fries? really? yep.
french fries are very common down here in brazil. they are found quite frequently as a side dish. especially in restaurants that charge by the kilo, barbeques, and many other places.
i've never really considered fries as a side dish, i've just considered them as well... fries.
but... before you dig in, here's something you should know. since it is viewed as a side dish down here, it's very common that if they end up on a plate that you'll eat them with your fork. so much for finger foods! respect your fries!
make sure that you do NOT come off as a neanderthal when in brazil (and most other parts of south america as well) and start munching those things with your hands. down here we eat them with a fork. now, we're talkin' fancy!
there is an exception to this rule of course. if you pick them up at a fast food joint (mcdonalds, bobs, etc.) apparently, the rules change and it is ok for you to eat them with your hands. i can almost guarantee you, this will be the minority of times you will eat fries here.
remember: if on a plate, eat them with your fork. if served from a fast food joint, go for it like you just got out of the wild.
hey hey, just because everyone does it X way doesn't mean you have to, especially with small things as fries!! I've actually seen others eat fries, fried polenta, fried manioc with their hands too, either at a bar or resto. not often, but if i wash my hands, i do too. and besides, brasilians use toothpics not forks at bars!! well i haven't witnessed every single french fry consumed, but at bars they never provide forks :P i think it's more of a sanitation thing, Americans are a little more dirty and forget that the hands have been many places. i guess it's best to go to a bar with a wash station if youre a handler. hey, so do you eat your pizza with a fork and knife too? NEVER! im infectious and have turned many a brasilian onto the hand-held-pizza way of life, at least when i make pizza in my house ;)
ReplyDeletehahah good point. and trust me the observations and tips are only recommendations. i still eat the food the same way i was born and raised... and yes, that includes eating pizza with my hands. then again i also do not put ketchup on my pizza either. and yeah, toothpicks is definitely at the bar, but at restaurants per kilo, churrascarias, etc... definitely more common to eat fries with forks. however, last time i went to eat sushi they only gave us forks and no chopsticks. i realize thats the specific restaurant we went to, but that is just wrong.
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