Chinesefoodisfamousaroundtheworld.IfyouareinChinaandgooutwithyourChinesefriendtoadinner,youmaywanttoknow……TableMannersinChina----ByJoannaLiuSeatingBeforedinnerTablewareFoodEatingetiquetteDrinks&toastSmokingPayforbillInvitedtoafriend’shomeSeatingInChina,it’snecessarytoknowhowtopickupyourseatatthetable.Ifyouarenotsurewhattodo,justwaitthehosttotell.Differentfromthewestern,tablesinChinaareusuallyround.Normally,theseatfacingthedoor(seat1)isforthehostorthehostess.Atasmalltable,theseatrightacrossofthehostseat,thebackofwhichisfacingthedoor(seat2),istheseatforthemainguest.Butwhenit’sabiggertable,thehostorhostessandmainguestcanjustsitsidebysidetomakeiteasierforthemtotalk.(seat3or4forthemainguest.)BeforedinnerTheelderlyorguest(s)ofhonourareusuallythefirsttostartthemeal.Beforethat,youhavetowait.Beforedinner,you’llbeservedbyacupoftea.TeaTeaisforrinsingthemouth,whichmeansmakingyourmouthreadyforeating.TablewareDifferentfromthewest,Chinesefoodisusuallycutintopropersizeswhencooking,soyoudon’thavetousefolksorknivestoeatthem.Asaresult,you’llusedifferenttablewarewhenyouenjoyChinesefood.TablewareTablesettingChopsticksTablesettingTablesettingTablesettingChopsticksChopsticksisthemaintoolforeating.ChopsticksChopsticksshouldalwaysbeheldcorrectly,i.e.betweenthethumbandfirsttwofingersoftherighthand.ChopsticksChopsticksaretraditionallyheldintherighthandonly,evenfortheleft-handed.Oneexplanationforthetreatmentofsuchusageasimproperisthatwithintheconfinesofaroundtablethismaybeinconvenient.Here’ssomeothertipsforusingchopstickscorrectly.TipsforusingchopsticksWhennotinuse,chopsticksmustalwaysbeplacedneatlyonthetablewithtwostickslyingtidilynexttoeachotheratbothends.Crossingthemisrude.TipsforusingchopsticksNeverpointthechopsticksatanotherperson.Thisamountstoinsultingthatperson.TipsforusingchopsticksNeversuckthechopsticks.TipsforusingchopsticksNeverbangchopstickslikedrumsticks.Thisisakintotellingothersatthetableyouareabeggar.TipsforusingchopsticksDecidewhattopickupbeforereachingwithchopsticks,insteadofhoveringthemoverorrummagingthroughdishes.TipsforusingchopsticksWhenpickingupapieceoffood,neverusethetipsofyourchopstickstopokethroughthefoodaswithafork;exceptionsincludetearingapartlargeritemssuchasvegetables.TipsforusingchopsticksNeverstabchopsticksverticallyintoabowlofrice,asthisresemblesincensesticksusedattemplestopayrespectstothedeceased.Thisisconsideredtheultimatedinnertablefauxpas.TipsforusingchopsticksDon’tusechopstickstomovebowlorplate.TipsforusingcommunalchopsticksWhentherearecommunalchopsticks,usethemtotransferfoodfromacommondishtoone'sownplateorbowl.Whencommunalchopsticksarenotprovided,itisconsideredpolite(andsanitary)tousethebluntendofone'sownchopstickstoserveaguestbytransferringfoodfromthecommondishtoaguest'splateorbowl.FoodThemaindifferencebetweenChineseandwesteatinghabits,whereeveryonehastheirownplateoffood,isthatinChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeverybodyshares.FoodIfyouarebeingtreatedbyaChinesehost,bepreparedforatonoffood.●Chineseareveryproudoftheircultureoffoodandwilldotheirbesttogiveyouatasteofmanydifferenttypesofcuisine.FoodAmongfriends,theywilljustorderenoughforthepeoplethere.Usuallytheywillorderonemoredishthanthenumberofguests(e.g.fourpeople,fivedishes).FoodIfitisabusinessdinneroraveryformaloccasion,thereislikelytobeahugeamountoffoodthatwillbeimpossibletofinish.FoodAtypicalChinesemealconsistsof:ColddishesMaincoursesSoupThestarchy“staple”foodSnackanddessertFruitColddishesAtypicalmealstartswithsomecolddishes,likeboiledpeanuts,smashedcucumber,reddates&beansandChickenLegs.They’relikeappetizerinthewest.ColddishesColddishesareusuallyservedbeforedinner,butdon’teatbeforedinnerstart.MaindishesColddishesarefollowedbythemaincourses,hotmeatandvegetabledishes.Pork&beefMaindishesMeatballsMaindishesChicken&duckMaindishesVegetableMaindishesSeafoodSoupThen,soupisbroughtout.Thestarchy“staple”foodSoupisfollowedbythestarchy"staple"food,whichisusuallyriceornoodlesorsometimesdumplings.Thestarchy“staple”foodManyChineseeatrice(ornoodlesorwhatever)last,butifyouliketohaveyourricetogetherwithotherdishes,youshouldsaysoearlyon.SnacksanddessertSometimesthey’llbereplacedbysnacksanddessertlikebaozi,dabingorcakes.FruitSometimes,somefruitwillbeserved.EatingetiquetteGenerally,ChinesetablemannersaremoreinformalthantheWest,althoughtherearemorerulesconcerninginteractionswithotherguests.EatingetiquetteChinesetrendtotalkloudlyduringthedinneranddifferentfromthewest,talkingwithafullmouthisusuallyallowedthoughsomepeoplethinkitisimpolite.Besides,whenyouareeatingordrinking,makesomesoundisallowed.Butplacethechinabowlsandplatesquietly。EatingetiquetteEatingwiththeelbowsonthetableisallowed.Belchisnotgoodbutyoudon’thavetoavoiditintentionally.Wheneatingfoodthatcontainsbones,itiscustomarythatthebonesbespatoutontothediningplateinaneatpile.Spittingontothefloorisalmostneveracceptable.Drinks&toastDrinksplaysanimportantroleinChinesefoodculture.DrinksPouringToastDrinksUsually,bothharddrinkandbeverageareservedthroughoutthemeal.Itiscustomaryforthehosttoinsistthatguestsdrinkto"showfriendship."Iftheguestsprefersnottodrink,theymaysay,"I'munabletodrink,butthankyou."[inChinese:"Wobunenghejiu,xiexie."]DrinksThehostmaycontinuetoinsistthattheguestsdrink,andtheguestsmaylikewisecontinuetoinsistuponbeing"unable"todrink.Thehost'sinsistanceistoshowgenerosity.Therefore,refusalbytheguestsshouldbemadewithutmostpoliteness.DrinksCommonharddrinksindinner:BaijiuHuangjiuWine&beerBaijiuBaijiu,orshaojiu(烧酒)isaChinesedistilledalcoholicbeverage.Thenamebaijiuliterallymeans"whitespirits".Itisusuallydistilledfromsorghum,glutinousrice,orwheat.Baijiuhasagreaterproportionofalcoholthanhuangjiuandwine.Andit’susuallydrankwithsmallercups.HuangjiuHuangjiuisaspecialChinesealcoholicdrink.Itliterallymeans“yellowwine".Itismadeofricewithoutbeingdistilled.Andithasaloweralcoholicstrength(usuallyabout20%).Wine&beerAsinternationaldrinks,wineandbeerarealsoserved.AndwineispopularinChinanow,especiallyamongladies.Beerisusuallyservedinsummer.PouringThehostshouldpourfortheguestsandalwaysmakesureeveryone'scupsarenotemptyforlongtoshowhospitality.Oneshouldnotpourforoneself,butifthirstyoneshouldfirstoffertopourforaneighbor.PouringWhenyourdrinkisbeingpoured,youshouldsay"thankyou".Butifyoudon’twanttodrinkanymore,youcouldsay“haohaohao”or“goulegoule”tostoppouring.ToastDuringthemeal,wemaketoaststomakeafriendlyatmosphere.Toastmeansclinkingtherimofeachother’sglassesandsaying“ganbei”.ToastUsually,thehostsproposeatoasttoalltheguestsandeveryone“ganbei”together.Sometimes,theyoungerorjuniorguestsmaketoaststotheelderlyorsenior.Infact,Ifaguestdrinksalcohol,theguestwillbeexpected[ifnotforced]todrinkaglassofthesamealcoholwitheachsuperioratthattable,andpossiblyatothertablestoo.SmokingSmokingiscustomarywhendining,andthehostwilloftenpassoutcigarettestoall[men]aroundthetable.Iftheguestprefersnottosmoke,she/heshouldpolitelyrefuse(onewouldsay,"Wobuchouyen,xiexie").PayforbillPeoplewillpaythebillafterthemeal.Onpaying,fifty-fiftyisnotwell-accepted.Ifyouwanttoshowyourhospitality,youcantreatthehosttodinnernexttime.Invitedtoafriend’shomeYoudon’thavetoobeyalltheruleswhenyouareinvitedtohavedinnerinafriend’shome.Makeyourselfathomeandyoucanaskwhenyoudon’tknowwhattodo.Justrememberthefollowingtips.Tips1,Agiftisgood,butnotnecessary.2,Thetablemaybesquare.Andtheseatfacingthedoorisstillforthehost(theseniorinthefamily,usuallythefather).3,Talkduringthedinner.4,You’llhaveabowl(forriceandfood),aspoon(forsoup)andchopsticksonly.Remembertheusageofchopsticksmentionedbefore.ThelastadviceIfyoudon’tknowanythingorforgeteverythingabouttablemanners,youcanapologizebeforethemealandobeyinternationalrules.MostChinesewillbeunderstanding.Thankyou!EnjoydeliciousChinesefood!