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Do vegans need to own a fork?

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 3:06 pm
by Jebus
Apart from twirling the spaghetti, I see no use of owning a fork. Meat eaters use forks to hold the meat still while they cut it with a knife, so I somewhat see why they also use it to eat rice and other foods that are much easier eaten with a spoon. However, other than habit and ridiculous etiquette rules, is there any reason to use a fork?

Re: Do vegans need to own a fork?

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 5:49 pm
by brimstoneSalad
Forks are more useful than spoons for awkward items like green beans.
They're often cut too long to fit into your mouth at just any angle, so you need to manipulate the angle of entry more, which forks are good at doing with lower risk of dropping.

Forks are also good for stackable items, like sliced squash, where a bite may be inadequate if relying on a single slice which a spoon can convey.

Forks are also nearly essential for foldable items, like greens or long beans which may hang down from a spoon and slop your chin with a greasy kiss on the way in. A fork can pin it in half or thirds to prevent this. Alternatively, a fork can lift the item above your head as you tilt your mouth up, and lower it into your mouth, unlike a spoon which is liable to release it onto your face.

If you're cutting up all of your veggies very small (pea sized, for instance) in food preparation, then a fork has few if any benefits over a spoon, unless you're trying to eat them from liquid and you don't want the liquid too. Or if you don't mind getting food all over your face and lap, but at that point a spoon is useless too and you might as well just put your face in the bowl. ;)

It's when you're dealing with larger pieces that, even without a knife, a fork makes them more manageable.

It's worth noting that chop sticks can do pretty much anything a fork can uniquely do if you know how to use them (they have the ability to spear things too, and can grasp things into a folded position). But they are limited in their ability to scoop smaller pieces; a fork can serve dual purpose and cover much of what a spoon is good at as well.

Re: Do vegans need to own a fork?

Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2016 7:39 pm
by miniboes
I always use a fork, almost exclusively for the purpose of pushing stuff onto my spoon. Sometimes 'cutting' falafel and other soft stuff with the side. I could use something else for this purpose, but a fork has some additional benefits, as Brimstone points out.

Re: Do vegans need to own a fork?

Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 6:47 am
by charlotte-reva
I eat with myfingers ! no need for an aggresive ugly metal object!

Re: Do vegans need to own a fork?

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2017 7:16 pm
by ModVegan
miniboes wrote:I always use a fork, almost exclusively for the purpose of pushing stuff onto my spoon. Sometimes 'cutting' falafel and other soft stuff with the side. I could use something else for this purpose, but a fork has some additional benefits, as Brimstone points out.
I use a fork to eat {vegan} ice cream. I only use spoons for removing sauces from jars, lol. For some reason my husband uses a spoon for everything, which drives me crazy.

I also love chopsticks. I've never tried eating ice cream with them, but I probably could :D

Re: Do vegans need to own a fork?

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 6:15 pm
by Sapphire Lightning
Seitan, pasta, stir fries (unless you use chopsticks), salad, tempeh. I use a fork more often than I use a spoon. I almost never have to use a knife tho.

Re: Do vegans need to own a fork?

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:39 am
by cornivore
Jebus wrote: Sat Oct 15, 2016 3:06 pm Do vegans need to own a fork?
Not if you rent one at a restaurant.

Well, I'll use them more for cooking, like to hold a potato or beet while peeling it (without skinning my fingers), or a large one to check if those are cooked thoroughly (without getting my hand too close to the heat).