Global Food Myths #16: Do Italians never eat spaghetti with a spoon?

LSG Group experts clarify food myths from around the world – Episode 16 is about spaghetti and spoons.

Eating a plate of spaghetti can be a challenge. Probably the most unwieldy of all pasta types is predestined to splash sauce everywhere – and especially on the places it shouldn’t. No cutlery seems capable of delivering the long pasta strand safely from dish to mouth. Good thing, then, that there are at least spoons to twirl the spaghetti against, right? Delia Martina Landwehrmann, Executive Chef at LSG Sky Chefs, knows whether doing so is socially acceptable in Italy.

“Absolutely not,” says Italy expert Landwehrmann. “Eating spaghetti with a spoon will, at the least, be met with double takes from locals. What’s even worse is cutting it with a knife. Etiquette dictates we only use the fork and the plate. To avoid an awkward bite due to too many noodles being grabbed, it’s best to fork up noodles from the edge of the dish and not in the middle.”

The fact that eating spaghetti causes so many problems for non-Italians could have something to do with another widespread misconception. After all, pasta is usually eaten as an appetizer and not as a main course. It is therefore served with less sauce than chefs in other countries who simply want to feed their guests. This also explains how Italians manage to avoid stains.