Kushat' vs. Est'

[upthera44.livejournal.com]

What are the differences in usage between кушать и есть?  

Comments

Вкушать - enjoy the fruits of something

[lion-casserole.livejournal.com]

.
There are many verbs in Russian to describe this action. From the top of the meaning (just to show the major difference)

есть (to eat) - to eat to appease one's hunger, to absorb the food
кушать (to eat) - to eat for/with pleasure

There is a joke in Russian. A man in a restaurant is speaking to a waiter:

- Неси, для начала, литр водки.
- А кушать что будете?
- Вот ее, родимую, и буду кушать.

One could replace the verb "кушать" with "жрать" ("жрать" means "to gorge", "to eat with no respect to others nor to the food"), this change is possible in Russian, while no one would use the verb "есть" in this context):

- Неси, для начала, литр водки.
- А жрать что будешь?
- Вот ее, родимую, и буду жрать.