Fork and Spoon with Spaghetti: Tradition or Taboo?

Traditionally, in Italy, when eating pasta, especially elongated varieties like spaghetti or linguine, you should use only a fork.

The practice of twirling spaghetti onto the fork, achieving a neat bundle, is how it’s authentically done. The spoon is mainly reserved for soups, while the knife doesn’t really have a role here.

source: www.lacucinaitaliana.it ; www.accademiaitalianagalateo.it/

The exception to the rule is when any type of pasta is served in a broth, like tortellini in broth or minestrone pasta. In this case, you’ll be given a deep dish to hold the broth and a spoon to eat the pasta and gather the broth. Only in these situations is a spoon used alone, no fork.

I’ve been living (and eating… a lot) in Italy for almost 40 years. In all that time, I’ve seen very few people use a spoon and fork to eat spaghetti. In fact, those who did were either foreigners or elderly individuals. I’ll explain why below.

So, when pondering “Do Italians eat pasta with a spoon? ” the answer leans towards “no”.

Key Takeaways:

• In Italy, the customary way to eat spaghetti is with a fork only. Using a spoon with pasta, especially with long types like spaghetti, is not the traditional Italian etiquette.
• The practice of eating spaghetti with a spoon and fork stems from an old tradition that was once considered a sign of elegance.

Read here how to eat spaghetti like a true Italian and how to avoid the most common mistakes

It’s intriguing to note that while spaghetti, a hallmark of Italian cuisine, might sometimes be accompanied by both a fork and spoon in restaurants, it sparks the query: does an Italian use a spoon for pasta, especially spaghetti?

Where Did Eating Spaghetti with a Spoon Come From?

When you see someone eating spaghetti using both a spoon and a fork, you might wonder where this technique originated.

Historically, this method was favored as it prevented messy spills and was even popular in Naples, symbolizing elegance and nobility. Using the left hand to hold the spoon and the right to twirl the spaghetti with a fork, many saw this as an adept way to enjoy the dish without making a mess.

But times have changed… and while this technique was once in vogue, it’s now viewed differently.

Today, it’s considered not only an amateurish approach but even a desecration of the dish.

Some Italian restaurants still place a spoon on the table when serving spaghetti, precisely because they know many foreigners use it to eat without making a mess. Essentially, they do it to avoid being yelled at: “Can I have a spoon, please?“. Italian restaurants are already quite noisy, don’t you think?

The spoon with spaghetti is a topic that is often confusing. Even the famous Vincenzo from the YouTube channel Vincenso’s Plate gets it wrong.

In his video, he claims that eating spaghetti with a spoon is “very Italian”… well, then I guess he hasn’t been to Italy in a while. However, he is right about one thing: using a spoon to aid in eating spaghetti is an old-fashioned habit! A tradition from the past that has long been lost.

According to modern Italian etiquette, you should never pair a fork and spoon when eating spaghetti. So, if you’re wondering if Italians use a spoon for pasta, the answer is generally “no,” especially for adults.

When is a Spoon Acceptable for Eating Spaghetti?

You might be under the impression that Italians inherently possess the skill to flawlessly twirl spaghetti onto their forks. But this isn’t a natural-born talent. Indeed, feeding spaghetti to young children who are still mastering the art of using a fork can be a challenging task.

For these youngsters, cutting spaghetti into bite-sized pieces and using a spoon is acceptable. It encourages them to chew properly and minimizes the chances of messy tomato splatters. However, remember, this exception is reserved for kids, not grown-ups!

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