Frequent international cultural exchange activities also promote the mutual exchange and integration of Chinese and western catering cultures, and the pain in the integration is inevitable. The difference between Chinese and western etiquette is one of the more prominent aspects. The following is for everyone, I hope to help everyone!

First of all, the order and position of serving are different.

Chinese food is mostly in the order of soup, main course, staple food, table wine or fruit, while western food is in the order of appetizer, salad, soup, fruit, table wine, staple food, dessert and coffee.

Chinese food will serve all the dishes at once and at the same time, while western food is to finish one dish and then another.

The two tableware are different.

Chinese tableware is generally simple, mostly cups, plates, bowls, plates, chopsticks, spoons and so on. While western-style tableware is varied, different dishes are enjoyed with different knives and forks, and the usage of tableware is also quite particular. Even the wine glass should correspond to the wine you drink.

The three seats are different.

When eating Chinese food, the seating order is mostly determined according to the generation, "respecting the east" or "facing the door", while when eating western food, the seat facing the door and farthest from the door belongs to the hostess, and the seat opposite the hostess is the host's seat.

The seat on the right of the hostess is the first guest seat, usually a man, and the seat on the right of the male host is the second guest seat, usually the wife of the guest of honor.

Four different dress codes

Unless in formal occasions, Chinese food doesn't require diners to dress casually, while western food requires diners to wear neat tops and leather shoes, especially in high-end western restaurants.

You should wear a tie, and ladies should wear suits and high heels. Neither men nor women can wear casual clothes to eat in high-end western restaurants.

Western food etiquette mainly refers to the dining etiquette in Europe and America. Although different countries have different requirements for details, in continental Europe, especially in France, western food etiquette is generally the mainstream.

This set of standard etiquette formed by westerners at the dinner table is not innate and needs understanding and training the day after tomorrow.

As "foreigners", to truly do as the Romans do, we must first have a systematic and complete understanding of western food etiquette, and constantly strengthen training and pay attention to every detail, so that we can all become "gentlemen" and "ladies".

Chinese etiquette

At a formal banquet, the water glass is placed at the top left of the dish and the wine glass is placed at the top right. Chopsticks and spoons can be placed on special seats or in paper sleeves. Public chopsticks and spoons are best placed in special seats. Prepare toothpicks and ashtrays.

Chopsticks are the main tableware with different manners between Chinese food and western food. In the food culture of China for thousands of years, using chopsticks has formed basic rules and etiquette, such as: Don't knock chopsticks. When waiting for a meal, you can't sit at the table with chopsticks in one hand and tap the bowl lamp or teacup with chopsticks at will. Avoid throwing chopsticks. When handing chopsticks before eating, put them in pairs and then gently put them in front of each table. When they are far apart, you can ask someone to hand them in. You can't just throw them on the table, let alone under it. Avoid crossing chopsticks. Chopsticks should not be placed horizontally and vertically, with a big head and a small head. Chopsticks should be placed next to the bowl, not on it. Avoid inserting chopsticks. When diners have to leave temporarily for some reason, they should put chopsticks gently on the table or beside the plate, not in the rice bowl. Avoid waving chopsticks. When picking vegetables, you can't wave chopsticks in the dish plate and flip them up and down. When other guests come to pick up food, they should pay attention to avoid "chopsticks fighting". Avoid waving chopsticks. Talk while eating, don't use chopsticks as props, dance around the table, and ask others not to poke chopsticks in front of others when eating. After eating, chopsticks should be neatly placed on the table on the right side of the bowl, and everyone should put down their chopsticks before leaving the table when the host signals the end of the meal. You shouldn't leave the table after eating by yourself. Paying attention to the etiquette differences between Chinese food and western food will make people feel educated.

Western etiquette

When eating western food, it is shaped like a figure of eight. If you have a short break during the meal, you can divide the knife and fork into plates, and the knife head and fork tip are opposite in the shape of "I" or "I", and the knife and fork are facing yourself, indicating that you want to continue eating. If you are talking, you can hold the knife and fork, but if you need to gesture, you should put it down and never wave it in the air. It should be noted that at no time should one end of a knife and fork be placed on a plate and the other end on a table. Knife and fork have a very important function besides cutting and feeding vegetables. The arrangement of knives and forks conveys the message of "eating" or "ending eating". In this way, the waiter can judge the guests' dining situation and whether to clear the table for the next service, so I hope Jirun can remember the etiquette differences between Chinese food and western food. It is particularly important to note that the blade side must face itself.

There are two ways to place the meal tail: in the middle of the meal, the lower surface of the fork can face upwards, and the blade side of the knife is inward close to the fork and placed in parallel on the plate. The following placement methods are divided into English and French, no matter which way is ok, but French is the most commonly used one. Put your hands on the plate as much as possible to avoid falling off because of touch, and it is easier for the waiter to clean up. When attending a wedding reception, put the tableware in the "eating" position anyway, and put away all the dishes as soon as the host and guest finish eating. Therefore, when hosting a banquet, remember to take the guest as the center. At the banquet, each dish uses a pair of knives and forks, and the knives and forks placed in front of you are taken from the outside in turn, because the order in which the knives and forks are placed is exactly the order in which each dish is served. When the knife and fork are used up, the serving is over. When you need to talk or rest halfway, put the knife and fork on both sides of the plate in a figure of eight. On the contrary, the knife and fork handles are placed side by side on the plate, indicating that the dish has been used and the waiter will take the plate away. For appetizers or desserts, if they can be eaten directly with a fork, there is no need to deliberately use a knife. Soft dishes such as salad or rice with eggs can also be eaten with only a fork at a family dinner or an informal dinner with friends. But using knives and forks at formal parties can give people a more elegant and tidy feeling. In addition, in Europe and other places, people can often be seen eating with a fork in their right hand and bread in their left hand. No matter how neat and elegant you eat, this kind of dining can only be done at home or in popular shops, and it is absolutely not feasible in high-end restaurants.

Unused knives can be put on the table like this and the waiter will take them away automatically. Although putting the knife and fork together on the plate is a message to end the meal, there is no need to deliberately put the clean knife on the dirty plate. Unused tableware can be put in its original place, but it is strange to stick to the rules of form. It is the most correct thing to improvise and deal with things according to the situation at that time. Even if you drop it, it's not embarrassing. It's embarrassing to bend down and pick it up. So when you drop something, you'd better call the waiter to help you pick it up. The waiter always pays attention to the situation of the guests, so he will bring new tableware soon. In case the waiter doesn't notice, you can raise your hand slightly to the waiter and try not to attract others' attention. The waiter's job is to make the guests eat more enjoyable, so try to ask them.