese: “You don’t just bite it; you pull it into strings because it’s more fun.”
When indulging in cevapi, a Balkan staple, many try to cut the somun bread and eat it as a sandwich, leading to spiced sausage pieces falling onto the plate. The proper method involves tearing off a piece of somun and wrapping it around a sausage, or enjoying the bread with the customary onions and kaymak (a creamy dairy spread) before taking a piece of meat.
From Cheryl Baehr:
I’m typically a live-and-let-live type, but bread-sliced bagels cause me slight embarrassment. Perhaps this was acceptable when good bagels were scarce in town, but we’ve moved beyond that. The only time this is permissible is when you’re bringing bagels to a gathering with young kids who tend to take a single bite and abandon the rest, creating waste. Their small hands can cope with sliced bagels more easily than whole ones. However, by kindergarten, one should know better. Eating a bread-sliced bagel beyond age 5 equates to an adult ordering a Happy Meal.
From Lynn Venhaus:
These thoughts are more personal quirks than about correcting habits:
- It always strikes me as odd when people use utensils to eat pizza or dip crusts in ranch dressing (I can’t wrap my head around it).
- And this is a major faux pas: people who squish chocolates in a box to check the filling.
- Also problematic is when someone breaks off half a donut in a communal box and leaves the other half to dry out among the rest.
- And, what’s with those who pick out all the rye bagel chips from the Gardetto’s snack mix?
From Collin Preciado:
I’ll never forget the disgusted look on a friend’s face as they witnessed me heap a mound of oatmeal onto a slice of toast and eat it. Whether it’s a Missouri Bootheel thing or not, I’ve since inquired with others in St. Louis, and no one outside my family recognized this practice. My oatmeal tends to be on the sweeter side, so pairing it with toast adds a satisfying crunchy and savory element to what is typically a rather bland breakfast, and I cannot envision enjoying it in any other manner. Plus, I always seek ways to increase my carb intake.
From the late dining critic Ann Lemons Pollack:
I recall a gentleman who would top his morning oatmeal with a scoop of ice cream daily. Milk? Check. Sugar? Check. And to cool it down for faster consumption? On your way, friend.
Also, there’s a method for enjoying dessert each time with both a fork (left hand) and spoon (right hand), which I finally mastered at an upscale restaurant in Paris years ago. When indulging in ice cream and cake separately, utilize both utensils, with the spoon in your dominant hand. The spoon does most of the work—slicing, scooping, and guiding food to your mouth. The fork acts as a sidekick, helping to transfer food onto the spoon.
Lastly, there’s the correct way to eat a Snickers bar, a tip courtesy of Seinfeld.
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