First of all, the arrangement of seats in Chinese food.

"Hero's seating arrangement" is the most important food ceremony in China. Since ancient times, because of the evolution of table furniture, the arrangement of seats has also changed accordingly. In ancient times, the head of the family banquet was the elder with the highest seniority, and the last seat was the lowest. In family banquets, the chief guest is the most respected guest, and the guest host is the last. No one can sit down until the chief is seated. Modernity is the principle of high right and low left. The right is the top.

At the banquet, the specific ranking on each table also has the distinction of primary and secondary ranking. There are four basic methods of ranking, and they often work at the same time.

The first method is that most hosts should sit facing the main entrance and sit at the main table.

The second method is to hold a multi-table banquet, and each table must have a representative of the host of the main table present.

The third method is the ranking of each table, which should be based on the distance from the owner of the table, with the near as the top and the far as the bottom.

The fourth method is that each table is at the same position from the host, and the right is the respect, that is, the owner of the table is the subject, the right is the respect, and the left is the inferiority.

In addition, the number of people dining at each table should be limited to 10, preferably even. For example, six people, eight people and ten people. If there are too many people, it is not easy to take care of them, but it may also be impossible to sit down.

According to the arrangement method of the above four rankings, the specific arrangement of the round table rankings can be divided into two specific situations. They are all related to theme. 　

The first case: each table has a thematic arrangement method. It is characterized in that there is only one host at each table, the host and guest sit at the right head, and each table has only one conversation center. 　

The second case: two thematic arrangements per table. It is characterized in that the host and wife sit at the same table, with the male host as the first host and the female host as the second host, and the guest of honor and the lady of the guest of honor sit on the right side of the male and female hosts respectively. Each table thus objectively forms two conversation centers. If the status of the guest of honor is higher than that of the host, to show respect, you can also arrange to sit in the host's seat, and ask the host to sit in the host's seat. 　

In order to facilitate the guests to sit in their seats accurately, in addition to the timely guidance and instructions from the host and the host, a striking personal name seat card should be placed on the table directly in front of each guest's seat. When holding a foreign banquet, the seat card should be written in both Chinese and English. It is the practice in China that Chinese is above and English below. When necessary, the name of the diner is written on both sides of the seat card. When arranging the seats for a light meal, if you need to arrange the tables, you can refer to the arrangement of the tables during the banquet. The arrangement of ranks can follow four principles. 　

One is the principle that the right is higher and the left is lower. Two people sit side by side, usually with the right as the upper seat and the left as the lower seat. This is because Chinese food is served in the clockwise direction, so those who sit on the right are given priority over those who sit on the left. 　

Second, the middle seat is the principle that three people sit together for dinner, and the person sitting in the middle is higher in rank than the people on both sides. 　

Third, when dining on the principle of facing the front door, according to the etiquette convention, the person facing the front door is the upper seat, and the person facing the front door is the lower seat. 　

Fourth, special principles In high-end restaurants, there are often beautiful scenery or elegant performances indoors and outdoors for diners to enjoy. At this time, the seat with the best viewing angle is the upper seat. When dining in some middle and low-end restaurants, people usually take the position near the wall as the upper seat and the position near the aisle as the lower seat.

Secondly, the use of chopsticks with China characteristics.

China's use of chopsticks is a scientific invention worthy of pride and admiration in the history of human civilization.

Eating with chopsticks makes people handy and can train their brains to be flexible. Foreigners admire these two magical sticks for their functions of clamping, picking, scooping and pouting, and are glad that they can use them to eat. In the long-term practice, people have also formed some etiquette taboos about using chopsticks: First, avoid knocking chopsticks. That is, when waiting for a meal, you can't sit at the edge of the meal, tap with a chopstick in one hand, or tap a bowl lamp or a teacup with chopsticks. Second, avoid throwing chopsticks. When handing out chopsticks before meals, put them in pairs and then gently put them in front of everyone's table; When it is far away, you can ask someone to pass it over, and you can't throw it on the table. Three taboos fork chopsticks. Chopsticks should not be placed horizontally and vertically, one with a big head and the other with a small head. Chopsticks should be placed next to the bowl, not on the bowl. Four bogey chopsticks. When you need to leave temporarily during the meal, put chopsticks gently on the table or beside the plate, and don't insert them in the rice bowl. Five taboos are waving chopsticks. When picking vegetables, don't swing chopsticks around in the dish plate and turn them upside down. When others come to pick vegetables, you should avoid them intentionally and beware of "chopsticks fighting". Six taboos dance chopsticks. When talking, don't use chopsticks as knives and dance around the table; Don't poke chopsticks in front of others when you invite them to eat. It's impolite to do so.

Let's talk about the way of eating. This paper mainly introduces the etiquette norms in specific forms such as banquets, family banquets, light meals and working meals (including buffets).

banquet

Usually refers to social gatherings in the form of meals. It can be divided into formal banquet and informal banquet. A formal banquet is a grand and formal banquet. It is often a large-scale dinner event that is carefully arranged for banquets, held in high-end hotels or other specific locations, and pays attention to ostentation and extravagance and atmosphere. For the number of people present, dress, seating arrangement, the number of dishes, music performance, guest and host speeches, etc., there are often very strict requirements and attention. Informal banquets, also known as informal banquets, are also suitable for formal interpersonal communication, but they are more common in daily communication. Its form is simple, focusing on interpersonal communication, but not on scale and grade. Generally speaking, it only arranges relevant personnel to attend, does not invite spouses, and often does not make excessive demands on dress, seat arrangement and the number of dishes, and does not arrange music performances and speeches by the guests and the host.

family feast

That is, a banquet held at home. Compared with a formal banquet, the most important thing for a family banquet is to create a cordial, friendly and natural atmosphere, so that the host and the guest attending the banquet can be relaxed, natural and casual, enhance mutual communication, deepen understanding and promote trust.

Usually, family banquets often have no special requirements on etiquette. In order to make the guests feel the attention and friendliness of the host, the hostess basically cooks in person and the host acts as a waiter; Or the host cooks, and the hostess acts as a waiter to entertain the guests, making them feel at home.

If you want to attend a banquet, then you need to pay attention to it. First of all, you must dress yourself neatly and generously, which is a respect for others and yourself.

And go to dinner on time at the time invited by the host. Except for the reception, guests are usually invited to arrive half an hour in advance for the general banquet. It is not impolite to arrive a few minutes before the banquet for some reason. But being late is disrespectful to the host, which is very rude.

When entering the host's house or banquet hall, you should first say hello to the host. Meanwhile. For other guests, whether you know them or not, you should smile, nod or shake hands. Take the initiative to stand up and give your seat to the elderly; Be solemn and polite to the female guests.

When you are seated, your seat should be arranged by the host or the waiter, because some banquet hosts have already arranged it. If the seat is not fixed, it should be noted that the seat facing the door is the upper seat, and the seat facing the door is the lower seat. Senior people, senior citizens and ladies should be seated first, and then find appropriate seats for themselves.

Sit upright after taking a seat, keep your feet under your seat, don't straighten out or keep shaking your legs, don't lean your elbows against the edge of the table, or put your hands on the back of the chair next to you. After taking a seat, don't look like no one is watching, and don't stare at the dishes on the plate and look impatient. You can have a simple conversation with your fellow guests.

When eating, you should dress formally, don't take off your coat, and don't take off your coat halfway. Generally, it will be carried out after the host signals to start. The action of eating should be gentle, and the action of picking vegetables should be light. And put the food in your own small dish first, and then pick it up with chopsticks and put it in your mouth. When delivering food into your mouth, take a sip, lean your elbows outward, and don't open them to the sides to avoid touching your neighbor. Don't make noise when eating, drinking or drinking soup. When eating, if you want to use condiments placed in front of other guests at the same table, say hello to others before taking them; If it's too far, please ask someone to do it for you politely. If you have to pick your teeth when eating, cover it with your left hand or handkerchief, and gently pick your teeth with a toothpick in your right hand.

When drinking, it is impolite to persuade others to drink wine and drink wine blindly, especially to those who are not good at drinking.

If the banquet is not over, but you have finished your meal, don't leave at will. Wait until the host and guest have finished their meal before the other guests can leave in turn.

light meal

That is, it is common practice. The place where you eat a light meal is often different, and the etiquette is the least. As long as diners pay attention to public morality and hygiene, environment and order, they don't have to mind too much in other aspects.

working lunch

It is a business gathering held by partners who have business relations in business communication, in order to make contact, keep in touch, exchange information or negotiate business. It is different from formal working meals, formal banquets and dinners of relatives and friends. It focuses on an atmosphere, which is intended to create a relaxed, pleasant, harmonious and harmonious atmosphere conducive to further contact with friends through dinner. It is a business activity that continues in the form of dining, and the dining table is used as a conference table or negotiating table. Working meals are generally small in scale and usually held at noon. The host does not need to send formal invitations, and the guests do not need to give a formal reply to the host in advance. The time and place can be temporarily selected. For the sake of hygiene, it is best to adopt the method of sharing meals or using public chopsticks. While having a working meal, we will continue our business conversation. But at this time, it should be noted that in this case, you should not record or video, or arrange a special person to record, as in the conference room. When it is not necessary to make records, you should first obtain the consent of the other party. Never go your own way as if you don't trust each other. When you find that the other party is dissatisfied with this, you can't insist on doing so. Working lunch is a "business negotiation meal" between the host and the guest, so it is not suitable for people outside the theme to join. If you happen to meet an acquaintance, you can say hello or make a brief introduction with the people at the same table. But don't be presumptuous and leave your friends behind. In case someone who doesn't know enough "lingers", you can politely order the guests to leave "You are very busy, so I won't take up your precious time any more" or "We'll contact you tomorrow. I will call you on my own initiative. "

buffet

It is a modern way of dining that draws lessons from the West in recent years. It does not arrange seats, nor does it arrange a unified menu. It displays all the staple foods, dishes and drinks that can be provided together, and chooses, processes and enjoys them according to the personal hobbies of diners. In this way, you can save money, and the etiquette is not much, which is convenient for both the host and the guest; Everyone can do whatever they want when eating. It is also the wisest choice to arrange meals in this way when holding large-scale activities and entertaining a large number of guests.

The choice of dishes is also very important.

The first category, dishes with Chinese characteristics. When entertaining foreign guests, we should pay more attention to this one. Such as fried spring rolls, boiled dumplings, steamed dumplings, lion's head, etc., are not delicious, but they are highly praised by many foreigners because of their distinctive China characteristics. 　

The second category, dishes with local characteristics. For example, mutton in soup in Xi 'an, braised pork in Maojia, Hunan, stewed lion's head in Shanghai, and instant-boiled mutton in Beijing, when entertaining foreign guests there, I'm afraid these special dishes will be more praised than the same raw seafood.

The third category is the specialty of this restaurant. Many restaurants have their own specialties. The last special dish of this restaurant can show the host's care and respect for the invited guests.

The fourth category, the master's specialty. When holding a family dinner, the host must show his hand in public and cook more special dishes. In fact, the so-called specialty is not necessarily perfect. As long as the host does it himself, this alone is enough to make the other party feel your respect and friendliness. When arranging the menu, we must also consider the dietary taboos of the guests, especially the dietary taboos of the guests. There are four main dietary taboos: religious dietary taboos, which cannot be neglected at all. For example, Muslims usually don't eat pork and don't drink alcohol. Buddhists in China don't eat meat, which not only means not eating meat, but also includes pungent food such as onion, garlic, leek and mustard. For health reasons, some foods are also taboo. For example, people with cerebrovascular disease, arteriosclerosis, hypertension and sequelae of stroke are not suitable for eating dog meat, people with hepatitis avoid eating mutton and soft-shelled turtle, people with digestive diseases such as gastroenteritis and stomach ulcer soup are not suitable for eating soft-shelled turtle, and patients with hypertension and high cholesterol should drink less chicken soup. People's dietary preferences are often different in different regions. For this, we should take into account when arranging the menu. For example, people in Hunan Province generally like to eat spicy food and eat less sweets. People in Britain and America usually don't eat pets, rare animals, animal viscera, animal heads and claws. Some professions, for some reason, often have their own special taboos in catering. For example, national civil servants are not allowed to eat and be invited when performing official duties, to eat and drink at official banquets, to eat beyond the standards set by the state, and to drink alcoholic beverages. For another example, drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol during work. If you ignore this point, you may make the other party make mistakes. 　

At a grand and formal banquet, the menu selected by the host can also be given to each person after careful writing, so that diners can not only know before meals, but also keep it as a souvenir after meals.

spoon

Its main function is to scoop dishes and food. Sometimes, when eating with chopsticks, you can also use a spoon to assist. Try not to use a spoon to get food. When taking food with a spoon, don't overfill it, so as not to spill it and dirty the dining table or your clothes. After scooping up food, you can "pause" for a moment in the same place, and then move back to enjoy the soup when it won't flow down again. When you don't use the spoon temporarily, you should put it on your own plate. Don't put it directly on the dining table or let it stand at attention in the food. After taking food with a spoon, eat it immediately or put it on your own plate, and don't put it back. And if the food you take is too hot, you can't scoop it with a spoon or blow it with your mouth. You can put it in your own bowl and wait for it to cool before eating. Don't put a spoon in your mouth, or suck or lick it repeatedly.

plate

A smaller plate is a dish, which is mainly used to hold food, and it is similar to a bowl in use. Plates should generally be kept in place on the dining table and should not be piled up together. What needs to be introduced emphatically is a kind of dish called dishware with special purpose. The main function of the dish is to temporarily put the dishes taken from the public dish plate for enjoyment. When using a dish, don't take too many dishes at a time. It looks messy and like a hungry ghost reborn. Don't stack a variety of dishes together, or they will "taste" each other, which is not good-looking or delicious. Don't spit the residue, bones and thorns you don't eat on the floor and table, but gently take them and put them at the front end of the food plate. When you put them, you can't spit them directly from your mouth on the food plate, but put them next to the plate with chopsticks. If the plates are full, you can ask the waiter to change them.

cup

It is mainly used to hold soft drinks such as water, soda, fruit juice and cola. Don't use it to hold wine, and don't invert the glass. In addition, what you drink in your mouth can't be spit back into the glass.

Before Chinese meal

If you are more particular, you will serve each diner a wet towel. It can only be used to wipe hands. After wiping your hands, you should put them back on the plate and take them away by the waiter. Sometimes, a wet towel will be put on before the formal banquet is over. Different from the former, it can only be used to wipe your mouth, but not your face or sweat.

toothpick

Try not to pick your teeth in public. Cover your mouth with your other hand when you have to pick it up. Don't watch it in public or enter again, and don't throw it around or spit it out casually. After picking your teeth, don't hold a toothpick for a long time, let alone use it to get food.

Pay attention to eating. Catering in any country has its own traditional habits and implications, and Chinese food is no exception. For example, if you can't fish when you are young, it means that you have more than one year. When eating fish with fishermen and sailors, it is forbidden to turn the fish over, because it means "capsizing".

When eating, don't eat too much, take off your clothes, sweat all over your face, and make a loud noise. Not only is it rude, but it will also ruin others' appetite. You can persuade others to use more, or try a dish, but don't take the initiative to take the initiative to help others with food and rice. Don't say whether it is hygienic or not, and it will make people reluctant. 　

When picking vegetables, don't look around, toss and turn, and pick and choose in the public dish. If you clip it up and put it back, it will be rude. When dining at a table with many people, you should pay attention to mutual courtesy when taking food, and walk in turn to get the right amount. Don't eat too much, fight for it, regardless of whether others have used it. If you can't reach the food, you can ask someone for help. Don't get up or even leave your seat to get it.

During the meal, don't knock and beat, but draw with lively gesticulations. And consciously do not smoke. When eating, if you need to clear your throat, blow your nose and spit, go to the bathroom as soon as possible. 　

When eating, don't decorate in public. For example, don't comb your hair, make up your makeup, undress, take off your socks and shoes. You can go to the dressing room or bathroom if necessary. Don't leave your seat and walk around when eating. If you have something to leave, you should also say hello to the people next to you first, such as "excuse me" and "I have something to do first".

All these are what I learned from teacher Fan Zhi's "Win in the gestures". Hope to help you!

Hard answer, hope to adopt!