Etiquette and Finger Food Approval

“The list of things that can be eaten from the fingers is on the increase. It includes all bread, toast, tarts and small cakes, celery and asparagus, when served whole, as it should be, either hot or cold; lettuce, which must be crumpled in the fingers and dipped in salt or sauce; olives, to which a fork should never be put any more than a knife should be used on raw oysters...”

Fingers Began Relieving Forks and the Gilded Age 400 Approved

At an official dinner in Washington a few nights ago, a distinguished society belle from New York, one of McAlister's 400, was observed to handle the wing of a chicken with her fingers, and afterwards daintily nibbled a “drumstick” the same way without the use of a knife or fork. Some of the Cabinet and administration ladies, only one of whom belongs to the 400, marveled at this and thought it showed “lack of breeding.” The one authority, Mrs Whitney, remarked that the action of the young lady was in perfectly good form.

The list of things that can be eaten from the fingers is on the increase. It includes all bread, toast, tarts and small cakes, celery and asparagus, when served whole, as it should be, either hot or cold; lettuce, which must be crumpled in the fingers and dipped in salt or sauce; olives, to which a fork should never be put any more than a knife should be used on raw oysters; strawberries, when served with the stems on, as they should be, or touched to pulverized sugar; cheese in all forms, except Brie or Roquefort or Camembert, and fruit of all kinds, except preserves and melons. The latter should be eaten with a spoon or a fork.

In the use of the fingers, greater indulgence is being shown, and you cannot, if you are well-bred, make any very bad mistake in this direction, especially when the finger-bowl stands by you and the napkin is handy. —The Washington Post, 1889

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia