Chinese Table Manners, Ancient and Modern

Chinese Table Manners for Beginners

Table manners occupy a very important place in the complete order of life of the Chinese people, who believe that dining is not only a way to satisfy basic physiological needs - it is also the first and foremost social experience. -it is also a social experience of paramount importance. For this reason, it is especially important to have knowledge of certain Chinese dining rules, whether you are the host or just a guest.

● Round tables are popular. Because more people can be seated, and everyone can sit face to face, the identity of the head of the family is not as clearly recognized by his seat as it is on a long Western table. Guests should wait for the host's invitation before sitting down. The host must be careful not to ask the guest to sit *near* the seat where the food is served. This is a big no-no.

No meal of any kind can begin until everyone is present - even if someone is late. Once everyone is seated, the host family can make the opening remarks. The host must assume a proactive role during the meal - it is perfectly reasonable to urge guests to eat and drink to their heart's content.

● A typical Chinese table looks quite empty, especially to Western eyes. A bowl on a tray is visible in front of each seat; to the right is a set of chopsticks and spoons on their respective seats. On formal occasions, napkins are present, mainly in the lap.

At formal banquets, dishes are eaten much like a slide show, one dish at a time. Surprisingly, rice is not served with the dishes, although there is an option to eat with them. Since the dishes are each unique, they should be tasted individually, and only one at a time from the bowl, not a mixture. It may not be eaten from a plate, only from a bowl. Bones and shells are served on individual plates. Unclean plates must always be replaced with clean ones.

● Chopsticks are used for everything on the table except soup. Knives* may be provided, but as a Chinese, it is best to use chopsticks. Chopsticks are a tool for eating, so never play with them - it's very rude to use them as drumsticks, and it's not acceptable to point or gesture at people with them. Of course, one should never suck on the chopsticks or stick them in the rice, which is a big no-no - this is just like incense and candles at a funeral, which is considered unlucky. Also, you should not use chopsticks to flick through a dish, but should first use your eyes to see what you want to eat. When you use chopsticks to pick up a piece of food, try to avoid touching other food. If possible, use the chopsticks and spoon next to you. Put your chopsticks back in their holders when you have finished eating or picking up food.

● A Chinese meal is not formal without tea. For this reason, it is wise to store as many different varieties of tea as possible, to ensure that the most astute tastes are catered for. There are a few key things to keep in mind when it comes to tea. The person seated nearest the teapot should be responsible for pouring the tea for the others as well as for themselves - the order of pouring should be according to age, from the oldest to the youngest, and finally for themselves. When someone pours tea for you, it is polite to tap the table with your finger as a sign of appreciation and respect for the person who poured the tea.

Dining is the most important thing in home life, reflecting personal qualities and tastes

Eyes on the food to move the chopsticks

Tea pouring order is very careful, the first long after the young, the first female after the male

Reasons for banquets are both joyful and sad

The Chinese people have always been "food first", in addition to food to meet the basic needs of the human being, but also adhering to the traditional custom, the gathering of people at the table to eat a lot of food. The reason for having a feast can be to celebrate the birth of a child, or to celebrate the birth of a child, or to celebrate the birth of a child. The reason for having a feast can be either for celebration or for mourning. Whenever there is a Lunar New Year, a wedding, or a Chinese festival such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese people will gather all the family members together at the dinner table to celebrate the festivities; but on the other hand, if someone passes away, the bereaved family will set up a "relief wine" after the funeral, and invite relatives and friends who have attended the funeral to express their gratitude to them, which shows the importance that Chinese people attach to sharing joys and sorrows at the dinner table. This shows that Chinese people attach great importance to sharing joys and sorrows at the dinner table.

Zaojun

The Chinese not only respect the art and etiquette of eating, they even worship Zaojun, which is derived from the god of fire. They believe that "Zaojun" can protect the kitchen from fires and all kinds of misfortunes. Every year on the 24th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, every family prepares a delicious meal to honor "Zaojun", including a whole chicken, roasted pig, various vegetables, rice, etc. to thank "Zaojun" for their past year. to thank "Zaojun" for his blessings in the past year. They usually place the dining table in front of Zaojun, put the food on the left side of the table, and offer it for a few hours before taking the food away.

What does eating etiquette have to do with superstition?

Guests eating with a traditional Chinese family must respect their culture, etiquette and customs, and take care not to violate various taboos when eating, as the Chinese believe that food is almost closely related to one's destiny, and that violating taboos when eating will bring bad luck. For example, when eating fish, when finished eating one side of the fish body, do not use chopsticks to turn the whole fish to the other side, they believe that if the fish turn over the fish body, it means that the fishing boat will sink, this is due to the early days of the opening of Hong Kong as a fishing port, fishermen are very concerned about the safety of the ship navigation; In addition, the Chinese never served seven dishes of dishes for dinner, because after the funeral of the "libation" must have seven dishes of alcohol! In addition, the Chinese never serve seven plates of food with their meal, because after a funeral, the "libation wine" must contain seven plates of food; one should not insert chopsticks vertically into the center of the bowl of rice, because it is a bit like paying homage to the ancestors; one should not say, "I have finished my meal", which implies that he or she has already died and will not have the chance to eat again, and should rather say, "I am full"; and one should avoid saying, "I am full! "Instead, one should say, "I am full"; avoid making noise when touching the rice bowl with the chopsticks during meals, as this is not only impolite, but also implies that one has no food to eat; cultivate the habit of eating all the rice in the bowl, and do not leave a single grain of rice left in the bowl, or else one's future wife or husband will be a "pimple-faced" person who will have no respect for the hard-working farmer. These superstitious dietary practices have been passed down to the present day and are still more or less part of the Chinese dietary rituals.

Dining customs

In terms of dining, the Chinese are a bit different from Westerners, who like to taste the food placed in front of them individually, while the Chinese have certain dining rules, they like to call for a few plates of dishes, placed in the center of the dining table, and each have a bowl of rice **** with the same match? These several plates of dishes, rice can be added again after eating; pinch up the dishes usually have to be placed in their own rice bowls, directly into the mouth of the dishes is not polite; in accordance with the customary guests to attend a formal or traditional dinner, is not eaten on the table of the dishes, so as not to make the host family mistakenly think that the dishes are not enough to prepare, and therefore feel embarrassed.

Table setting

The table setting for a daily meal consists of a rice bowl, a pair of chopsticks, a spoon, and a dish of sauce at each table, and a hot towel is usually given to the guest after the meal instead of a paper towel to wipe his hands and mouth. All dishes are brought to the center of the table at the same time, and each person uses his or her own chopsticks to take food directly from the dishes on each plate; soup is served in a large pot, and everyone drinks from the same pot. Guests can also use their chopsticks to take food from the dishes directly at the center of the table, while the soup is served in a big pot and everyone drinks the soup together. Since Chinese people like to enjoy their food together, most of their dining tables are round or square, rather than the long ones used by Westerners.

How to call a Chinese meal

First call a cold dish to stimulate the appetite, and then call a pot of soup, hot soup to help increase body temperature, after drinking hot soup, then begin to taste the main course, usually in accordance with their own tastes called the main course, but it is necessary to call a dish of full of spicy dishes, to be considered as a suitable Chinese meal, spicy dishes with? Light white rice, so that the dishes spicy and mild, white rice light and fragrant; a meal of the finale food is dessert, usually sweet soup, such as red bean paste, sesame paste, etc., but also other types, such as pudding, pancakes, ice cream, etc., also sweet and savory.

The way to eat

To wait for the hot soup to become a little cooler and not lose the taste of soup in the mouth, should be a small sip of the spoon sip out of the sound of the drink; as for the meal, to lift the bowl of rice close to the lips, with chopsticks to push the rice into the mouth, this is one of the easiest way to eat, but also said that like to eat that meal; if you eat without lifting the bowl of rice, that is, said that they are not satisfied with the dishes on the dinner table.

Banquets

The Chinese rarely drink wine with their daily meals, but wine plays an important role in their feasts. At the beginning of the banquet, the host family must first toast to the guests, then the guests of the drinking spirit will be born, beer or soda can be used to toast to the first for others to add wine or soda, and then add their own, in order to comply with the etiquette, and should be added to the nearly full diarrhea until, in order to express the respect for each other and each other's friendship, and the host family to get drunk on the guests, in order to be considered as the etiquette. If you don't want to drink, you should indicate at the beginning of the party to avoid embarrassing scenes.

The end of the banquet

When the guests have finished the last dish, the banquet is officially over, and the host will stand up to indicate that the banquet is over, and will stand at the door to say "good night" to each guest, and then check out with the restaurant manager, and the rest of the host family will send the guests to the car, waving goodbye and seeing the guests off to their cars. The host's other members of the family will send the guests to the car, waving goodbye and watching the car drive away.

Dishes

Most Chinese dishes don't have just one ingredient, but usually have other accompaniments or toppings to set off the main dish to make it more colorful and flavorful. For example, when cooking pork, you'd use crisp greens such as celery or bell peppers as accompaniments to set off the pink, tender pork. For example, pork is cooked with crisp greens such as celery or peppers to complement the pink, tender pork. The first step in the process is to make sure that you have the right mix of food and drink, and that you have the right mix of food and drink, and that you have the right mix of food and drink.

Drinks

Tea is the daily drink of the Chinese, and soup is the best drink with their meals. On special days or occasions, the Chinese will drink wine or spirits, but not water, which is different from Westerners. Chinese tea is the main drink in teahouses, and although there are other drinks available, they consider tea to be the most refreshing and invigorating drink, especially after eating greasy dim sum, which helps to wash away the grease. Each table is supplied with one or two teapots, and can be added to the drink, the guest only need to open the lid of the teapot and placed on the top of the pot, there will be a waiter to come to add boiling water; no matter how many tea cups with the same seat, one of them can be poured for the others, but remember to pour for others, and then finally pour for themselves, which is in line with the etiquette. The teahouse has different kinds of tea, guests can choose according to personal preference.

The American dining commandments six

First, do not allow the meal to make noise.

Secondly, you are not allowed to take food for others.

Third, you are not allowed to smoke.

Fourth, it is not allowed to persuade others to drink.

Fifth, it is not allowed to undress in public.

The sixth is not allowed to talk about disgusting things.

Differences in food culture between China and the West

There are differences in food culture between China and the West. The Chinese prefer to go to a teahouse with a large group of people to enjoy a wider variety of snacks and dishes, and although teahouses have two-person tables, most of them have tables for four or more diners. The atmosphere is not as romantic as that of a Western-style restaurant, so if you're eating for two, you might want to consider not going to a teahouse.

Chinese table manners are summarized in the following points:

A. The etiquette of seating. The first guests are invited to sit on the seat. In the invitation to the elders to take their seats next to the guests in turn, to be seated from the left side of the chair to enter. Do not move chopsticks after being seated. Do not make any noise. Don't get up and walk around． If there is something to greet the host.

Second, when eating. The first guest. The first to ask the guest to move the chopsticks. When you are eating, you should take less food at a time. Eat less of the food that is far away from you. Don't make noise while eating. Don't make noise when drinking soup. Drink soup with a spoon in small sips. Don't hold the bowl to your mouth, and drink the soup when it's too hot or when it's cooled down. Don't drink while blowing. Some people like to chew their food. Especially if they chew crunchy food vigorously and make a clear sound. This is not a good etiquette. Especially when eating with a group of people, you should try to prevent this phenomenon.

Third: Do not burp or make other noises while eating, and if you sneeze or make involuntary noises such as guttural noises, say "I'm sorry". I'm sorry," "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." or something like that. I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry.

Fourth; if you want to give guests or elders dishes. It is best to use the communal chopsticks. Can also be far from the guests or elders of the dishes sent to them in front, according to our Chinese custom. The dishes are served one by one. If there are leaders, elders or guests at the same table. Whenever a new dish comes up, ask them to move their chopsticks first. Or take turns asking them to move their chopsticks first. The first thing you should do is to ask them to move their chopsticks first, or take turns asking them to move their chopsticks first.

Fifth: When you eat fish heads, fish spines, bones, etc., don't spit them out, and don't throw them on the floor. You should slowly take it to your own plate with your hands, or put it close to your own table, or put it on the paper you prepared beforehand.

Sixth: take the time to chat with the people around a few funny words to harmonize the atmosphere. Don't eat with your head bare, not caring about others, and don't gobble down a big meal, and don't drink too much.

Seventh: It is best not to pick your teeth at the table. If you want to pick your teeth, use a napkin or hand to cover your mouth.

Eighth: Make it clear that the main purpose of the meal is to talk business. To be clear to talk business-oriented. Or to contact the main feelings. Or to eat mainly. If it is the former, in the arrangement of seating should pay attention to. The main negotiator's seat close to each other to facilitate the conversation or to ease the feelings. If it's the back. Just pay attention to common sense etiquette, focus on enjoying the food,

Ninth: when leaving the table. You must thank your host. Or at this point invite the host to their home in the future, in return.

I. Banquet etiquette

(1) When you are invited to a banquet, you are probably more interested in the people eating at the same table and the conversation at the table than in the food. Therefore, you should eat with as little noise and movement as possible.

(2) As soon as the hostess picks up her napkin, you can pick up yours and place it in your lap. Sometimes there is a small piece of bread wrapped in the napkin; in that case take it and put it on a small plate beside you.

(3) If the napkin is large, fold it in your lap; if it is small, open it all the way. Never put the napkin on the collar or undershirt, and do not rub it in your hands. You can use the corner of the napkin to wipe away grease or dirt from your mouth or fingers. Never use it to wipe knives and forks or dishes.

(4) The main meal usually begins with soup. The largest spoon in front of your seat is the soup spoon, which is next to the plate on your right. Don't make the mistake of using the spoon in the middle of the table, as that's probably for vegetables and jams.

(5) Guests are not allowed to eat any of the dishes until the hostess has picked up her spoon or fork. The hostess usually waits until each guest has been served a dish. She will not ask you to eat first, as is customary in China. When she picks up her spoon or fork, that means everyone can do that too.

(6) If there is a fish dish, it is most often served after the soup, and there may be a special fork for the fish on the table, which may be similar to the fork for the meat, usually smaller, but in any case, the fish fork is placed on the outside of the meat fork on the side away from the plate.

(7) The fish is usually boned long before it is served, and if the piece you are eating still has spines, you can take a bread roll, or piece of bread, in your left hand, and a knife in your right hand, and dislodge the spines.

(8) If you get a splinter in your mouth, remove it quietly, and as unobtrusively as possible, with your fingers, and place it on the edge of your plate, not on the table, or throw it on the ground.

In addition, I understand some of the taboos of the French table manners, such as after:

Second, the French table manners seven taboos

Promise each other an invitation to be late or even cancel the appointment, you must notify the other party in advance. It is acceptable to be a little late for a meeting, but if it takes more than 15 minutes, it will give the other party a bad impression that they do not value the date. When ordering food, you should choose the food you want to eat, if you look at the menu and do not have a clue, you can ask the waiter to recommend the restaurant's signature dishes, but to give a clear indication, such as seafood, do not want to eat red meat, etc., and remember that everything can not be decided, only know how to say "yes, but (whatever)" will only be added for the guests on the same table trouble. There are a lot of details to pay attention to, but in fact, most of them are daily etiquette, as long as you stay calm, do not make a big movement, do not make noise or hinder others to eat, then it has been qualified.

1, the most basic principle of using cutlery is from the outside to the inside, after completing a dish, the waiter collects the cutlery, or will make up another set of knives and forks as needed.

2, eat meat (such as steak) should be cut from the corner, eat a piece and then cut the next piece. When you come across a part or side dish that you don't eat, simply move it to the side of the plate.

3, if there is something in your mouth to spit out, you should pass the fork to your mouth to take out, or take out with your fingers, and then move to the edge of the plate. The whole process should try not to attract the attention of others, and then eat naturally.

4, encounter beans or rice a kind of side dishes, you can hold the fork in the left hand flat on the plate, fork tines up, and then use a knife to beans or rice gently flick to the fork can be. If you need seasoning but can't reach it, ask the person to hand it to you, don't stand up and lean forward to get it.

5, after eating wipe hand wipe mouth do not use a napkin to wipe vigorously, pay attention to the appearance of a corner of the napkin gently printed off the mouth or fingers on the oil stains can be.

6, even if the stool is more comfortable, sitting posture should be kept straight, do not lean on the back of the chair above. When you eat, you can lean forward slightly, and your arms should be close to your body to avoid hitting the next door.

7, after eating each dish, such as the knife and fork on all sides of the put, or hit the cross put, very ugly. The correct way is to put the knife and fork side by side on the plate, with the fork tines facing up.

Chinese people are the help of etiquette, food is the day, dining can not be no rules! Although it is said to speak or not to speak are three meals a day, but know better than not know it!

1. Invite guests to early notice, 6:00 seating, 5:50 before calling guests to come, inappropriate.

2. The host family can not be late; guests should be late 5-10 minutes, which is very considerate of the guests Oh, pay attention to master, natural guests and hosts are happy.

3. If you sit at a round table, the main seat is opposite the door, or back * wall, counter; more sophisticated restaurants, will be distinguished by napkins, napkins, the highest position can not just sit Oh, unless you plan to invite you to go:

4. The master of the right hand side of the main guest, the left is the second most important guests; the door facing the master of the natural errands to greet the guests sit.

5. guests can not be directly to the point of ordering staff yell pointing, should be good to sit and wait for the host family point of order; if the guests do have serious taboos or hobbies, should gently tell the host family, the host naturally want to do it for him to meet the guests small or large requirements.

6. host family, do not point or less point need to grab or hold the hand to eat the dishes, such as crab, lobster legs, ribs and so on. A meal to come on three such dishes is no cure. What etiquette can be said!

7. Do not force or oppose others to drink a small amount of alcohol, no alcohol is not a feast!

8. On the wine on the dishes! Foreigners like to brag about their craft, the country can not make Xing brag about their own point of view of the food, the host family carefully observe the cold dishes on all, each cup of wine, when immediately raised his glass, welcome to start and so on, turn the plate or signal the right-hand side of the host guest to move the first chopsticks. Don't hold back for too long, everyone is hungry and waiting for you to start eating! Don't forget to praise the one who ate.

9. After each dish comes up, although the waiter and the host will still turn to the front of the host guest, but do not be too formal, if it is in front of me, and no one to turn the disk, I will be the first to pinch a small chopstick to taste!

10. The host should always turn the disk to take care of most of the guests; the guests should supplement the service; and the guests should be able to eat the whole meal without touching the disk, so both the host and the guests will be happy again.

11. If you don't have a waiter to share the food or a common chopstick or spoon, you should watch the food first, and don't use your own chopsticks to pick and choose from the plate, or even to stir! Not everyone minds the drool on your chopsticks as much as your lover does! Usually pick the part closest to you.

12. It's a good idea to let the food on your chopsticks sit on your own plate for a while before you take it into your mouth. It makes the food look less eager.

13. When chewing food in the mouth, the big thing to remember is to close your lips tightly, so as not to speak, objects fall, juice spillage, and to avoid making a "Phooey Phooey Phooey Phooey" sound that is not appetizing.

14. Whether it is during the meal or before or after the meal, the back should be straight, try to sit back in the chair without *. During the meal, basically keep your hands above the table.

15. A host with too good an appetite, and a guest who is losing weight, is not suitable for such a meal.

There are many etiquettes at the table that are often overlooked.

(a) Seating and leaving the table

1, should wait for the elders to sit down, before you can sit.

2. If there is a woman on the table, you should wait for the woman to be seated before you take your seat. If a woman's seat is next door, you should call out to her.

3, after the meal, must wait for the host and hostess to leave the table, the other guests can leave the table.

4, sitting posture should be upright, and the distance from the table to keep appropriate.

5, dining in the restaurant, should be led by the waiter to the table.

6. When you leave the table, you should help the elders or women in the next seat to drag the seat.

(B) the use of scented napkins

1, napkins are mainly to prevent dirty clothes, and do wipe the mouth and hands of oil stains.

2. You must wait until everyone is seated before using the napkin.

3, the napkin should be spread out, placed on the upper thigh of the knees, do not tie the belt, or hanging in the suit collar.

4, do not use the napkin to wipe the tableware.

(C) general etiquette at the table

1, after taking a seat in a proper posture, feet under my seat, do not arbitrarily straighten, elbows shall not lean on the edge of the table, or put their hands on the back of the neighboring chairs.

2, the meal must be gentle and elegant, calm and quiet, not impatient.

3, at the table can not only care about themselves, but also care about others, especially to greet the female guests on both sides.

4, there is food in the mouth, you should avoid talking.

5, self-use cutlery can not reach into the communal dinner plate to clip the dishes.

6, must be small mouth to eat, do not big mouth stuffing, food end of swallowing, can not be stuffed into the mouth.

7. To take food and scoop soup, use public chopsticks and spoons.

8. You can't spit out what you've eaten. If the food is hot, you can drink water or juice to cool it down.

9. When sending food in, both elbows should be leaning inward, not spreading straight to the sides and touching the neighboring seats.

10, their hands holding a knife and fork, or others in the chewing food, should avoid talking to people or toast.

11, good eating is food on the mouth, not the mouth on the food. Food with juice, can not be sent to the mouth in a hurry, otherwise the soup drops on the tablecloth, extremely indecent.

12, do not use your fingers to pull out the teeth, the application of toothpicks, and hand or handkerchief to cover.

13, avoid coughing, sneezing, sulking at the table. In case you can't help it, you should say "sorry".

14, drinking should be casual, toast to the gift to the end, do not persuade, guessing, yelling.

15, such as tableware falling to the ground, you can ask the waiter to pick up.

16, in case of accidents, such as accidentally splashing wine, water, soup to the clothes of others, to apologize, do not panic to make amends, and make each other embarrassed.

17, if you want to get in front of the other guests at the same table condiments, you should ask the neighboring guests to help pass, do not reach across, long drive to get things.

18, such as the master personally cooked food, do not forget to give the master appreciation.

19, if you eat unclean or strange flavor, do not swallow, should be the entrance to the food, gently with the thumb and forefinger to take out, into the plate. If you find that you have not yet eaten, still in the dish with insects and debris, do not be alarmed, it is appropriate to waiter approach, gently tell the waiter to replace.

20, after eating, the tableware must be neatly arranged, not messy placement. The napkin should also be folded and placed on the table.

21, the main meal is in progress, should not smoke, if you need to smoke, must first ask the neighbor's consent.

22, eating in the restaurant, can not rush to pay the bill, push and pull to pay, to the indecent. If you are a guest, you can not rush to pay the bill. Without the consent of friends, it is not appropriate to pay on behalf of friends.

23, the speed of eating, it is appropriate to synchronize with the male and female hosts, not too fast, not too slow.

24, the table can not talk about sad things, otherwise it will destroy the happy atmosphere.

Western table manners originated in France during the Merovingian dynasty, which was inspired by Byzantine culture and developed a series of detailed etiquette.

By the time of Charlemagne in the Roman Empire, etiquette was more complex and even authoritarian. The emperor had to sit in the highest chair, and the princes and nobles had to pass the dishes to the emperor whenever music was played.

Until the seventeenth century, the traditional custom was to eat with a hat on. In the imperial era, table manners seemed cumbersome and strict, and different peoples had different dining habits. The Gauls ate sitting down; the Romans ate reclining; the French learned from childhood to put their hands on the table; the English had to put their hands on their thighs when they were not eating.

Table manners in Europe evolved from chivalry. In the twelfth century, when Italian culture flowed into France, table manners and menu language became more elegant and refined, and books were published to teach etiquette.

Today, table manners continue to be taught in European countries. If you're visiting a friend's house, you should dress appropriately, give appropriate gifts, and behave in an elegant manner.

The position of the tableware is mainly for the convenience of the meal, from the outside to the inside access. Used tableware should never be returned to the table, and the waiter will usually put it away.

① Red wine glass: you should hold the foot of the glass when drinking, not the body of the glass, so as to avoid the temperature of your hand destroying the flavor of the wine;

② Water glass: it's better to wipe your mouth before you drink, so as not to leave grease stains on the glass;

③ White wine glass;

④ Dessert spoon;

⑤ Dessert fork;

⑥ Bread plate;

⑦ Butter knife;

⑧ Fish knife;

⑧ fish fork;

⑨ large fork (main dish fork);

⑩ napkin: large napkin can be folded into a triangle on the lap, when wiping the mouth, it is appropriate to use the corner of the napkin position; leaving the seat, the napkin can be folded and placed in the chair or table; after the meal, the napkin should be folded and placed on the right side of the dinner plate;

(11) big knife (main dish knife);

> (12) Fish knife;

(13) Spoon: Do not make noise when drinking soup. After drinking soup, the spoon should not be placed in the bowl, but should be picked up and placed on the soup plate. As the host, you should invite all the guests to sit down one by one, and regarding the order of invitation, the first one to sit down should be the female companion of the guest of honor, who should be on the right hand side of the host, and the guest of honor, who should sit on the right hand side of the hostess.

If there is no special distinction between the host and the guest, unless there are elders present, must yield to them, otherwise the ladies can be generous to sit first, a polite gentleman should also wait for the girls to be seated, and then into the seat.

When you go out to eat, you will inevitably carry a bag, which should be placed on the back of the back and the back of the chair, not just on the table or on the ground. The first thing you need to do is to keep your head in the right place, but you don't have to be so stiff that you look like a wooden person, and keep a proper distance from the table.

When you need to leave a table, it's absolutely essential that you say hello to the people at your table, and that the men get up to show courtesy, even helping to pull up a seat if it's an older person or a woman who's leaving the table.

When the meal is over, the host and hostess must leave the table before the rest of the party can begin to leave.

"Use of napkins"

You should wait until everyone is seated before using a napkin. When the napkin is spread out, it should be placed flat on the thigh, not in the neckline, because it may be cute for a three-year-old girl, but it's not good for an adult after thirteen.

In addition, the main function of the napkin is to prevent the food from dirtying your clothes, and to wipe off the grease on your lips and hands, so please don't wipe your nose if you forgot to bring a tissue, because it's not elegant or hygienic.

Some people may be worried about the hygiene of eating utensils, and therefore use a napkin to wipe the eating utensils, in fact, this is a very rude behavior, will cause the restaurant or the host of the embarrassment. After finishing your meal, you should fold your napkin and place it on the table before leaving.

In the order of knife and fork in Western food, the principle is from the outside to the inside. The first to use in the dining plate on the outermost side of the eating utensils, each eat, use a pair of knives and forks; after eating, knives and forks side by side in the center of the plate, the waiter will take the initiative to take away the plate. In addition to cutting the food, the utensils are also used to move the food, as it is impolite to turn the plate in a formal setting.

『Eating etiquette』

Meat: Cut the steak from the outside to the inside, cut one piece and eat one piece, please do not cut it into pieces at a time for the sake of convenience, this is not only the lack of temperament, but also will make the delicious meat juice loss, very regrettable; cut the meat pieces of the size of the moderate, do not cut too large that there is a danger of not being able to close their mouths. When chewing your food, be sure to keep your mouth closed to avoid making a noise, and do not send any more food into your mouth until it has been swallowed.

Shellfish: Shellfish should be eaten with the shell in the left hand and the fork in the right hand to pick out the meat. Eat fish fillets, the right hand can hold a fork to eat, avoid the use of knives, because the tender fish will easily be shredded and become difficult to pack; encountered a whole fish, the first to eat the upper layer of the fish, and then use a knife and fork to remove the fish bones, do not turn over, eat lobster, can be used to remove the shell of the shrimp fingers after eating.

Fruits: Fruits with a lot of water should be taken with a small spoon. Peaches and melons, the restaurant will first peeled and sliced, should be taken with a small fork. Strawberries are often placed on a small plate and can be eaten with a spoon or fork. In addition, when eating fruits, restaurants usually provide a hand-washing box with flower petals or lemons in it. This is a good way to wash your hands.

Desserts: Cakes and pastries are usually eaten with a small fork, harder ones are cut with a knife and eaten with a small fork, and ice cream or pudding can be eaten with a small spoon. If you come across small pieces of hard cookies, you can take them directly.

『Drinking etiquette』

Soup: When drinking soup, use a spoon, not the whole bowl. When drinking soup with a spoon, the spoon should be scooped outwards from your own side, and you should not stir the hot soup arbitrarily or blow on it with your mouth to cool it. It is polite to avoid making noise when drinking soup. When the soup is almost finished, hold the plate with your left thumb and forefinger and tilt it outward to retrieve the soup. After finishing the soup, the spoon should be placed on the saucer of the soup plate or cup.

Coffee and tea: When drinking coffee or tea, the restaurant will always include a small spoon, which is used to stir the sugar and creamer, so try not to stir your own drink with the spoon from the sugar and creamer canisters, or use the spoon to pick up the coffee to taste the sweetness, or you're guaranteed to get the attention of the whole table. When drinking coffee or tea, you should hold the cup by the handle with your forefinger and thumb, so you don't have to hold the saucer. When you're done, place a small spoon on the saucer.