A Comparison of Chinese and Western Meal Etiquette 800 Words Essay

Comparison of Chinese and Western table manners?

The Chinese and Western families are y affected by different social cultures, historical cultures and various social backgrounds, thus leading to the emergence of two different cultures, the table manners culture industry therefore came into being, the table manners culture is a part of the dietary culture, the difference between the Chinese and Western dietary culture is an important part of the Chinese and Western national cultural differences. Each country, each region of each ethnic group in the diet consciously or unconsciously reveals its own deep cultural background. This article focuses on the differences and similarities between Chinese and Western table manners and culture, and analyzes the specific performance and origin of the differences between Chinese and Western table manners and culture.

The differences between Chinese etiquette and Western etiquette, although there are a lot of details of the differences, but mainly in the following four aspects.

(1) The order and placement of serving

Most Chinese food is served in the order of soup, main course, entrée, wine or fruit, while most Western food is served in the order of appetizer, salad, soup, fruit, wine, entrée, dessert and coffee. In Chinese food, all the dishes are served at once and placed on the table at the same time, while in Western food, one dish is served after another.

(2) Difference in tableware

Chinese tableware is generally simple, mostly cups, plates, bowls, dishes, chopsticks, spoons, etc., while Western tableware is very diverse, and different dishes are served with different knives and forks, and the use of tableware is very delicate, and the glass for drinking should be the same as the wine you are drinking.

(C) seating differences

Chinese dining is mostly in accordance with the seniority to determine the seating, "Shangdong for the honor" or "facing the door for the honor," while the Western dining, facing the door and the farthest from the door that seat is the hostess's, opposite the hostess, and the hostess of the meal. The seat facing the door and furthest away from the door is the hostess's, and the seat opposite to the hostess is the host's seat. The seat to the right of the hostess is the first guest of honor, usually a gentleman, and the seat to the right of the hostess is the second guest of honor, usually the guest of honor's wife.

(D) Dress Code Differences

Unless on formal occasions, Chinese food does not have high dress code for diners, and the dress code is relatively casual, while Western food has higher requirements for diners, especially in high-grade Western restaurants, where men should wear neat tops and shoes and ties, and women should wear suits and heeled shoes, and neither men nor women should wear casual clothes to high-grade Western restaurants. casual clothes to dine in upscale Western restaurants.

(E) differences in table language

Cultural differences between Chinese and Westerners in inviting guests to dinner should also be noted, otherwise it will cause jokes.

The Chinese people are hospitable, and when they invite guests to dinner, they usually have to fill the table with dishes, but no matter how sumptuous the dishes are, they always have to say modestly, "There is nothing to eat, the dishes are not well made, just eat some." However, when Anglo-Americans hear this kind of politeness, they find it offensive: "If there's nothing to eat, why invite me? If the food is not well cooked, why entertain me?" According to Chinese custom, in order to show politeness, it is customary to repeatedly persuade the guests to eat more, and the Chinese people are often "words do not mean it", obviously hungry, but the mouth said: "I'm full, no need".

The British and Americans are generally not so particular about entertaining guests, simply three or four dishes can be. When dining, the host will generally say: "Help yourself, please!" British and American hospitality respect for personal will, the truth is that, again and again asked the guests want food or forced food to the guests, is very rude. Therefore, when the host adds food to you or asks you what you want, if you want to eat, you can answer directly and bluntly that you want it. While the guest is eating, be sure to praise the host for the delicious food he or she has prepared and for his or her good handiwork, otherwise the host will not be happy no matter how full you are. ? Summarize

Western food and Chinese food, is a food culture, is a culture will inevitably have spread and exchange, despite the different social history, different national cultures and different regional characteristics, creating a very different dietary background of the West, but essentially, the connotation of "eating" will not be changed because of these differences, and to speak of Variety, nutritional balance, with a reasonable, health-conscious has become the dietary science of China and the West **** knowledge, which is the most important basis for the exchange and integration of Chinese and Western dietary culture, only communication, it is possible to understand, it is possible to develop.

Chinese and Western countries in the exchange between the formation of their respective cultural characteristics of the collision between each other and cause certain misunderstandings, through mutual recognition, understanding of each other's cultures and mutual absorption of each other's cultures, in the retention of the traditional culture of their own people under the premise of the absorption of foreign cultures, so that the gradual formation of a multiculturalism between the countries in order to achieve the fusion of each other. In the process of fusion of Chinese and Western etiquette and culture, Chinese people, because of their blind enthusiasm for Western culture, have unconsciously fallen into two misunderstandings: firstly, to take the Western etiquette to replace the traditional etiquette of our Chinese nation. Such as holding Western-style weddings, Western festivals, etc., are tendencies that should not be ignored. Etiquette is the most representative of a nation. Western etiquette is just as folk knowledge to understand what is not wrong, if the tendency to rush, the loss of national self-esteem, the nation's traditional etiquette will also be drowned. Secondly, the focus of etiquette education in the operation of the level, such as bowing to bend how many degrees, clasping the hands of the beast stop for a few seconds and so on. These issues are not impossible to talk about, but if you only do the surface, etiquette will become an empty form of earth guards. Today's world etiquette content is more extensive and complex, which requires us to maintain the original traditional etiquette on the basis of going to adapt to and accept the Western etiquette, we should be in the appropriate occasions with the appropriate etiquette, not only against the "wholesale westernization", but also against the "holding on to the defects "We should use appropriate etiquette on appropriate occasions. We learn from the western etiquette, not only to learn from its form, but also should learn from its internal soul, only then we can establish their own self-confidence and sense of superiority, in order to establish my infectious force. Only by recognizing the differences between Chinese and western catering etiquette culture and integrating the two in a reasonable and effective way can we establish a system of etiquette culture suitable for the contemporary society. Contemporary society's etiquette culture system, to reach and hold the ideal of society.