How to Eat Risotto: Fork or Spoon? Here’s What the Etiquette Says (2024)

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How to Eat Risotto: Fork or Spoon? Here’s What the Etiquette Says? ›

Essentially, risotto is equated with pasta, which is why it is eaten with a fork, a piece of cutlery "dedicated" to this dish: the Italian Academy of Galateo does not only refer to risotto, but to all rice-based preparations that are eaten as a main course.

This spreading out of risotto on a plate – seen as a sacred law by some chefs – is justified on the basis that, when eaten from the outside in with a fork (question: who wants a fork's prongs repeatedly scraping and clanging on porcelain as you eat?), this allows the risotto to cool readily, so that its flavours can ...

It's considered proper etiquette to use a fork to scoop up and enjoy the creamy texture of risotto. Avoid using a knife, as cutting or piling isn't necessary.

Essentially, risotto is equated with pasta, which is why it is eaten with a fork, a piece of cutlery "dedicated" to this dish: the Italian Academy of Galateo does not only refer to risotto, but to all rice-based preparations that are eaten as a main course.

It should be eaten with a fork and not a spoon. In traditional Italian dining, risotto is eaten with a fork to enjoy its creamy texture and individual grains. Using a spoon is not the typical practice.

In the West you really have a choice of eating it with a spoon, chopsticks or a fork. The fork is easiest unless you are good with chopsticks.

Meanwhile, Koreans tend to consume this type of rice either with chopsticks or with a long metal spoon. In Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia and the Philippines, many eat rice using a combination of a spoon and fork.

That's why, in many countries in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines), you eat your meal with a spoon and a fork; the spoon goes in the right hand and the fork goes in the left. You push food onto the spoon and shove it into your mouth. Try it sometime. It's the most efficient way to eat rice.

“The hole in the middle of the spoon allows some of the rice to pass through, making for a smoother stir that's gentler on the grains and results in fewer broken kernels,” she says, adding that too many broken kernels can ruin a risotto. Gorline agrees: “If the rice shatters, it can create an over-starched mess!”.

Always use warm stock.

Warming the broth before adding it to the warm rice coaxes more starch out of each grain of rice and helps prevent it from overcooking. Cool broth takes longer to warm up in the risotto pan and may shock the grain into holding onto its starches while the rice itself continues to cook.

How is risotto traditionally served? ›

It is served on flat dishes and should easily spread out but not have excess watery liquid around the perimeter. It must be eaten at once, as it continues to cook in its own heat, making the grains absorb all the liquid and become soft and dry.

“Don't worry if you don't have a risotto spoon on hand,” Lundberg says. “A rubber spatula can work fine and is also kind to both rice and pot!” Nigel Palmer, Executive R&D Chef with meal kit company Home Chef, says that technique can make up for the hole–as long as you're using wood.

One of the most surefire ways to ruin risotto is by overcooking it. Like pasta, the rice should be al dente—just cooked with a little bite to it. If you can mold your risotto into a shape, you've cooked it too long. When cooking risotto on a stove top, taste it periodically to test its doneness.