First, the time of attendance
People in China are people with diversified time concepts, while westerners are people with a single time concept. It is required that everything should be done strictly according to the schedule, so when attending banquets, this difference is more prominent. Generally speaking, China people with diversified time patterns tend to be' late'. Often arrive half an hour after the specified time, and the host seems to be mentally prepared. Usually, during this' waiting' time, he will arrange some other programs, such as playing cards, drinking tea and chatting, so that some' first-arrived' guests can kill time. Both the host and the guest are used to this phenomenon of being late, and it is not regarded as a contempt or impolite behavior to the host's invitation. In western countries, all kinds of activities start at the scheduled time, and it is impolite to be late. Formal banquets are required to arrive on time, and those who don't arrive after ten minutes will be regarded as impolite and disrespectful to the host and other guests.
Second, the seating position
In China, the guests are generally seated after the guests are gathered, with the left as the top, which is regarded as the chief. There are two seats opposite to the first seat, three seats below the first seat and four seats below the second seat. In the west, generally speaking, the seat farthest from the door facing the door belongs to the hostess, as opposed to the seat of the host. The seat on the right of the hostess is the first guest seat, usually a gentleman, and the seat on the right of the male host is the second guest seat, usually the wife of the guest of honor. The seat on the left of the hostess is the third guest seat, and the seat on the left of the host is the fourth guest seat.
Third, the order of serving
In China, the first dish is soup, followed by the staple food such as dry rice, and then the last dish of table wine is fruit to promote digestion; In western countries, the order of serving is usually vegetables and soup, fruit, table wine, staple food and finally dessert and coffee.
IV. Tableware
In China, tableware is relatively simple, generally only cups, plates, bowls, plates, chopsticks, spoons, etc., while in the west, there are forks, spoons, cups and plates, etc. Knives are divided into edible knives, fish knives, meat knives, cream knives, fruit knives, and forks are divided into edible forks, harpoons and lobster forks. Tea cups and coffee cups are porcelain with saucers, while water cups and wine glasses are mostly glass products.
V. Dining Etiquette
The dining etiquette of Chinese food embodies a spirit banquet. At the beginning, all people will wait for the host. Only when the host invites everyone to have a meal will the banquet begin, and the host usually takes the food for the guest first and asks them to use it first. When a new dish comes up, please ask the host, guests and the elderly to show their respect first. The dining etiquette of western food conveys a spiritual pursuit of' beauty'. The whole dining process should be not only delicious, but also pleasing to the eye and pleasing to the ear. First of all, we should not only dress neatly, but also wear formal clothes and sit upright. Secondly, we should not make unpleasant sounds when eating, and we should talk quietly and loudly. On the western dining table, there are still some details that can't be understood on the Chinese dining table. For example, with the acceleration of economic globalization and information exchange, Chinese and western table manners will continue to merge in the collision and complement each other in the integration. So now Chinese food has begun to pay attention to the nutrition, health and scientific cooking, and table manners tend to be civilized and scientific. There is no one who is advanced and who is backward between the two cultures. In the future world, the two cultures will continue to integrate and connect.
VI. Dining table atmosphere
The western dining table is quiet, while the China dining table is moving. Westerners are active on weekdays, and body language such as waving and shrugging is particularly rich. But as soon as I sit on the dining table, I concentrate on quietly cutting my own food. People in China are quiet on weekdays. As soon as they sit on the dining table, they will talk endlessly, offering food to each other and persuading them to drink. The noise on the dining table in China and the quietness on the dining table in the west reflect the fundamental differences between Chinese and western food culture. China people take food as their greatest pleasure in life, so people enjoy this delicious food at the table. The excitement at the dinner table reflects the heartfelt joy of the diners. Westerners take diet as a necessary condition for survival, so they naturally have to abide by certain operating norms to ensure the normal operation of the machine.
7. Means to stop eating
When Chinese people stop eating at a banquet, they can put chopsticks straight on a plate or spoon. If chopsticks are placed horizontally on the plate, it means that they are drunk and full and no longer eat. When taking a short break in the west, the arrangement of knives and forks has different meanings. Putting knives and forks in the center of the plate in the shape of a figure of eight means taking a short break. If the knife and fork protrude out of the plate, it is not safe or beautiful. It is impolite to wave the knife and fork while talking. After eating, put the knife and fork at four o'clock.
VIII. Details of Dining
In China, people can dress casually in restaurants, even T-shirts and jeans, and only wear something grand above important banquets. But when going to high-end restaurants in the west, men should wear neat tops and leather shoes; Ladies should wear suits and shoes with heels. If formal clothes are specified, men must wear ties. Don't wear casual clothes to eat in restaurants.
With the economic globalization and the acceleration of information exchange, Chinese and western table manners will continue to merge in the collision and complement each other in the integration. So now Chinese food has begun to pay attention to the nutrition, health and scientific cooking, and table manners tend to be civilized and scientific. There is no one who is advanced and who is backward between the two cultures. In the future world, the two cultures will continue to integrate and connect.