In some countries, using bread to ‘mop’ your plate is considered rather uncouth. In the UK, for example, polishing your plate in this fashion might (if you’re somewhere posh) be met with raised eyebrows or an ironic command to ‘leave the pattern on the plate’.

In France, this action is more common, in fact there is even a verb to describe ‘mopping up sauce with bread’ – it is ‘saucer’ – pronounced saw-say – and mopping your plate in this way is ‘saucer son assiette’.

So does that mean it’s OK?

Well, it’s certainly widely seen – if you’re eating in a restaurant you can virtually guarantee that the meal will come with a basket of sliced baguette, unless you’re somewhere very posh indeed (think Michelin-starred dining).

You might be surprised that the another custom is to leave the bread on the table, rather than the plate. 

The bread is also supposed to be eaten as an accompaniment to the starter and the main course and if the meal has a lot of sauce it’s very common to see people using their bread to mop it.

Some meals – like moules marinières – virtually demand a bit of bread mopping otherwise that delicious wine/garlic/herb sauce will go to waste.

If you’re having dinner in a French home it’s not unusual to see people mop up the sauce with their bread and it can even be seen as a compliment to the cook; their sauce is so delicious you don’t want to waste a single drop.

And when is it not OK?

But if you consult French etiquette manuals you will find some that suggest that in ‘polite’ company, it’s better to avoid the saucer.

Although even here it tends to be a suggestion rather than a command, such as this one which comments: “It is recommended not to mop your plate, however if the sauce is divine you could discretely put a small piece of bread on your fork and use it to mop up.”

French etiquette expert Vivianne Neri says: “It depends on the circumstances, whether it’s a formal or informal meal, with family or friends. Who you’re with, what generation, what social class and what ethnic origin. All these factors come into play.

“There are still people who will judge you on your manners and who basically don’t realise that etiquette is about adapting to the environment around you and the people you’re with.”

She adds: “Above all, it means knowing how to remain elegant and simple in all circumstances” – so try to remain elegant as you scarf down those last drops of sauce.

It’s also a custom that is changing over time as dining becomes less formal – in 2016 the conservative newspaper Le Figaro ran an article entitled ‘Saucer la fin d’un tabou’ (mopping, the end of a taboo).

Therefore you’re likely to find that older people, especially wealthy or aristocratic older people, are more likely to frown upon this – if you’re dining with older French people it might be wise to wait and see if anyone else does it.

Other faux pas

If you read French guides to table manners you will see many other faux pas that rank much higher than bread-mopping.

These include, but are very much not limited to; putting your elbows on the table, spreading foie gras or cheese (they are supposed to be placed on the bread, not spread like margarine), using a knife to cut salad (salad and asparagus should be eaten with a fork only, you fold the leave if they are too big), eating pizza or burgers with your hands or requesting ketchup with a steak. 

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In short

Basically if you’re dining with royalty, your potential future French mother-in-law or at the Elysée Palace then maybe avoid mopping – otherwise, go right ahead. Life is too short to leave a good sauce uneaten.