table manners

table manners in China in ancient and modern times

The problem of dining etiquette has a long history. According to literature records, at least in the Zhou Dynasty, the catering etiquette had formed a fairly perfect system, especially praised and respected by Confucius, who was once a wine-offering ceremony in Lu, and became an important aspect of showing the appearance of a great country, a state of etiquette and a place of civilization in successive dynasties.

As a traditional ancient banquet etiquette of the Han nationality, it has its own set of procedures: the host invites guests outside the door temporarily. When the guests arrive, they greet each other, introduce them into the living room and offer refreshments. After the guests are seated, the guests are guided to the table, with the left as the top, which is regarded as the chief. There are two seats relative to the first seat, three seats below the first seat and four seats below the second seat. The guests sit down, the host toasts the dishes, and the guests thank each other with gifts. There is also a certain emphasis on serving wine during the dinner: the elders and guests should be respected first, and the host should be the last. After the banquet, guide the guests to sit in the living room and serve tea until they say goodbye. This traditional banquet etiquette remains intact in most parts of China, such as Shandong, Hongkong and Taiwan Province, and it is reflected in many film and television works.

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

The modern Chinese banquet etiquette is developed on the basis of continuing the tradition and referring to foreign etiquette. Its seating is based on the principle that the right is the highest in western banquets. The first guest of honor is seated on the right side of the host, and the second guest of honor is on the left side of the host or the right side of the first guest of honor. The wine is served on the right side of the guest, first the guest of honor, then the host, first the female guest and then the male guest. Pour eight points of wine, not too full. The order of serving is still traditional, cold first and then hot. Hot dishes should be on the left side of the seat opposite the guest of honor; Serve single dishes or side dishes, snacks before guests, whole chicken, whole duck, whole fish and other plastic dishes, not head and tail facing the main position. 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 guest. Therefore, the etiquette above the dining table can make the banquet activities complete and comprehensive, so that the cultivation of both the host and the guest can be fully displayed.

introduction to table manners in China

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 a host or just a guest, you must master some rules.

● Round dining tables are very popular. Because more people can sit, and everyone can sit face to face, the identity of the head of the family is not clearly identified by his seat at the western long dining table. Guests should wait for the host's invitation before sitting down. The host must be careful not to ask the guests to sit near the serving table. This is a big taboo.

you can't start any kind of dining activities until everyone is here-even if someone is late. Once everyone is in place, the host family can make the opening remarks. During the meal, the host must take an active role-it is completely reasonable to urge the guests to eat and drink to their fullest.

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

at a formal banquet, the way to eat dishes is much like a slide show, one dish at a time. Surprisingly, rice is not the same as the dish, but you can choose to eat it together. Because the dishes have their own characteristics, they should be tasted individually, and only one kind should be eaten from the bowl at a time, not mixed. Don't eat with plates, only with bowls. Bones and crustaceans are placed in separate plates. Dirty dishes must always be replaced with clean ones.

● Chopsticks are used for all food except soup. Knives may be provided, but as people from China, it is best to use chopsticks. Chopsticks are tools for eating, so don't play with them-it's very rude to use them as drumsticks, 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-it is just like a candle at a funeral and is considered unlucky. Moreover, you should not keep turning around in a dish with chopsticks. You should first look at the food you want to take with your eyes. When you use chopsticks to get a piece of food, try to avoid touching other foods. If possible, use the chopsticks and spoons beside you. After eating or taking food, put the chopsticks back in the chopsticks seat.

● A Chinese restaurant is not formal without tea. Therefore, it is wise to store different kinds of tea as much as possible to ensure that the most astute tastes are taken care of. There are several key things that should be paid attention to about tea. The person who sits next to the teapot should be responsible for pouring tea for others and himself-the order of pouring tea is according to the age, from the oldest to the youngest, and finally for himself. When someone pours tea for you, it is polite to tap the table with your fingers, which is to express gratitude and respect to the tea pourer.

Dining is a top priority for home life, which reflects personal quality and taste.

Keep your eyes on the food before you can move your chopsticks.

The order of pouring tea is very particular, with long before young, and women before men.

There are reasons for holding a banquet.

China people have always put food first. Apart from meeting people's basic needs, diet is also adhering to traditional customs and feasting before gathering at the dinner table. The reason for holding a banquet can be celebration or sorrow. Every Lunar New Year, wedding, China festivals such as Mid-Autumn Festival, etc., people in China will gather at the dinner table to celebrate the festival. On the other hand, if someone dies, the bereaved family will hold a "consolation wine" after the funeral to entertain relatives and friends who attended the funeral and thank them. It can be seen that China people attach great importance to sharing joy and sorrow before gathering at the dinner table.

Kitchen God

China people not only respect the art and etiquette of eating very much, but even worship the kitchen god, which is derived from Vulcan. They think that the kitchen god can protect the kitchen from fires and all kinds of unfortunate events. Every year on December 24th of the lunar calendar, every family prepares a delicious meal to worship the kitchen god, including a complete chicken, roast pigs, various vegetables and so on. They usually put the dining table in front of the "kitchen", put the delicacies on the left side of the table, and offer sacrifices for several hours before taking away the food.

What is the relationship between eating etiquette and superstition?

When guests dine at the same table with traditional China families, they must respect their culture, manners and customs, and be careful not to violate various taboos when eating, because China people think that diet is almost closely related to their personal destiny, and if they violate taboos when eating, it will bring bad luck. For example, when eating fish, don't turn the whole fish over to the other side with chopsticks. They think that if the fish is broken when turning over, it will mean 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 safe navigation of ships. In addition, China people never serve seven dishes for dinner, because the "comfort wine" after the funeral must have seven dishes; Chopsticks should not be inserted vertically into the center of the bowl of rice, because it is a bit like worshipping ancestors; Don't say "I'm finished eating" after eating, which means that 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 cultivate the habit of eating all the rice in the bowl, not a grain of rice can be left in the rice bowl, otherwise the future wife or husband will be "scarred" and will not respect 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 customs

In terms of the way of eating, China people are a little different from westerners. Westerners like to taste the food placed in front of them, while China people have certain dining rules. They like to order several dishes of delicious food and put them in the center of the dining table, and each person has a bowl of rice? These dishes can be added after the meal; Picked-up dishes are usually put in your own rice bowl first, so 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 dinners, so as not to make the host family mistakenly think that the dishes are not well prepared and feel embarrassed.

Dining table decoration

The decoration of daily meals is to put a rice bowl, a pair of chopsticks, a spoon and a dish of sauce on each seat. After eating, guests are usually given a hot towel to wipe their hands and mouths instead of paper towels. All dishes are served in the center of the table at the same time, and each person uses his own chopsticks to directly pick up food from the dishes enjoyed by each dish; On the end of a big pot of soup, everyone drinks a pot of soup. Guests can definitely do a trick of "flying elephants across the river" when eating, and pick up dishes placed in the distance. Because China people like to enjoy all the dishes, most of their dining tables are 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, then a pot of clear soup. Hot soup helps to increase body temperature. After drinking overheated soup, you can start to taste the main course, usually according to your own taste, but it is necessary to order a dish full of spicy food to be regarded as a proper Chinese meal, with spicy dishes. Light white rice makes dishes spicy and mild, and white rice is light and fragrant; The final food of a meal is dessert, usually sweet soup, such as red bean paste and sesame paste, and there are other kinds, such as pudding, banji and ice cream, which are equally sweet and delicious.

How to eat

When the hot soup gets a little cooler and the soup tastes good when you eat it, you should take a sip of the soup with a spoon. As for eating, you should lift the rice bowl to your lips and push the rice grains into your mouth with chopsticks. This is the easiest way to eat, and it also shows that you like the meal. If you don't mention your rice bowl when eating, it means that you are not satisfied with the dishes on the table.

Banquet

People in China seldom drink alcohol during their daily meals, but alcohol plays an important role in their feasts. At the beginning of the banquet, the host family must propose a toast to the guests first, and then the guests' drinking interest arises spontaneously. Beer or soda can be used to propose a toast. It is only polite to add wine or soda for others first, and then for yourself, and it must be added until it is almost full to show respect for each other and friendship with each other, and it is only 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 banquet is over

when the guests finish the last dish, the banquet is officially over, so the protagonist of the host family will stand up to show that the banquet is over, and will stand at the door and say "good night" to each guest, then settle the bill with the restaurant manager, and other members of the host family will send the guests to the car, wave goodbye and watch the car drive away.

dishes

most Chinese dishes don't have only one kind of material, and 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 pork, and crisp green vegetables, such as celery or green peppers, will be used as side dishes to set off pink and soft? Pork. There is not only one dish in a meal, but usually two or even four dishes are served at the same time, and each dish should be full of color, flavor and taste. The order of serving is based on the collocation of dishes. Usually, similar dishes are served at the same time, and they will not be served separately before and after. In short, coordinated collocation should be emphasized in the whole meal.

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 spirits, but they will not drink water, which is different from those in the West. China tea is the main drink in the teahouse. Although there are other drinks available, they think tea is the most refreshing and stomach-refreshing drink, especially after eating greasy snacks. Tea helps to wash away greasy food. Each table is provided with one or two teapots, which can be refilled continuously. Guests only need to open the lid of the teapot and put it on the top of the teapot, and a waiter will come to add boiling water. No matter how much tea there is in the teacup of the same table, one of them can pour tea for others, but remember to pour it for others first and then for yourself, which is in line with etiquette. The teahouse has different kinds of tea, and guests can choose according to their personal preferences.

Differences between Chinese and Western food cultures

There are differences in food culture between China and the West. People in China prefer to go to teahouses for everyone, because they can enjoy more snacks and dishes. Although teahouses have tables for two, most of them are tables for four or more diners. Teahouses are usually noisy, and the atmosphere is not as romantic as western-style restaurants. If two people eat, consider not going to the teahouse.

The table manners in China can be summarized as follows:

1. Etiquette of taking a seat. First, ask the guests to take a seat. When the elderly are invited to sit next to the guests, they should enter from the left side of the chair. After taking a seat, don't move chopsticks, let alone make any noise. Don't get up and walk around. If there is anything to say hello to the host.

Second, When eating, please invite guests first. Keep moving chopsticks. Eat less food each time. Eat less food that is far away from you. Don't make any noise when eating. Don't make any noise when drinking soup. Drink it with a spoon in small bites. It is not advisable to drink the bowl end to mouth. Drink it when the soup is too hot. Don't blow and drink it at the same time. Some people like to chew food when eating, especially crunchy food. Make a clear sound. This is against the etiquette requirements. Especially when eating with people, we should try our best to prevent this phenomenon.

Third, don't burp and make other noises when eating. If there are involuntary noises such as sneezing and bowel sounds, we should say "I'm sorry". Sorry; "Please let the original cool". To apologize.

Fourth; If you want to serve food to guests or elders, you'd better use public chopsticks. You can also send dishes far away from guests or elders to them. According to the custom of our Chinese nation, the dishes are served one by one. If there are leaders, elderly people and guests at the same table, please ask them to move chopsticks first whenever a new dish is served, or ask them to move chopsticks first in turn to show their attention.

Fifth, eat fish heads. Don't throw it on the floor either. Take it to your plate slowly by hand, or put it next to your dining table or on the paper prepared in advance.

Sixth, take time to talk with people around you in a timely manner to harmonize the atmosphere. Don't eat bareheaded, regardless of others, don't wolf down a big meal, and don't drink too much.

Seventh, it's best not to pick at the dining table. Cover your mouth with a napkin or hand.

Eighth, make clear the main task of this meal. Make it clear whether you should focus on business, contact feelings or eat. If you are in the front, you should pay attention when arranging your seats. If you are in the back, you just need to pay attention to common sense etiquette and focus on appreciating dishes. < p

China people are a group of etiquette. Food is the most important thing for the people. How can there be no rules for dining? Although it is three meals a day to talk about it, it is better to know than not to know!

1。 Guests should be notified in advance and seated at 6: 11. You didn't call the guests until 5: 51, old man, right?

2。 The host family can't be late; Guests should be 5-11 minutes late. This is a very considerate guest. Please pay attention to it. Naturally, both the host and the guest are happy.

3。 If you sit at a round table, facing the door is