Steps in Dining Etiquette

Dining etiquette occupies a very important place in the complete order of life of the Chinese, who believe that dining is not only a way to satisfy basic physiological needs - it is also a social experience of the first importance. For this reason, it is especially important to have knowledge of certain Chinese dining rules, whether you are the host or just a guest.

● Round tables are quite popular. Because more people can be seated and everyone can sit facing each other, the head of the family is not as clearly recognized by his seat as he is at a long Western table. Guests should wait for the host's invitation before sitting down. The host must be careful not to ask the guest to sit *near* the seat where the food is served. This is a big no-no.

It is important to wait until everyone is present before starting any kind of meal - even if someone is late. Once everyone is seated, the host family can make the opening remarks. During the meal, the host must assume a proactive role - it is perfectly reasonable to urge guests to eat and drink to their heart's content.

●A typical Chinese dining table looks rather empty, especially to Western eyes. A bowl resting on a plate is visible in front of each seat; to the right is a set of chopsticks and spoons on their respective seats. On formal occasions, napkins are present, mainly in the lap.

At formal banquets, dishes are eaten much like a slide show, one dish at a time. Surprisingly, rice is not served with the dishes, although there is an option to eat with them. Since the dishes are each unique, they should be tasted individually, and only one at a time from the bowl, not a mixture. It may not be eaten from a plate, only from a bowl. Bones and shells are served on individual plates. Unclean plates must always be replaced with clean ones.

●Chopsticks are used for everything on the table except soup. Knives may be provided, but as a Chinese, it is best to use chopsticks. Chopsticks are a tool for eating, so never play with them - it's very rude to use them as drumsticks, and it's not acceptable to point or gesture at people with them. Of course, one should never suck on the chopsticks or stick them in the rice, which is a big no-no - this is just like joss sticks at a funeral, which is considered unlucky. Also, you should not use chopsticks to flick through a dish, but should first use your eyes to see what you want to eat. When you use chopsticks to pick up a piece of food, try to avoid touching other food. If possible, use the chopsticks and spoon next to you. Put your chopsticks back in their holders when you are finished eating or picking up food.

●A Chinese meal is not formal without tea. For this reason, it is wise to store as many different varieties of tea as possible, to ensure that the most astute tastes are taken care of. There are a few key things to keep in mind when it comes to tea. The person seated nearest the teapot should be responsible for pouring the tea for the others as well as for themselves - the order of pouring should be according to age, from the oldest to the youngest, and finally for themselves. When someone pours tea for you, it is etiquette to tap the table with your finger as a sign of gratitude and respect to the person who poured the tea.

Dining for home life is a top priority, reflecting personal qualities and tastes

Eyes on the food to move chopsticks

The order of pouring tea is very delicate, first the eldest and then the youngest, the first woman and then the man

The reasons for the feast are both joyful and sad

Chinese people have always been "food first", in addition to food to meet the basic needs of the human being, but also adhering to the traditional customs, the gathering at the table to eat a lot of food. The reason for having a banquet can be to celebrate a good day or a bad day. The reason for having a feast can be for celebration or for mourning. Whenever there is a Lunar New Year, a wedding, or a Chinese festival such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese people will gather all the family members together at the dinner table to celebrate the festivities; but on the other hand, if someone passes away, the bereaved family will set up a "relief wine" after the funeral to invite relatives and friends attending the funeral to express their gratitude, which shows that the Chinese people attach great importance to the gathering of people together at the dinner table to share their joys and sorrows. The Chinese attach great importance to sharing joys and sorrows at the dinner table.

Zaojun

The Chinese not only respect the art and etiquette of eating, but also worship Zaojun, which is derived from the god of fire. They believe that "Zaojun" can protect the kitchen from fires and all kinds of unfortunate events. On the 24th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar every year, every family prepares a delicious meal to honor "Zaojun", including a whole chicken, roasted pig, a variety of vegetables, rice, etc., in order to thank "Zaojun to thank "Zaojun" for his blessings in the past year. They usually place the dining table in front of Zaojun, put the food on the left side of the table and offer it for several hours before taking it away.

What does eating etiquette have to do with superstition?

Guests dining with a traditional Chinese family must respect their culture, etiquette and customs, and take care not to violate various taboos when eating, as the Chinese believe that food and drink are almost closely related to one's destiny, and that violating taboos when eating will bring bad luck. For example, eating fish, when finished eating one side of the body of the fish, do not use chopsticks to turn the whole fish to the other side, they believe that if the fish turn over the fish break the body of the fish, it means that the fishing boat will be capsized and sunk, this is due to the opening of Hong Kong in the early days of the port is a fishing port, the fishermen are very concerned about the safety of the ship navigation; In addition, the Chinese never served seven dishes with rice, because after the funeral of the "solution to the consolation of liquor "There must be seven plates of dishes; chopsticks should not be inserted vertically into the center of the bowl of rice, because it is a bit like paying homage to ancestors; after eating, do not say "I'm done eating", which means that they are dead and will not have another chance to eat, but should say "I'm full! "; Avoid touching the chopsticks to the rice bowl and make a sound when eating, this is not only rude, but also means "no food"; To cultivate the habit of eating all the rice in the bowl, not a single grain of rice left in the rice bowl, or else future wives or husbands will be "pimple-faced", and do not respect the farmers who have worked hard to cultivate the land. These superstitious dietary practices have been passed down to the present day and are still more or less part of the Chinese dietary rituals.

Examples of dining customs

In terms of the way of meals, the Chinese and Westerners are a bit different, Westerners like to taste the food placed in front of their own, the Chinese have a certain dining regulations, they like to call a number of plates of delicacies, placed in the center of the dinner table, each with a bowl of rice **** with the matching? These several plates of dishes, rice can be added again after eating; clip up the dishes usually have to be placed in their own rice bowls, directly into the mouth of the dishes is not polite; in accordance with the customary guests to attend a formal or traditional dinner, is not eaten on the table of the dishes, so as not to make the host family mistakenly think that the dishes are not enough to prepare, and therefore feel embarrassed.

Table setting

The daily meal is served with a rice bowl, a pair of chopsticks, a spoon, and a dish of sauce at each table, and a hot towel is usually given to the guest in place of a paper napkin to wipe his hands and mouth after the meal. All dishes are brought to the center of the table at the same time, and each person uses their own chopsticks to pick up food directly from the dishes on each plate; a large pot of soup is brought to the table, and each person drinks from the same pot of soup. Guests can also use their chopsticks to take food directly from each dish; soup is served in a big pot and everyone drinks the soup together. Since Chinese people like to enjoy their food as a whole, most of their tables are round or square, rather than the long ones used in the West.

How to call a Chinese meal

First call a cold dish to stimulate the appetite, then call a pot of soup, hot soup helps to increase body temperature, after drinking hot soup, then begin to taste the main dish, usually in accordance with their own tastes called the main dish, but it is necessary to call a dish of full of spicy dishes, to be considered as a suitable Chinese meal, spicy dishes with? Light white rice, so that the dishes spicy and mild, white rice light and fragrant; a meal of the finale food is dessert, usually sweet soup, such as red bean paste, sesame paste, etc., but also other types, such as pudding, pancakes, ice cream, etc., also sweet and savory.

The way to eat

To wait for the hot soup to become a little cooler and not lose the taste of soup in the mouth, should be a small sip of the spoon sip out of the sound of the drink; as for the meal, to lift the bowl of rice close to the lips, using chopsticks to push the rice into the mouth, this is one of the easiest way to eat, but also said that like to eat that meal; if you do not lift the bowl of rice, that is to say, dissatisfied with the dishes on the dinner table.

Feasts

The Chinese rarely drink during their daily meals, but wine plays an important role in their feasts. At the beginning of a banquet, the host family must first toast to the guests, and then the guests' interest in drinking will come to life. Beer or soda can be used to toast to the guests, and it is only polite to add wine or soda to others first, and then add it to yourself, and to add it until it is almost full to show respect for the other party and friendship, and the host family has to get drunk on the guests as much as possible to make the toast polite. If you don't want to drink, you should make it clear at the beginning of the party to avoid an embarrassing scene.

The end of the banquet

When the guests have finished the last dish, the banquet is officially over, and the main character of the host family will stand up to indicate that the banquet has come to an end, and will stand at the door to say "good night" to each of the guests, and then settle the bill with the restaurant manager, while the rest of the host family sends the guests off to their cars, waving goodbye and seeing off the guests. The other members of the host family will escort the guests to the car, wave goodbye and watch the car drive away.

Dishes

Most Chinese dishes do not consist of just one ingredient, but usually have other accompaniments or toppings that complement the main dish to create a dish that is full of color and flavor. For example, when cooking pork, crisp greens, such as celery or bell peppers, are used to set off the pink, tender pork. A meal will not be only one dish, usually at the same time on the two, or even four dishes, and each dish should be colorful and flavorful, on the order of the dishes on the collocation as the main theme, usually the same kind of dishes will be served at the same time, not before and after the end of the separate, in short, the whole meal should be coordinated to achieve the collocation.

Drinks

Tea is the daily drink of the Chinese, and soup is the best drink with their meals. On special days or occasions, the Chinese will drink wine or spirits, but not water, unlike Westerners. Chinese tea is the main drink in teahouses, and although there are other drinks available, they consider tea to be the most refreshing and invigorating drink, especially after eating greasy dim sum, which helps to wash away the grease. Each table is supplied with one or two teapots, and can be added to the drink, the guest only need to open the lid of the teapot and placed on the top of the pot, there will be a waiter to come to add the boiling water; regardless of how many tea cups with the seat, one of them can be poured for the others, but remember to pour for others first, and finally for their own poured, which is in line with the etiquette. Teahouse with different kinds of tea, guests can choose according to personal preference.