Tricky foods made easy

Pasta, fish bones, olive pits, sushi and lobster catch many people out. Here is how to handle each one gracefully.

Pasta

• Twirl a few strands with your fork against the plate. Most etiquette coaches say no spoon is needed.
• Cutting spaghetti is considered poor form in Italy.
• Take small amounts so you are not left with dangling strands.

Fish with bones

• Best practice: find and remove bones with your knife and fork before the food reaches your mouth.
• If a bone does get into your mouth, remove it discreetly with your fingers and place it on the side of your plate.

Olive, date and cherry stones

• Cover your mouth with a cupped hand or push the stone onto your fork, then place it on the edge of your plate.
• Never spit it into your napkin.
• At an informal spread, olives are eaten with fingers.

Finger foods

• Chicken wings, fried chicken, crispy bacon and chops can be eaten by hand in casual settings. If the meal is formal and cutlery is laid, use your knife and fork.
• Never lick your fingers; use your napkin.
• Grapes: take a small cluster rather than pulling single grapes off the shared bunch.
• Cherry tomatoes: steady them with your knife before spearing so they don't squirt.

Sushi and chopsticks

• Nigiri may be eaten with fingers or chopsticks. Dip the fish side, not the rice, into soy sauce and eat in one bite.
• Do not add extra wasabi to nigiri; the chef has already added some.
• Never stick chopsticks upright in rice, and never pass food from chopstick to chopstick: both echo Japanese funeral rituals.
• Do not point, stab food, lick chopsticks or dig through shared dishes.

Shellfish

• Prawns served tail-on: hold the tail with your fingers. In a main course, use knife and fork.
• Lobster and crab: twist off claws and legs and use the pick or small fork provided.
• Mussels: lift out with a fork (or use an empty shell as tongs) and eat in one bite.

Salad and dessert

• In France, lettuce is folded with the knife and fork rather than cut.
• In Britain, desserts are eaten with a spoon and fork together.