Shortcakes, pancakes and afternoon tea. A beautiful way to eat sweets.
afternoon teashortcakeHow to eat sweetstartpancakemille crepe (French cake made from layers of crepes)mille-feuille (type of pastry)How to eat confectionery
The manner of eating Western sweets that you should learn when treating yourself or eating sweets in a luxurious space like a high-class salon. We want to spend an elegant tea time by eating sweets beautifully while enjoying the flavor to the end. We asked manner consultant Ms. Hiroko Nishide to teach us how to eat western sweets in a beautiful manner.
Eat the triangular shortcake from the pointed end, and the square one from the left side of the front.
Eating shortcake, a staple of western-style confectionery, may seem simple, but there is a trick to it. First, roll up the cellophane around the cake with a fork and place it diagonally to the left of the plate. Cut the cake into bite-sized pieces, starting from the pointy side for a triangular cake, or from the left side in front of you for a round or rectangular cake. If the cake looks like it is about to fall over, you can use a fork and knife to knock it over. If you try to eat the strawberries on top of the cake as is, the cake will fall apart, so prick the strawberries lightly with a fork and transfer them to a plate.
After finishing eating, wrap the dirty fork in the aluminum foil that the cake was on and place it on the plate so that it does not look unsightly. On the other hand, it is also said that this is an act that the restaurant does not want you to do because it requires a lot of time and effort to clean up the mess. It is said that the cutlery used by Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, was soiled only at the tip. In other words, it is a beautiful way to eat and good manners to eat without soiling the cutlery, taking into consideration the people who will be washing it,” he says.
One thing to keep in mind is that it is only self-satisfaction to want to eat in a way that makes you look “beautiful” to those around you.
It is self-satisfaction to want to make yourself look elegant or to eat in a way that makes you look that way. Manners are a mutual matter, so it is important to eat with the spirit of “others first,” thinking about the people you are with and the people at the restaurant, for example, so that the people at the table will not feel embarrassed and the restaurant staff will feel comfortable cleaning up the mess. I think it is important to eat with a “partner first” mentality. As a result, it is possible that you will be evaluated as a person with good manners.
If you are concerned about the knife being dirty, you can scrape off the dirt with the side of the fork to avoid damaging the cutlery. To do this, gently lift the side of the fork onto the knife and slide it slowly and noiselessly. However, it is best to avoid doing this as much as possible, so try to use cutlery with the tip in mind,” he says.
The tart is cut into pieces by sticking a fork vertically and served with fruit.
‘If the tart has a hard bottom tart crust, it’s easy to eat the fruit and tart separately. If you have a knife, cut with it if the bottom part is hard. If you only have a fork, stick it vertically into the tart and make a dotted line, and then use the side of the fork as a knife to cut the tart into pieces. Be careful not to make a loud noise. Each patissier is different, but most want the fruit and tart to be tasted together, not separated.
Mille-feuille is easy to fall apart, the trick is not to put a fork in the bottom at once.
There are two ways to eat millefeuille: either you cut it after knocking it down, or you cut it without knocking it down.
First, you can cut the mille-feuille after tipping it over. First, you can cut the mille-feuille with a knife and fork, and then cut the mille-feuille toward the back of the plate. Then, cut the millefeuille from the left end, and further cut it from the lower left side into pieces that are easier to eat. If you want to cut the mille-feuille without tipping it over, it is difficult to cut it cleanly because the mille-feuille is tall, so if you put a fork all the way to the bottom at once, you will lose balance and it will be difficult to cut cleanly. So, put a fork in about halfway and scoop out a bite-sized piece. The pie crust and cream are eaten together. Use a fork and knife to bring the pieces of pie crust and remaining cream to the front of the plate.
Stick a fork into the mille crepe until about halfway through the layer and scoop out a bite.
Millecrepe is another sweet that tends to lose its shape as soon as you put a fork in it. If you stick a fork all the way down to the bottom layer while the crepe is still standing up, the cream may stick out and the layer may collapse. Therefore, it is best to stick a fork in halfway up the layer and eat one bite at a time. On the other hand, if you want to avoid crumbling when you put a knife into the cake while it is still upright, you can put the knife and the fork between the knife and the fork and tip the cake toward the back. Then, cut it into bite-sized pieces starting from the front left side for a clean eating experience.
Cream puffs are eaten in bite-size pieces of puff pastry and cream.
First, I will start with the case where cutlery such as a fork and knife are provided. If the puff pastry is sliced at the top and bottom, take the top piece of pastry and tear it into bite-sized pieces. Put a scoop of cream on the torn dough with the cutlery provided, and bring it to your mouth with your hands. The bottom half of the cream puff is cut into bite-sized pieces, starting from the front left. For the cream puffs without the puff pastry skin, insert a knife horizontally into the upper third of the cream puff and cut off the top part that serves as the lid. The rest is the same as described above.
If you do not have cutlery, tear off the top of the puff pastry into bite-sized pieces by hand, dip them in cream, and eat. Then, when only the bottom half is left, you can hold it in your hand and bring it to your mouth to prevent the cream from spilling out,” he says.
If the cream puffs are individually wrapped, eat them in a way that does not require cutlery.
Cut pancakes into bite-sized pieces for each portion to be eaten, and eat with toppings.
The basic rule is to cut the pancake into bite-sized pieces starting from the front left side, but there is no correct way to eat pancakes. There is no correct way to eat pancakes. You can eat them however you like. However, most of the people at the restaurant ask you to eat the pancakes together with the cream and toppings. Also, the way to eat pancakes may vary depending on the thickness of each pancake. For example, if one pancake is not too thick, you can eat two pancakes together. On the other hand, if the pancake is thicker, it is easier to cut each pancake into bite-sized pieces.
However, do not eat all the toppings first, or do not cut up the entire piece first. Instead, cut the pancake into portions and eat the toppings together with the pancake, appreciating and savoring the ingredients.
Manners to know at the Afternoon Tea table
Finally, let us introduce the etiquette of afternoon tea, which is often used as a girls’ night out or a small treat event. Originally a British aristocratic custom, afternoon tea is a tea party where light snacks and sweets are served with tea in the afternoon. Following this tradition, it is a good idea to be aware of how to drink tea as well as sweets.
If you want to pour the tea yourself, say, “Thank you very much. If you want to pour the tea in your own time, say, ‘I will pour it myself, thank you. Refills are usually poured by yourself. When drinking tea, do not lift the saucer. Lift only the cup and drink. However, if there is a distance between you and the table, lift the saucer as well. When using a teaspoon, move it vertically up and down rather than twirling it around in the cup, and place it behind the cup when finished. The first cup of tea should be served when everyone has had their fill. If a superior person is present, start drinking after that person drinks,” he says.
Now, let’s talk about the fun part: the food. For formal afternoon tea, we invite you to our home and serve you from a sandwich. The “Three Tiers” stand, which you often see in hotels, is a simplified version for serving in hotels. Here we will show you how to eat a sandwich served in a “three-tier” stand.
The bottom of the Three Tiers is the sandwich, the middle is the scone, and the top is the sweet. The order of eating is from bottom to top. If there are several kinds on one plate, you may eat from the one you like, but if you eat from the one with the lighter color and flavor, you will be considered a person who knows how to enjoy eating. Sandwiches should be eaten directly with the hands if they are bite-sized. At this time, be careful not to put the half-eaten piece back on the plate, but to eat it up. If a larger plate and a knife and fork are provided, you may place the sandwich on your plate and eat it with your hands. If it is too large, you may cut it into bite-sized pieces with a knife, or you may tear it into bite-sized pieces with your hands and bring it straight to your mouth. How you choose to eat it is your choice. If you are not sure what to do, feel free to do the same as those around you,” he says.
Next, how should we eat scones, which tend to fall apart?
When eating a scone, take it to your plate and break it horizontally up and down with both hands. When the scones are cold, they are harder to break, so break them while they are still warm. If you have a knife and fork, you can use them if you have them. Then use a spoon to transfer the clotted cream (a cream that is somewhere between butter and whipped cream) and jam to your plate, spread a bite of each, and eat. And finally, eat your sweet treat.
Tea is the star of the afternoon tea experience. You want to taste a variety of teas. Whether you are having a sandwich, a scone, or a sweet, choose the tea of your choice to match the menu and enjoy it.
With the popularity of social networking sites, many beautifully decorated and gorgeous sweets are now available. Why don’t you take the pastry chef’s idea into account and enjoy them while keeping their beautiful appearance?
Interview and text by Yoshiko Tezuka
Illustrations by Tomoko Shinozuka
Hiroko Nishidethree
We spoke with…
Manner consultant. With the motto of “Sincerity in Manners®”, he has taught manners to actors, athletes, and celebrities for NHK historical dramas, movies, and commercials, and has also covered the manners of the Imperial Family. She has also supervised and written more than 100 books, which have sold more than 1 million copies. The know-how that Ms. Nishide imparts can be easily incorporated into daily life and work, and is popular for its highly convincing content.
For more information about Ms. Hiroko Nishide, please visitOfficial Siteand,InstagramThe information is updated as needed on the following website.
