Finger Foods

  It's weird because in America I always thought I was a pretty fast eater, but here I am much slower than everyone else.  I thought it was just me... so even though the Brits eat "properly" with the fork and knife, they are really shoveling it in at record speeds! 

Seriously. I thought I was quick at eating, but I have never seen folks shovel in food like they do here and my British mate in the states was super human quick at gobbling up food!  Its strange sometimes to be the only one left eating at the canteen and its not because I'm eating a different quantity of food. 

But, one thing I can say is that I can use chopsticks very well but DH can't and he says no one here ever uses them... 

I use them.  i think he is making excuses because he doesn't know how!


Vicky

Seriously. I thought I was quick at eating, but I have never seen folks shovel in food like they do here and my British mate in the states was super human quick at gobbling up food!  Its strange sometimes to be the only one left eating at the canteen and its not because I'm eating a different quantity of food. 

I always seem to eat more slowly than anyone else, even in the US, but I am so so so slow compared to our British family here.  It's embarrassing.  Everyone is done eating and I'm telling them "please have your dessert" but they don't feel that's polite so they just sit waiting for me to finish.    I hold my silverware the British way when I'm eating with them but it doesn't help.  I'm still slow. Maybe I need to start taking smaller helpings than everyone else, like Julia-mel.

I use them.  i think he is making excuses because he doesn't know how!


Vicky

I'm sure you are right, Vicky!   

Yeah, I'm another one who - in the US - I always thought I was a fast eater.  But here - I am always the last one to finish - after everyone else has gobbled theirs up.  In Steve's family particularly, it always comes off (to me) as some sort of race to see who can inhale it the fastest - accompanied by more than a fair bit of (disproportionate?) anxiety over 'you don't want it to go cold!'.  Lol!

Aha!  Maybe a new trait 'about the British' that we can now examine & debate at length...how fast do you gobble your food up?!!!! 

But In Steve's family particularly, it always comes off (to me) as some sort of race to see who can inhale it the fastest ..

OMG! This is my husband's family! The problem for me is that there are three huge hungry men and a pandering mother -- and never enough food on the table. So it's like ... Ready, set, go! and knives and forks go flying. During all this, MIL is hovering around - at the ready to refill the men's plates asap.

I simply cannot compete with that. 

Yeah, I'm another one who - in the US - I always thought I was a fast eater.  But here - I am always the last one to finish - after everyone else has gobbled theirs up.  In Steve's family particularly, it always comes off (to me) as some sort of race to see who can inhale it the fastest - accompanied by more than a fair bit of (disproportionate?) anxiety over 'you don't want it to go cold!'.  Lol!

Aha!  Maybe a new trait 'about the British' that we can now examine & debate at length...how fast do you gobble your food up?!!!! 

Table manners are one of my biggest pet peeves...am nearly sure I left the ex because of his!

Other half is an inhaler which works my nerves to no end. Then he starts rummaging an hour later.

But the "it'll get cold" anxiety is very real. He is always yelling at the boys to hurry to the table and he really doesnt understand that little boys dont give a crap about the temperature of their food!     Even I don't need it to be piping hot!  Because inevitably, he shoves it in his gob, too hot and then makes horrible "it's too hot" noises..  

Even I don't need it to be piping hot!  Because inevitably, he shoves it in his gob, too hot and then makes horrible "it's too hot" noises..  

With that too, I am astounded at how quickly, easily & without any adverse effect whatsoever, Steve starts shoveling in the most piping hot food - so hot that if I start into it at the same time, it will literally burn my mouth (and has before!).

I think I'm a middling eater (in terms of speed) in both the US and the UK. I've not noticed a difference, to be honest. My bf eats disgustingly fast, but then most of the men I knew in the US did as well. All my well-mannered female friends and relations (in the UK) eat normally.

I think this might be a male/female thing, rather than a UK/US thing...


Vicky

I think this might be a male/female thing, rather than a UK/US thing...

I don't know because when I'm eating with DH's family -  including MIL & SIL...I am still always the last one to finish eating - and I thought I was a fast eater!

I'm with Mrs R on this. Yeah, the men in my US family did eat a bit faster than the women, but not like here. Here it's ridiculous. I've barely started in on my food before everyone else is done. But with them, they aren't as nice as Tin's family. They just leave the table. I can't tell you how many times I've been left on my own.  I finally told DH he was NOT allowed to do that anymore!

DH, however, has turned into a wannabe Italian. He's really learning to savour and enjoy his food rather than inhale it. Much more civilized! 

I don't get the hot thing either. FIL is obsessed with it. And his tea, forget it. No one dares make him a cup except MIL. He drinks it practically boiling. Yesterday he complained to her that his 546th cup of the day was cold - I could see thick steam rising off of it yet she went and made him another cup!! 

I don't get the hot thing either. FIL is obsessed with it. And his tea, forget it. No one dares make him a cup except MIL. He drinks it practically boiling. Yesterday he complained to her that his 546th cup of the day was cold - I could see thick steam rising off of it yet she went and made him another cup!! 

LOL... my FIL will not allow an electric kettle in the house.  He insists on the old-fashioned whistling kettle on the gas hob, because he says it boils the water hotter.   No point in trying to explain to him that boiling point is the same, no matter if you are using gas or leccy.

But the "it'll get cold" anxiety is very real. He is always yelling at the boys to hurry to the table and he really doesnt understand that little boys dont give a crap about the temperature of their food!     Even I don't need it to be piping hot!  Because inevitably, he shoves it in his gob, too hot and then makes horrible "it's too hot" noises..  

With that too, I am astounded at how quickly, easily & without any adverse effect whatsoever, Steve starts shoveling in the most piping hot food - so hot that if I start into it at the same time, it will literally burn my mouth (and has before!).

Dh is like this as well as soon as it is served up on his plate an he sits down in front of the TV he starts eating his dinner. he doesn't want it going cold it makes me laugh cause he says its hot but continues to eat it anyways lol. myself I like to wait a bit an let it cool down some usually by the time I'm starting my dinner Dh is usually half done sometimes almost done with his dinner. I don't mind we have lap trays cause we don't have a kitchen table. I have told him to go ahead an start without me cause I know he likes his food piping hot I don't mind I can eat my food lukewarm an it doesn't bother me in the least bit. whenever we have dinner at his parents house I'm always the last one done I start eating at the same time as everyone else but still I'm the last one done, I do have to say they do wait for me to have dessert.

LOL... my FIL will not allow an electric kettle in the house.  He insists on the old-fashioned whistling kettle on the gas hob, because he says it boils the water hotter.   No point in trying to explain to him that boiling point is the same, no matter if you are using gas or leccy.

That's too funny!