Eating pizza with knife & fork: what's the problem?

Question

I have extracted this issue from an unrelated discussion on these boards. There are those 'purists' out there that continuously rant about eating pizza with a knife & fork. Ok, I know that's what we did growing up regardless of how hot or unruly the slice was. I confess: I do use a knife & fork on occasion. I find it more satisfying than getting that limp piece in your mouth, or folding the entire slice. Can we try to resolve this debate? What is the problem?
I also confess: occasionally I use a spoon to curl my pasta onto the fork...

Answer

Non-Italian here (despite my nickname). I prefer eating pizza by folding slices.. Only in restaurants I will eat using cutlery. A lot of times I cannot be bothered to eat some of the crusts. 

Then pasta.. Lots of pasta dishes I eat using only a spoon, e.g. pennette, gnocchetti. Best way to get that sauce!

Answer

When it's that lovely soupy and hot texture, I'll frequently use fork and knife for the first bite or four. Pick up and fold for the rest.

Fork and knife prolongs the savory first bites.

Answer

If it's good enough for Italians, it's good enough for me--if I am in a restaurant eating a Neapolitan-style pizza, I use knife and fork. At home on the couch, I have been known to fold and stuff it into my mouth.

Answer

Depends on the pizza and the slices. A classic NY slice is easy to fold and eat. A thin, crackery crust that will snap needs to be sliced small enough not to require a fold but is still fine eaten with the fingers. A thick pizza, like a deep dish, can usually be eaten the same way as a thin crust, but if the slice is too large and there are a lot of precarious toppings, the knife and fork may be the better call. Common sense trumps tradition.

Answer

I try to eat things as those of that particular culture eat them. Pizza with fingers. Sushi with fingers. Fried chicken with fingers (as the Colonel prescribes!). Filipino and Thai with spoon and fork (except for noodles). Miso soup directly from the bowl assisted by chopsticks. Spaghetti with a fork without a spoon and without cutting the noodles. Etc etc. OTOH, I don't care and I don't judge how others eat those same things, as long as they keep it to themselves. And I really try not to wipe my mouth on the tablecloth!

Answer

If you’re going to judge people who eat pizza with forks and knives, you should be prepared to only ever eat Indian food with the fingertips of your right hand.

Answer

Here in Europe, you don't generally see adults in restaurants eating pizza with their hands. Even in Italy. Cutlery is pretty much always used. 

But, hey, food cultures differ between countries. If Americans want to eat pizza with their fingers, why would that ever be an issue?

Answer

How do people eat tacos and nachos? Is there a recommended utensil or ...? 

And @ninrn, I (desi) have slowly become used to eating Indian food with a spoon, but I still feel unreasonably judgey when people eat any of the following: 
dosais, idlis, chapatis/naans/pooris/parathas, samosas, pakodas, with (bleeping) knife and fork. 
There's no way to eat pani puris with anything other than fingers. 
I am sure there are other items on the list too if I can think of them. 

Much of the enjoyment of Indian food is tactile. And I won't even get into the Ayurvedic theories of touch and food.

Answer

Pizza is traditionally eaten very hot from the oven straight away. Too hot to handle so knives and forks are a must. But no ones going to complain once it's cooled a little if you pick it up.

Some purists might say pizza delivered to your home, cool enough to handle in a box, is already ruined. 

I used to use long scissors to cut pizza until I kept forgetting they were in the box and throwing them away. In fact, I only realised what happened to the 1st pair after I did it a second time. That was a weird time looking for the 1st pair, swearing they'll turn up somewhere and they never did.

Answer

From Mad Magazine, a classic answer:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ENeEfhSWoAERaEO.jpg

Answer

I love to from time to time. A thick oozy pizza sometimes needs that help.

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I'm like you. Sometimes I use cutlery, sometimes not. I've never really thought about "rules" or why anyone would judge anyone else about this.

I suppose avoiding drips and stains on furniture and clothing enters into my decision at some point--then I'll prolly default to using cutlery. OTOH, if the sitrep is that it's a foldable slice and not dripping grease, prolly not.

And it's not like I won't pick up a crust even if I do cut up the rest of a slice.

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Eating pizza with knife & fork: what's the problem?

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