How do the royals eat bananas? Finessing "finger foods" and other dining etiquette tips with the help of the Queen, Seinfeld's Mr. Pitt and BTS

Which foods require knife and fork? Let BTS' Twelve Etiquette Essentials assist!

The holidays are upon us and among the season's activities that often come with as much delight as angst are festive dinners and gift shopping. We at Barb's Tea Service, along with royal experts and Mr. Pitt, are here to offer a little assistance.

First, the festive feast etiquette:

At a fancy dinner party one may be daunted by what foods are considered "finger foods" and which require utensils.  

Barb's Tea Service's "Twelve Etiquette Essentials:  Formal Dining and Tea Time" devotes an entire chapter to the subject.

Twelve Etiquette Essentials has a chapter on finger foods (or utensils).

We were reminded of how one approaches "finger foods" vs "knife and fork required" earlier this month when a video resurfaced of etiquette professional, Robert Hanson, demonstrating how the Queen would eat a banana. 

Shocking to some, the Queen did not peel back the banana skin with her hands!

To eat a banana, the Royals start with cutting the ends with a knife

The video shows Robert H. slicing each end of the yellow fruit with the aid of a knife and fork. The banana is then turned on its side and the knife slices through the skin lengthwise. This exposes the edible center of the fruit that can be further cut into bit-sized pieces.

After the ends are cut off, turn the fruit over and slice the skin 

It is an interesting approach to nibbling on banana. Certainly it adds a bit more decorum to this task than peeling the skin back and allowing it to dangle incrementally with each additional bite.

But, is this just a bit too formal for a fruit so well-engineered by nature that it comes with its own biodegradable container? 

Snickers:  Mr. Pitt does not view as a "finger food".

Perhaps. But, then, I turn to Mr. Pitt, Elaine's eccentric boss from Seinfeld. At first, his unconventional method of eating a Snickers bar leaves onlookers incredulous.  Like the Queen's banana, he, too, opts for a knife and fork over thumb and fingers. However, George sees the rationale - maybe Mr. Pitt doesn't like getting chocolate on his fingers.  George gets on board with the "Mr. Pitt method" which sparks a temporary trend in the city of eating traditional finger foods, like cookies and doughnuts, with utensils.

Using a knife and fork on a Snickers bar eliminates a chocolate mess.

In the bell-shaped curve of formal dining etiquette, I think we've identified a few outliers (monarchs and fictional eccentrics), but most common-sense protocol lies in the middle. That's not to say, it's always easy to figure out what foods really require utensils.

That's where BTS' Twelve Etiquette Essentials:  Formal Dining and Tea Time comes to assist. And, bonus(!), it covers not only guidelines for finger foods, but proper protocol for business dinners and afternoon tea. Additionally, it instructs on how to set a formal table and the proper way one gives and receives a toast. All of these are even more in play during the holiday season.

Twelve Etiquette Essentials:  Formal Dining and Tea Time is here to help with navigating those sometimes tricky dining situations.

Barb's Tea Service's Twelve Etiquette Essentials available on Amazon

Now to the shopping assistance. . . 

 We're also here to help for some last minute stocking stuffers! BTS's Twelve Etiquette Essentials:  Formal Dining and Tea Time is available for purchase at Amazon.com. Follow the link for purchase.

See our BTS video demonstrating how to eat both a banana and a Snickers bar with the aid of a knife and fork:  BTS presents: What are "finger foods": How the Royals eat bananas and more! (youtube.com)