Participants in ancient catering etiquette can be divided into court, government, guild and folk according to class, while modern catering etiquette is simplified as subject and object. As a guest, you should pay attention to your appearance when you go to dinner, and decide whether to bring a small gift according to the intimacy of the relationship. Be sure to keep your appointment on time when you go to dinner. When you arrive, you should register according to your knowledge or the host's introduction, and then sit down according to a certain number of seats. This "seating arrangement" is the most important part of China catering etiquette.
Since ancient times, because of the evolution of tables, chairs and tableware, the arrangement of seats has also changed. Generally speaking, the seating order is "Zuo Zun Dong" and "Zun Men". The person in charge of the family banquet is the elder with the highest seniority or the guest with the highest status, and the last seat is the person or host with the lowest seniority. If the chief does not sit down, the rest cannot sit down; The director didn't do it, and no one else could.
When patrolling the wine, you should respect the officer in order. If it is a round table, there will be 2, 4 or 6 seats on the left hand side and 3, 5 or 7 seats on the right hand side facing the host and guest at the gate until they meet. If it is a square table with a seat facing the gate, then the right seat on the side of the gate is the host and guest; If there are no seats facing the boarding gate, then the seats on the right side of the east side are the first, followed by seats 2, 4 and 6 on the left hand side and seats 3, 5 and 7 on the right hand side.
If it is a large banquet, the arrangement between tables should be centered on the top, with 2, 4 and 6 seats on the left and 3, 5 and 7 seats on the right, and then they should be seated in turn according to the identity, status and closeness of the host and guest.
# Have a "gift" when you start eating.
When you start eating, be polite, keep good eating habits and always pay attention to your "eating habits". Generally speaking, the following points should be noted:
Don't move chopsticks before the elder moves chopsticks first, or after hearing the elder say "Let's eat together", so don't get ahead of the elder.
When eating, you should put your rice bowl up, buckle the mouth of the bowl with your thumb, and buckle the bottom of the bowl with your index finger, middle finger and ring finger, with your hands empty. If you eat on a table instead of a bowl, it will not only be unsightly, but also oppress your stomach, which is not conducive to digestion.
When choosing vegetables, you should choose from the side close to your plate, not from the side close to others or the middle of the plate, not to mention "groping" in the plate with chopsticks, and don't stare at the plate. You shouldn't eat too much food at once. When you meet your favorite food, you shouldn't wolf it down, let alone just put the plate in front of you and eat it. If there isn't much food left on the plate and you want to "clean" it, you should first ask the people at the same table for advice. Only when others say no can you eat it up.
Shut up and chew slowly when chewing, which is not only the etiquette requirement at the table, but also beneficial to digestion. Don't eat and drink with your mouth open, pick up food and don't stretch your neck and stick out your tongue to catch food. Don't stuff too much food into your mouth at once, or you will leave a bad impression of gluttony. In addition, when chewing food, don't make a "clap" sound in your mouth.
Eat gracefully. Don't touch your neighbors when picking vegetables, and don't drop the soup on the table or spill it. When there are grains of rice in the corners of your mouth, don't lick them with your tongue, but gently wipe them off with a napkin or napkin. When you have food in your mouth, it's best not to talk to others, but to speak softly after you swallow the food. You should be temperate in joking at the dinner table, so as not to make the food in your mouth squirt out or choke into the trachea and cause danger.
Bones, fish bones, vegetable residues, etc. What is in your mouth should not be spit directly on the table or the ground, but should be taken out with chopsticks or hands and put on the small plate in front of you. If you want to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with your hand or napkin and turn your head back. When you chew sand or have phlegm in your throat, you'd better leave the table and spit it out.
In the process of eating, try to add meals to yourself and take the initiative to add meals and vegetables to your elders. Be sure to thank your elders when they add vegetables to you.
Pay attention when eating. Some people like to watch TV and newspapers while eating. This is actually a very bad habit, unsanitary, not conducive to the digestion and absorption of food, but also damage your eyesight.
# Four "Don't's" when eating Chinese food
Don't think about asking for more food.
When visiting relatives and friends on holidays, they are sometimes invited to have dinner together. However, don't think too much about the "delicious food" that you particularly like to eat. This is because, if there is one more copy, it is certainly not a problem; If not, it will only cause embarrassment for both the host and the guest.
Don't forget to wipe your fingers and mouth often with a napkin.
When eating fish, shrimp, crabs and other foods, you often need to start work, and some traces will inevitably stay in your mouth. At this time, don't forget to wipe your fingers and mouth often with a napkin, otherwise it will look really unsightly and sometimes even turn others off.
Don't make any noise when eating.
Don't make any unnecessary noise when eating. To do this, take a small bite and keep your mouth shut when swallowing. When you drink soup, you should scoop it with a spoon. If you need to blow the soup in the spoon before entering, you must also blow it quietly. So as not to make noise and disturb others.
Don't bend over to get the food opposite.
When you are a guest, there are often many people and the table will be bigger, so it is inevitable that you will not get the food. Don't lean over to pick up the food opposite at this time. The best way is to ask your closest people to give it to you, and don't forget to say thank you after receiving the food. When choosing vegetables, even your favorite food, don't eat too much at once.