Are Hands and Feet Acceptable at the table???
In some sense, the strict upbringing many of us were forced to endure is thrown out the window. Elbows on the table at dinner and not having one hand in your lap at all times are not burn-at-the-stake type of infractions that they were for some of us growing up.
Instead, Spaniards tend to eat their meat in a much more comfortable manner: fork in left hand, knife in right; slice the meat; stick it with the fork; and lift it to one's mouth with the fork in left hand. This can even be completed while one has a small chunk of bread in the right hand. On the contrary in other Occidental countries, after the meat is cut we've gotta switch it to the right hand and IMMEDIATELY, but discretely, drop the left to our lap.
Whew!
What a difficult and drawn out way to eat!! It's common to see a Spaniard with a hunk of bread in the right hand, meat on a fork in the left, a mouthful of goodies, reaching for a glass of wine, and giving an opinion on some aspect of politics or football.
