China's table manners, seating, toasting, etc.

The problem of catering etiquette has a long history. According to the literature, at least in the Zhou Dynasty, the catering etiquette had formed a fairly perfect system, especially praised by Confucius in the ceremony of offering wine to Lu, which became an important aspect of showing the face of a big country, a state of etiquette and a place of civilization in successive dynasties.

As a tradition of Han nationality, ancient banquet etiquette has its own set of procedures: the host is invited to meet the guests temporarily outside the door. When the guests arrive, they greet each other, introduce them to the living room and provide refreshments. After the guests are seated, guide them to their seats, with the left side facing up, which is regarded as the chief. There are two seats relative to the first seat, three seats under the first seat and four seats under the second seat. When the guests are seated, the host toasts and dishes, and the guests thank each other with gifts. There is also a certain emphasis on serving wine at the dinner: respect the elders and guests first, and then the host. After the banquet, guide the guests to sit in the living room and serve tea until they say goodbye. This traditional banquet etiquette has been preserved in most parts of China, such as Shandong, Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province, and has been reflected in many film and television works.

Influenced by the introduction of western food in Qing dynasty, some western etiquette was also introduced. Such as serving food, serving soup and serving wine, Chinese etiquette is also introduced because of reasonable and hygienic eating methods. The exchange of Chinese and western food culture makes the catering etiquette more scientific and reasonable.

Book a restaurant in advance. When accepting an invitation from others, you should reply as soon as possible. When entering the restaurant, you should be led by the waiter (usher) and don't take a seat rashly. Generally, the chair sits on the left, while the upper seat is the quiet seat farthest from the exit, where you can clearly see the whole audience. When ordering, the number of dishes delivered must match the number of people eating. When you choose to order, you should order in the order of the set meal. Make up in the dressing room when eating, and avoid making up in front of everyone. Things must be arranged in advance to avoid leaving halfway. Don't make any noise. Don't make any noise while eating. Dining speed should be coordinated between host and guest. Pay attention to the lipstick mark left on the edge of the cup. Don't scratch your head Don't fiddle with knives and forks. Modern Chinese banquet etiquette is developed on the basis of continuing the tradition and drawing lessons from foreign etiquette. Its seating is based on the principle of the highest right in western banquets. The first guest sits on the host's right, and the second guest sits on the host's left or the first guest's right. The wine is served on the guest's right, first the guest of honor, then the host, first the female guest, then the male guest. Pour eight cents of wine, not too full. The order of serving is still traditional, cold first and then hot. Hot dishes should be placed on the left side of the seat opposite the guest of honor; Serve single dishes or side dishes, pre-dinner snacks, whole chicken, whole duck and whole fish and other plastic dishes, without head and tail facing the theme. These procedures can not only make the whole banquet process harmonious and orderly, but also reflect and communicate the identity and feelings of the host and guests. Therefore, the etiquette above the table can make the banquet activities complete and comprehensive, and make the cultivation of both the host and the guest fully displayed.

Table manners play a very important role in the complete life order of China people. They believe that dining is not only a way to meet basic physiological needs-it is also a first-class social experience. Therefore, it is particularly important to master some Chinese catering rules. Whether you are the host or just a guest, you should master some rules.

● The round dining table is very popular. Because there are many people who can sit, and everyone can sit face to face, the identity of the head of the family is not clearly determined by his seat on the western-style long table. Guests should wait for the host's invitation before taking their seats. The host must be careful not to let the guests sit near the serving table. This is a big no-no.

You must wait until everyone arrives before you can start any kind of dining activities-even if someone is late. Once everyone is in place, the host family can make the opening remarks. In the process of eating, the host must play a proactive role-it is completely reasonable to urge the guests to eat and drink to their fullest.

The typical dining table in China looks quite empty, especially in the eyes of westerners. You can see a bowl on the plate in front of each seat; On the right is a set of chopsticks and spoons, which are placed in their respective seats. On formal occasions, napkins will appear, mainly on the knees.

At a formal banquet, dishes are eaten like slides, one dish at a time. Surprisingly, rice and vegetables are different, but you can choose to eat them together. Because the dishes have their own characteristics, you should taste them separately, and you can only eat one from the bowl at a time, and you can't mix them. Don't eat with plates, just use bowls. Bones and crustaceans are placed in different plates. Dirty dishes must be replaced with clean ones.

● Chopsticks are used for all food on the table except soup. Knives may be provided, but as a person from China, it is best to use chopsticks. Chopsticks are tools for eating, so don't play-it's very impolite to use chopsticks as chicken legs, and you can't point or gesture with chopsticks. Of course, you must never suck chopsticks or stick them in rice. This is a big taboo-like incense sticks at a funeral, it is considered unlucky. Besides, you shouldn't keep turning around in a plate with chopsticks. You should look at the food you want to take with your eyes first. When you pick up a piece of food with chopsticks, try to avoid touching other foods. If possible, use chopsticks and spoons around you. After eating or taking food, put the chopsticks back in the chopsticks holder.

● Chinese restaurants are informal without tea. Therefore, it is wise to store different kinds of tea as much as possible to ensure that the most acute taste is taken care of. There are several points to pay attention to about tea. From the oldest to the youngest, and finally pour yourself.

When someone pours tea for you, it is polite to tap on the table with your fingers, which is to show your gratitude and respect to the tea pourer. use

Dining is the most important thing in home life, reflecting personal quality and taste.

Keep your eyes on the food before moving chopsticks.

The order of pouring tea is very particular, first long and then young, first female and then male.

The reasons for the banquet are complicated.

People in China always put food first. Diet not only meets people's basic needs, but also inherits the traditional custom of eating a big meal at the table. The reason for holding a banquet can be celebration or sadness. Every Chinese New Year, wedding, Mid-Autumn Festival and other China festivals. In China, people gather at the dinner table to celebrate this festival. On the other hand, if someone dies, the family of the deceased will hold a "comfort wine" after the funeral to entertain the relatives and friends who attended the funeral and express their gratitude. It can be seen that China people attach great importance to sharing joys and sorrows before gathering at the dinner table.

Guests who eat at the same table with traditional China families must respect their culture, etiquette and customs, and be careful not to violate all kinds of taboos when eating, because China people think that diet is almost closely related to their personal fate, and if they violate taboos when eating, it will lead to bad luck. For example, when eating fish, don't use chopsticks to turn the whole fish upside down and clip it to the other side. They think that if the fish breaks when turning over, it means that the fishing boat will sink. This is because Hong Kong was a fishing port in the early days, and fishermen were very concerned about the navigation safety of ships. In addition, China people never eat seven dishes, because the "condolence wine" after the funeral must serve seven dishes; Chopsticks should not be inserted vertically in the center of that bowl of rice, because it is a bit like ancestor worship; Don't say "I'm finished" after eating, which means I'm dead and won't have another chance to eat, but should say "I'm full"; Avoid making noise when chopsticks touch the rice bowl when eating, which is not only impolite, but also means "no food to eat"; To get into the habit of eating all the rice in the bowl, there should not be a grain of rice left in the rice bowl, otherwise the future wife or husband will be "scarred" and disrespect the hard-working farmers. These superstitious dietary customs have been passed down to this day, and they are still more or less the dietary etiquette of China people.

Dining custom

As far as diet is concerned, China people are a little different from westerners. Westerners like to taste the food in front of them, while China people have certain dining rules. They like to order several dishes of delicacies and put them in the middle of the table, and each person has a bowl of rice. These dishes can be added after meals; Picked dishes are usually put in your own rice bowl first, and it is impolite to put them directly in your mouth. According to the usual practice, guests will not eat all the dishes on the table when attending formal or traditional dinner parties, so as not to make the host family mistakenly think that the dishes are not ready and feel embarrassed.

Worktable fastening

The arrangement of daily meal is to put a rice bowl, a pair of chopsticks, a spoon and a plate of sauce on each seat. After a meal, guests are usually given a hot towel instead of a paper towel to wipe their hands and mouth. All dishes are served in the center of the table at the same time, and everyone uses their own chopsticks to pick up food directly from the dishes enjoyed by each dish; A big pot of soup is served, and everyone drinks a pot of soup. Guests can definitely have a trick of "flying elephants across the river" and pick up the dishes placed in the distance. Because China people like to enjoy all the dishes, their dining tables are mostly round or square, rather than the long dining tables used by westerners.

How to order a Chinese meal?

First order a cold dish to stimulate appetite, and then a pot of clear soup. Hot soup helps to raise the body temperature. After drinking the overheated soup, you can begin to taste the main course. Usually you can order the main course according to your own taste, but a plate full of spicy food is considered a serious Chinese food, with spicy food? Light white rice makes dishes spicy and mild, and white rice is light and fragrant; The last food of a meal is dessert, usually sweet soup, such as bean paste, sesame sauce, and other kinds, such as pudding, banji and ice cream, which are equally sweet and delicious.

The way to eat

Wait until the hot soup is a little cooler and tastes good at the entrance, just sip the soup with a spoon. As for eating, you should raise your rice bowl to your mouth and push the rice into your mouth with chopsticks. This is the easiest way to eat, which also shows that you like this meal. Not mentioning your rice bowl when eating shows that you are not satisfied with the food on the table.

banquet

China people seldom drink alcohol in their daily diet, but alcohol plays an important role in their banquets. At the beginning of the banquet, the host family must first propose a toast to the guests, and then the guests' interest in drinking arises spontaneously. Beer or soda can be used for toasting. It is polite to add wine or soda to others before adding it to yourself, and it must be added to almost full to show respect and friendliness to each other. It is polite for the host family to get drunk as much as possible. If you don't want to drink, you should make it clear at the beginning of the party to avoid embarrassing scenes.

The Party Is Over

When the guests finish the last course, the banquet is officially over, so the protagonist of the host's family will stand up and say "good night" to each guest at the door, and then settle the bill with the restaurant manager. Other members of the host family will drive the guests, wave goodbye and watch the car drive away.

prepared food

Most Chinese dishes have more than one ingredient. There are usually other side dishes or ingredients to set off the main course, so as to make dishes with all colors and flavors, such as boiled shredded pork. Crispy green vegetables, such as celery or green peppers, are used as side dishes to set off pink and softness. Pork. A meal is not just one dish, usually two or even four dishes are served at the same time, and each dish should be delicious. The order of serving is subject to the collocation of dishes. Usually similar dishes are served at the same time, not separately. In short, the whole meal should emphasize coordination.

Drinks

Tea is the daily drink of China people, and soup is the best drink for their meals. On special days or occasions, people in China will drink wine or strong liquor, but they will not drink water, which is different from westerners. China tea is the main drink in the teahouse. Although there are other drinks, they think tea is the most refreshing drink, especially after eating greasy snacks. Tea helps to wash away greasy food. Each table is equipped with one or two teapots, which can be refilled constantly. Guests only need to open the lid of the teapot and put it on it, and a waiter will come and add boiling water. No matter how much tea there is in the teacup at the same table, one of them can pour tea for others, but remember to pour it for others first, and then for yourself. This is in line with etiquette. There are different kinds of tea in the teahouse, and guests can choose according to their personal preferences.