Eating Potato Chips with a fork

So, this guy I work with is Vietnamese and was eating a bag of Lay's potato chips with a fork. Not like stabbing them.... just putting the chip between two prongs of the fork.

He said that it's common in his culture. He wouldn't elaborate on why... the only thing I can think of is not getting grease on your fingers.

Has anyone ever heard of this? It seems so very odd to me.

edit: I found this through google:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/announcement ... 218797.php

But it's just about not getting the keyboard greasy. Nothing about Vietnamnese custom. I think my coworker was just joking. But I'm going to keep the thread intact because the title is making me laugh.

When I read potato chips, I thought fries or something or chips you get with your steak... then I read they are chips out of a packet and it just sounds really stupid...

silly Viets.

maybe he imagines the 2 prongs of the fork as mini-chopsticks?

Well that seems like the best way to do it yeah...

But the space between the prongs of a fork is much wider than a standard potato chip - I can't even envision it.

I'm instantly reminded of the Seinfeld episode where Snickers bars are eaten with a knife and fork.

Perhaps I'm just completely lacking in etiquette but I believe potato chips are one of those foods along with pizza, meat pies and sausage rolls that are socially acceptable to eat with one's hands rather than cutlery.

I agree with Andrew on this one. Some foods are not made for using utensils. Chips are on that list. And i dont care how big or how deep dish your pizza is, figure it out and use your hands. It may be messy but thats half the fun.

I eat potato chips with a fork but to be fair they're crushed and sprinkled on spaghetti. Apparently it is popular to do this in the States. I was inspired to do such an act when I was watching the news and saw something about a new culinary revolution using potato chips as toppings on food. That's fusion cuisine for you!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_chip

In American cuisine, a whole class of recipes exists that use crushed potato chips, often as one would use seasoned bread crumbs. Recipes include those for cookies, pies, breadings for meatloaves and hamburgers, crumb toppings for casseroles and soups, and in sauces or dips, among others.

In American cuisine, a whole class of recipes exists that use crushed potato chips, often as one would use seasoned bread crumbs.

Another contributing factor to America's obesity problem?

what the hell? this guy needs to learn that the only proper way to eat chips is to grab a handful and cram as much as you can into your mouth at one time