The food culture is different from that of overseas countries in terms of its four major attributes.
Dietary etiquette, has a long history, is one of the specific embodiment of social civilization.
Each nation has formed a set of standardized dietary etiquette of its own in the long-term practice of dietary life. China's dietary etiquette, thousands of years from top to bottom of the rules and regulations, in order to consistently, become a cultural phenomenon of China's characteristics, according to the literature can be seen in the Zhou Dynasty, dietary etiquette has formed a set of quite a perfect system, especially once served as a priest of the State of Lu of the praise and esteem of Confucius and become the performance of successive dynasties of the appearance of the great country, the state of etiquette, civilization of the important aspects of the. As the Han tradition of ancient banquet etiquette, and the contemporary world of food and drink etiquette is very standardized, especially in the formal banquets are more organized and play an important role as. Dining is a common social activity, Chinese dining culture is very rich, the Chinese people are very hospitable, very pay attention to dining etiquette.
Table of Contents:
I. Ancient Chinese Catering Etiquette II. Modern Chinese Catering Etiquette
(I) Categories of Chinese Catering (Banquet)
(II) Chinese Banquet Etiquette
1 Selection of Dining Venue, 2 Ordering Etiquette, 3 Knowledge of Chinese Wine, 4 Table Placement Etiquette
(III) Tableware Use Etiquette
(IV) Dining etiquette 1. seating arrangements 2. serving procedures 3. clip vegetables, toast, soup special attention 4. guests and hosts etiquette 5. how to speak at the table 6. table manners
Chinese dining etiquette text: I. Ancient Chinese dining etiquette
The traditional Han Chinese ancient banquets and drinking etiquette, there is such a set of procedures: the host folded invitations to invite the guests to meet the guests outside the door on the temporary. Guests arrived, greetings, introduced into the living room to sit down, to refreshments. Guests Qi guide guests into the seat, to the left as the upper, as the chief, relative to the first seat for the second seat, the first seat under the third seat, the second seat under the fourth seat. Guests are seated, by the host of the toast to let the food, the guests to thank the courtesy. There are certain rules for pouring wine and serving food: the elders and the guest of honor should be honored first, and then the host. The end of the banquet, guiding the guests into the living room to sit, tea, until the farewell. This traditional banquet etiquette in most parts of China to retain the integrity of, such as Shandong, Hong Kong and Taiwan, many film and television productions are reflected.
At the same time, in ancient China, there are strict regulations on the consumption of rice and vegetables, reflecting the difference in rank through dietary etiquette. Such as princes and nobles to pay attention to the cattle should be rank, sheep should be millet, elephant straight Mu, dogs should be sorghum, geese straight wheat, fish should be up, where the gentleman food is always put away. And the poor people's daily meals are based on beans and rice patchouli soup, the people's food, most of the beans and rice patchouli soup. There are more than twenty kinds of dishes. Where the king's feed, eat six hundred, meal with six animals, drink six clear, shy with a hundred with twenty products, rare with eight things, sauce with a hundred with twenty urns. This tells us that the food and drink offered to the king should conform to certain rituals. Rituals - rituals" said: rituals have to be more expensive, the son of the beans twenty six, the princes ten six, the vassals ten two, on the big eight, the next big six.
The civil civilian dietary rituals of the countryside drinking rituals, sixty of three beans, seventy of four beans, eighty of five beans, ninety of six beans, so Ming old age also. The ritual of drinking wine in the countryside was the ritual of gathering people in the countryside to drink wine at times, and at such celebrations, it was the elders who were most honored. Rituals arise from food and drink, and at the same time, food and drink activities are strictly regulated. Not only the dietary specifications, but also even the dishes cast also has rules "Li Ji - Qu Li" said: "Where the eating ritual, left dishes right was, food in the left, soup in the right. Chopped food at the outside, sparse sauce at the inside, sliced green onions at the right, the wine syrup at the right. Those who place them in the preserved food are placed on the left side of the quan and on the right side of the end of the food." [i]This set of rules is also detailed in the Book of Rites - Shao Yi.
There was also a set of red tape and rituals during the meal. In the Book of Rites - Qu Li, it is written: *** food is not full, *** rice does not choose hands, no wrestling with rice, no release of rice, no flow of songs, no zha food, no erosion of the bone. No fish or meat, no dog bones. The first thing you need to do is to get the fish and meat, or to throw them to the dogs. When a guest was given a soup, the host said he could not cook it. When the guest apologized for minced meat, the host said he would bring it to the basket. If you want to moisten the meat, don't do it inside. No sipping. At the end of the meal, the guest knelt down in front of him, and when the meal was withdrawn to be given to the minister, the master gave his resignation to the guest, and then the guest sat down. [ii]
Second, modern Chinese etiquette
(a) Chinese catering (banquet) category
Catering is a common social activity, Chinese banquets are banquets with a traditional Chinese national style, abiding by the dietary habits of the Chinese people and the norms of etiquette.
Banquets are divided into three categories in terms of the nature of their purpose: one is ceremonial in nature, such as banquets held to welcome important guests or official visits of political dignitaries; banquets held to celebrate major festivals or to hold an important ceremony, etc., which all belong to the need for etiquette, and such banquets have to have certain protocol specifications and procedures. Another is the fellowship, mainly to communicate feelings, express friendship, the development of friendship, such as: reception, farewell, farewell, party and so on. Another is the nature of the work, the host or attend the banquet for the settlement of a certain work and the banquet, in order to discuss the work at the table.
The three cases are often used both for and with. The purpose of the banquet form of different nature, but the guests follow the basic etiquette is the same.
To the form of social gatherings in the form of meals, banquets can be divided into two types of formal banquets and informal banquets. Formal banquet, is a grand and formal feast. It is often for the banquet and carefully arranged, in the more upscale restaurants, or other specific locations, pay attention to the rehearsal, the atmosphere of the large-scale dinner activities. For the number of people present, dress, seat arrangement, the number of dishes, music, guests and hosts of the speech, etc., often have very strict requirements and pay attention to. Informal banquets, also known as banquets, also applies to formal interpersonal communication, but more often seen in daily interactions. It is a simple form, favoring interpersonal communication, but do not pay attention to the scale and grade. Generally speaking, it is only arranged for the relevant personnel to participate in, do not invite the spouse, dress, seat arrangement, the number of dishes often do not make excessive requirements, but also does not arrange for music performances and the guests and hosts to give speeches.
(2) Chinese banquet etiquette
1. dining place selection
Eating is the best way to bring people closer to each other, so the restaurant is no longer a simple dining space, the choice of dining place directly affects the effect of the meal. Thousands of years of Chinese culture, the vast territory and generations of people, have become an inexhaustible material for all kinds of restaurants, common are the following:
(1) to a specific historical dynasty as the theme
with a strong historical flavor, in terms of cuisine, decoration and service, are all show the historical style, such as the Great Tang restaurant, the Qing Dynasty Palace Imperial Cuisine, and so on.
(2) Take specific local dishes as the theme
Many restaurants choose one of the many cuisines as the basis for menu development, decoration and service, forming a local cuisine as the theme of the restaurant. Such as Qianxiangge, Su Zhe Hui.
(3) Scenic spots as the theme of the restaurant layout
The theme of the restaurant is highlighted through murals, statues and decorations with regional characteristics. For both want to enjoy the delicious food, but also want to enjoy the scenery of the famous people, this is the perfect choice. Such as the Great Wall Hall, Dunhuang Palace, West Lake Xuan, Meilongzhen.
(4) Theme of flowers and plants
To create an immersive atmosphere for the guests with potted plants, wood carvings, murals and so on. Such as the Peach Garden, Plum Garden, Hibiscus House and so on.
(5) to historical literature as the theme
based on familiar historical material, adapted or take its harmonies, such as Chuan Guo Zhanyi ate is the best way to bring people closer to each other.
Business banquets, the main consideration when choosing a place to eat, whether it can reduce each other's wariness, to create a stress-free dining atmosphere. Lights should be dimmed and hazy music played. The client's view should be blocked by a screen or a huge green plant, so that the guests can concentrate and easily get a favorable decision.
2. Ordering etiquette
According to our eating habits, it's better to say "please eat" rather than "dinner". So the arrangement of the menu should not be sloppy. Many people invited to dinner, the various cuisines are not yet familiar with, there will often be a "messy point of lovebirds" situation. At present, China's most representative of the eight major cuisines are Lu, Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hui. Some people use anthropomorphic techniques to depict their characteristics to the fullest: Suzhou, Zhejiang cuisine is better than the beautiful beauty of the South; Lu, Anhui cuisine is like the ancient and simple northern strong man; Guangdong, Fujian cuisine is like the elegant son of the wind flow; Szechuan, Hunan cuisine is like the connotation of rich and full of talent full of celebrities.
Different dishes, there are different cooking methods, for example: stew is fried, deep-fried, stir-fried or boiled raw materials, add soy sauce, sugar and other sauces, with a strong fire boil, and then a small fire for a long time heating. Product form integrity, not broken and cracked. Braising is processed into slices, shreds, strips, dices of a variety of raw materials together with high-flame made of half-soup, half-vegetable dishes. In addition, there are baked, boiled, fried, roasted, rolled, exploded, steamed, stewed, simmered and other methods. Understanding basic cooking techniques also helps to create a menu that is pleasing to both the host and the guest.
In general, a standard Chinese menu consists of:
-Appetizers (appetizers)
-Soups (soups)
-Entrees (main courses)
-Noodles or rice
-Snacks (desserts)
Appetizers are usually large platters of four cold dishes. Sometimes there can be as many as ten types. The most representative ones are the cold jellyfish skin and eggs. Sometimes after the cold dishes, followed by four kinds of hot dishes. Commonly stir-fried shrimp, stir-fried chicken and so on. However, the hot dishes are mostly omitted. The main course immediately after the appetizer, also known as the big pieces, big dishes, more than appropriate to the actual table. If the menu states that there are "eight large pieces", it means that there are eight main dishes. The number of main dishes is usually four, six, eight and other even numbers, because the Chinese believe that even numbers are auspicious. At lavish banquets, there are sometimes as many as sixteen or thirty-two entrees, but commonly there are six to twelve. These dishes are made by using different ingredients, combining the five flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty, and using various cooking methods, such as deep-frying, steaming, boiling, pan-frying, grilling and stir-frying. The order in which the dishes are served is based on the principle of combining light and strong flavors, or dry-roasted dishes and soups. It usually ends with soup. Sweets are desserts served after the main course, such as pies, cakes, buns, and almond tofu. And finally, fruit.
When entertaining as a host, the guest may be asked to order, or the lady may be asked to order first.
-When arranging the menu, the dietary taboos of the guests must be taken into consideration, and in particular, the dietary taboos of the guest of honor should be given high priority. For example, religious taboos, taboos of "three high" patients for health reasons, regional preferences such as spicy food.
-First decide on the main dish and then with the other, the main dish represents the taste, but also represents the host's "position", that is, the "budget price", so what to order the main dish, the host should have the main opinion.
-The specialties of the day can be attached to the menu, placed on the counter with a vertical menu, or sometimes displayed in the front of the restaurant in the form of advertising. The special may be a variety with a surplus of ingredients, or it may be a seasonal dish or the chef's specialty. When it is a surplus or seasonal dish, it is usually cheaper and can be chosen appropriately.
3. Chinese Wine Knowledge
"When you sing to wine, what is the geometry of life?" Ancient people drink wine with a bold heart, unspeakable emotions at a glance, China is also an ancient wine-making country. Our ancestors first discovered by chance that wild fruits containing sugar would naturally ferment into wine. Since ancient times, there has been the legend of "Ape and Monkey Making Wine", which says that apes and monkeys living in the mountains and forests made wine by concentrating and piling up the leftover fruits, and due to the action of microorganisms such as yeasts attached to the fruit skins, the ripened fruits fermented naturally, and then brewed the primitive wine, which is called "Ape Wine". "
The wine was made by the natural fermentation of the ripe fruits.
Wine is a commonly used beverage, and as the saying goes, there is no place for wine. Commonly can be divided into several categories of liquor, yellow wine, beer, health care medicinal wine:
-Baijiu is the emotional catalyst for the feast occasion. China's traditional eight famous wines include Guizhou Maotai, Shanxi Fenjiu, Sichuan Wuliangye, Sichuan Jiannanchun, Anhui Gujing Gongjiu, Jiangsu Yanghe Daqu, Guizhou Dongjiu, Luzhou Laojiao Tequ
-Yellow wine: Shaoxing Jiayi wine, Longyan Sinking Jar wine and so on
-Beer: there are a number of kinds of draft beer, dry beer, dark beer and so on
-Health care medicinal wine: Shanxi Zhuyiqing, etc.
Pouring beer, beer and medicinal wine: Shanxi Zhuyiqing and so on
There is a lot of wine in the market, but it is not the only one. p>
Pouring beer should be the first slow pour, then punch, and finally gently lift the bottle, its foam natural high surge, vapor bubbles to maintain the freshness of the beer delicious, once the foam disappears, the aroma is reduced, then the bitterness must be aggravated, hindering the taste.
-Chinese food is often used to open the cup of wine as a sign of the beginning of the feast, the beginning of the feast, the host raised his glass to honor all the guests, this time, no matter whether they will not drink, should be raised to drink, should not be refused, it represents the host's gratitude and blessings.
-When the host rises to make a toast, all guests should also rise to return the toast, which is the basic etiquette.
-When making a toast to elders or superiors, it is appropriate to hold the cup in both hands and stand up to make the toast.
-Many heroes of the wine country tilt their necks when drinking and pour the whole glass down their throats without a drop left, which is unseemly, though grandiose.
4. Table Setting Etiquette
Everyone has chopsticks, spoons, plates for picking up food, condiment plates, soup bowls, teacups, and wine glasses in front of their seats. Sometimes there is also a dish or napkin for bones. Chopsticks are usually long, columnar chopsticks. In the past, chopsticks made of ivory or coral were used as a status symbol, but today, plastic chopsticks made of imitation teeth are quite common. The reason for using long chopsticks is to make it easier to hold food. Spoons are usually made of ceramic. Spoon holders are sometimes provided to hold spoons. The pick-up tray is a medium-sized tray with a slightly higher rim. Sometimes two are used. A deep bowl is a soup bowl with a deep opening.
(2) Tableware etiquette
One of the main features of Chinese food is the difference in tableware compared to Western food. We will focus on the use of tableware, which is often a problem.
1. Chopsticks Chopsticks are the most important tableware in Chinese cuisine. Chopsticks are usually used in pairs. When using chopsticks to pick up food and eat, you should pay attention to the following "small" problems: First, do not lick the chopsticks, regardless of whether or not there is food left on the chopsticks. It's a bit unappetizing to use licked chopsticks to pick up food, isn't it? Secondly, when you are talking to someone, put down your chopsticks for a while, and don't talk and dance with them like a baton at the same time. Third, don't put your chopsticks on top of the food vertically. This is because this method of insertion is only used when honoring the dead. Fourthly, the function of chopsticks is strict. Chopsticks are only used to hold food. It is rude to use them for picking teeth, scratching an itch, or for anything other than food.
2. Spoon Its main function is to scoop up dishes and food. Sometimes, a spoon can be used as an aid when using chopsticks to pick up food. Try not to use the spoon alone to pick up dishes. When using a spoon to get food, do not overfill it so that it does not overflow and dirty the table or your clothes. After scooping, "pause" for a few moments so that the soup doesn't run off, then move back to enjoy it.
When you're not using a spoon, put it on its own plate, rather than placing it directly on the dining room table or letting it "stand up" among the food. When you take food with a spoon, eat it immediately or put it on your own plate, don't put it back. If the food is too hot, don't scoop it up or blow it into your mouth, but put it in your own bowl and let it cool. Don't stick the spoon in your mouth or suck or lick it repeatedly.
3. Plates
Slightly smaller plates are saucers, mainly used to hold food, and are used in the same way as bowls. Plates should generally be kept in place at the table and not stacked together.
What needs to be emphasized is a special type of plate called a food dish. The main purpose of the plate is to hold dishes from the communal plate. When using a food dish, do not take too many dishes at one time, as it will look messy and like a hungry ghost. Don't put many kinds of dishes together, or they will "tamper" with each other's flavor, which is not good to look at and not good to eat. Do not spit out the scraps, bones and spines on the floor or table, but gently put them on the front of the plate, not directly from the mouth on the plate, but with chopsticks next to the plate. If the plate is full, ask the waiter to change it.
4. The water cup is mainly used for soft drinks such as water, soft drinks, juice and cola. Don't use it to hold alcohol, and don't hold the water glass upside down. Also, what you drink into your mouth cannot be spit back into the water glass.
5. napkin Before the Chinese meal, more sophisticated, will be a wet towel for each diner. It can only be used to wipe hands. After wiping your hands, it should be put back on the plate and taken away by the waiter. Sometimes, before the end of the formal banquet, another wet towel will be served. Unlike the former, it can only be used to wipe your mouth, but not your face or sweat.
6. Try not to pick your teeth in public. When not picking, use the other hand to cover the mouth, pick out things, do not public viewing or re-entry, and do not flick your hand, spit with your mouth. After picking teeth, don't hold the toothpick for a long time, and don't use it to take food.