When do we eat?
Grrrr. Your stomach is growling. You’re hungry. It’s long past the time
you usually eat. But when do you eat? And how often? And how?
The answers to these questions depend on where you live. When, how
often, and how we eat is a matter of custom. And custom is just a way of
doing something —a way we have decided is best for us.
People in most Western countries eat three times a day. But England is a
Western country, and the English are used to an extra meal. They call it
tea, or tiffin, and have it in the late afternoon. And Norwegians
usually eat four meals—but many farm families in Norway have five
meals a day.
Most Americans and Europeans eat from individual plates and use a knife,
fork, and spoon. But when having a snack, fingers are in order. When the
English stop for some fish and chips— fried fish and French fried
potatoes— they eat with their fingers.
Most Arab families eat from a common, central bowl. They eat only with
the right hand, whether they use fingers or spoons. The left hand is
considered unclean. Japanese and Chinese pick up their food with
chopsticks. They don’t need knives. Their food is prepared in small
pieces.
