Western tableware in a broad sense includes knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, napkins and so on. There are dish plates, pudding plates, milk plates, butter plates and so on. The wine glasses are even more exquisite. Almost every kind of wine should be served at formal banquets, and special wine glasses must be replaced.

In a narrow sense, tableware refers to three pieces: knife, fork and spoon. Knives are divided into edible knives, fish knives and meat knives (with serrated blades, used to cut steaks, pork chops, etc. ), butter knife, fruit knife. Forks are divided into edible forks, fish forks, meat forks and shrimp forks. Spoons are spoons, dessert spoons and teaspoons. The specifications of public knives and forks are obviously larger than those of table knives and forks.

Tableware placement: the dinner plate is placed in the center of the dining table, and neatly folded napkins or papers are placed on the tray (some napkins or papers are broken into stamens and put in glasses). Knives, forks and spoons on both sides are arranged in neat parallel lines. If you have a seat card, put it in front of the saucer. All knives are placed on the right side of the saucer, and the blade faces the saucer. All kinds of spoons are placed on the right side of the knife, with the center of the spoon facing up. The fork is placed on the left side of the saucer, with the fork teeth facing up. Generally, only three pairs of knives and forks are put in one seat. The bread plate is placed on the guest's left hand side, equipped with a bread knife (that is, a butter knife, which is used to spread cream and jam instead of cutting bread), and all kinds of wine glasses and cups are placed on the right front. If there is pasta, the spoon and fork for eating pasta are placed horizontally in front.

2. Use of tableware

Knife and fork grip. When using a knife, put the end of the handle in the palm of your hand, press your thumb on one side of the handle, press your forefinger on the handle, but be careful that your forefinger never touches the back of the knife, and the other three fingers bend to hold the handle. If the fork doesn't use a knife, the fork teeth should face up. Hold the fork as far as possible at the end of the fork handle, with the fork handle resting on the middle finger and supported by the ring finger and the little finger in the middle. Forks can be used to fork or eat alone, or to eat some starters and pies, or to eat main courses that don't need to be cut.

The use of knives and forks. Knife in right hand, fork in left hand. First hold the food with a fork, then cut it into small pieces with a knife, and then send it into your mouth with a fork. Europeans don't change hands when they use it, that is, they hold a fork in their left hand from cutting vegetables to delivering food. After cutting, the Americans put down the knife and changed their right hand to hold the fork to send the food into their mouth.

When the knife and fork are used together, the fork posture is similar to holding a knife, but the fork teeth should face down. Usually the knife and fork are used together when eating the main course, but if you don't need to cut with a knife, you can cut with a fork. Both methods are correct.

Usage of spoon. Hold the spoon in your right hand and the fork in the same way, but your fingers must be at the end of the spoon handle. You can't eat anything but soup.

The use of napkins. When eating, the big napkin can be folded in half (usually folded in half) and spread on the leg, and the small napkin can be spread directly on the leg. Be careful not to hang napkins on your chest (but in places with little space, such as airplanes). When you wipe your mouth, use the top of the napkin and the inside to wipe your mouth. Never use it to wipe your face or clean knives, forks, plates, etc.

Dining etiquette of western food

Because the main difference between western food and Chinese food is in tableware, dishes, drinks and so on. Attending a western banquet should not only follow the basic etiquette of the Chinese banquet mentioned above, but also master the following etiquette knowledge respectively.

1. Tableware etiquette

When eating western food, you must pay attention to the placement and placement of tableware on the table, and you can't take it at will. At a formal banquet, each dish is equipped with a set of corresponding tableware (knife, fork and spoon), and the order of the above dishes is arranged from outside to inside. When eating, you should first take the outermost set of knives and forks on the left and right. After eating each dish, put the knife and fork together and put them on the plate, indicating that the dishes have been used up, and the waiter will take the initiative to remove the tableware. If you haven't finished eating or stopped, put the knife and fork on the plate in a figure of eight with the blade inward, which means telling the waiter that I haven't finished eating, please don't take the plate away.

When using a knife and fork, try not to let it collide, so as not to make a loud noise, and don't wave it to talk to others.

2. Dining etiquette

There are many kinds of western food with different flavors, so the order of serving varies with different cuisines and specifications, but the basic order is basically the same.

A meal consists of seven or eight complete western dishes, which are mainly composed of the following parts:

First, drinks (fruit juice), fruits or cold dishes, also called appetizers, are designed to stimulate appetite.

Second, soup (that is, the first course). You need a spoon. There is usually butter and bread at this time.

3. Vegetables, cold dishes or fish (also called side dishes). You can use the corresponding knife and fork on both sides of the saucer.

Fourth, the main course (meat or cooked vegetables). The main course meat is usually accompanied by cooked vegetables. At this time, you should cut it with a knife and fork and eat it on a plate. If you have salad, you need salad spoon, salad fork and other tableware.

Fifth, after-dinner food. Generally, it is dessert (dim sum), fruit, ice cream and so on. Finally, for coffee, use a coffee spoon and a long-handled spoon to drink coffee.