TableManners
ThemaindifferencebetweenChineseandWesterneatinghabitsisthatunliketheWest,whereeveryonehastheirownplateoffood,inChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeverybodyshares.IfyouarebeingtreatedbyaChinesehost,bepreparedforatonoffood.Chineseareveryproudoftheircultureoffoodandwilldotheirbesttogiveyouatasteofmanydifferenttypesofcuisine.Amongfriends,theywilljustorderenoughforthepeoplethere.Iftheyaretakingsomebodyoutfordinnerandtherelationshipispolitetosemi-polite,thentheywillusuallyorderonemoredishthanthenumberofguests.Ifitisabusinessdinneroraveryformaloccasion,thereislikelytobeahugeamountoffoodthatwillbeimpopssibletofinish.
Atypicalmealstartswithgarlic.Thesearefollowedbythemaincourses,hotmeatandvegetabledishes.Finallyasoupisbroughtout,whichisfollowedbythestarchystaplefood,whichisusuallyriceornoodlesorsometimesdumplings.ManyChineseeatricelast,butifyouliketohaveyourricetogetherwithotherdishes,youshouldsaysoearlyon.
OnethingtobeawareofisthatwheneatingwithaChinesehost,youmayfindthatthepersonisusingtheirchopstickstoputfoodinyourbowlorplate.Thisisasignofpoliteness.Theappropriatethingtodowouldbetoeatthewhatever-it-isandsayhowyummyitis.Ifyoufeeluncomfortablewiththis,youcanjustsayapolitethankyouandleavethefoodthere,andmaybecoveritupwithalittlericewhentheyarenotlooking.ThereisacertainamountofleniencyinvolvedwhendealingwithWesterners.Soyouwon'tbechastised.
EatingNo-no's
Traditionallyspeaking,therearemanytaboosatChinesetables,butthesedaysnotmanypeoplepayattentiontothem.However,thereareafewthingstokeepinmind,especiallyifyouareaguestataprivatehome.
1)Don'tstickyourchopsticksuprightinthericebowl.Instead,laythemonyourdish.Thereasonforthisisthatwhensomebodydies,theshrinetothemcontainsabowlofsandorricewithtwosticksofincensestuckuprightinit.Soifyoustickyourchopsticksinthericebowl,itlookslikethisshrineandisequivalenttowishingdeathuponapersonatthetable!
2)Makesurethespoutoftheteapotisnotfacinganyone.Itisimpolitetosettheteapotdownwherethespoutisfacingtowardssomebody.Thespoutshouldalwaysbedirectedtowherenobodyissitting,usuallyjustoutwardfromthetable.
3)Don'ttaponyourbowlwithyourchopsticks.Beggarstapontheirbowls,sothisisnotpolite.Also,inarestaurant,ifthefoodiscomingtooslowpeoplewilltaptheirbowls.Ifyouareinsomeone'shome,itislikeinsultingthecook.
