On replacing forks and chopsticks with pincers
While on a trip through the Baltic States, I recently visited the small country of Estonia. They excel in many things, some of which more famous (e-government) and some others less (the surprisingly excellent culinary scene). However one simple thing blew my mind recently.
After a stroll through the Tallinn Old Town on a casual cocktail-filled Wednesday night..
I stumbled into another typical snack bar offering steak slices, churros, olives and many Asian-inspired bites.
I was served food not with chopsticks as usual, but chef’s pincers!
So instead of two wooden sticks which slip and move around, I got a metal set of pincers. To say that this makes eating all sorts of food easier is an understatement.
The pincers have a good grip, are easy to manoeuvre and are the right size and weight. They make it so much easier to eat anything from sushi to chicken wings. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Estonia to try out the chef’s pincers, which seemed to be quite common across snack bars and you will not be disappointed.
I understand that cultural associations of chopsticks with sushi and other Asian foods, however I truly believe that it’s time to accept innovation in the field of eating utensils and not be limited by the 14th century fork or the traditional wooden chopsticks.
Is the future of cuisine pincers?
The jury is still out on that one, but I would not be surprised if more and more restaurants in the UK start to adopt this Estonian trend. I know it seems quite a simple thing to be wowed by, but I seriously recommend getting your hands on some pincers and trying them out yourself. The tactile experience is really something, at least for me. Who knows, maybe I’m exaggerating or maybe in a few years we will all be eating with pincers!
