Is chicken considered something which is eaten with a fork?

 

Question:

Is chicken considered something which is eaten with a fork? (and therefore if it is wet you still do not need to wash your hands for it)?

My dilemma is that on the one hand it’s probably “proper” to eat it with a fork, but I often see people eventually eating part of it with their hands… (Which would maybe mean that if it’s wet you have to wash before eating it)…

 

Answer:

If the chicken was boiled in water or fried in oil, or cooked in any other one of the seven liquids that are able to become impure, which are water, wine, oil, milk (not applicable), dew, honey, and blood (not applicable) and it’s regularly eaten with one’s hands, you would have to wash before.

However, if it was not cooked in one of the above mentioned liquids but in its own liquid or broiled or even if it was cooked in those liquids but it’s often eaten with a fork or a spoon (like in a soup), you don’t need to wash before, even if you were to eat it with your hands.

 

Sources:

כללות הגדר – ראה סדר נט”י כב, שאם נאכל פעמים רבות בכף סגי שלא להצריכו נטילה, ורק כשלעולם אינו נאכל בכף צריך נטילה. וילע״ע.

ובנוגע לנדו״ד, ראה שם כ, שנז׳ דוגמא מבשר מבושל. וכ”ה בתשוה”ג הובא בכה”ח קנח, נח.

 

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