[Abstract] Western dining, people are concerned about eating well, and enjoying the dining atmosphere. In order to eat western food for the first time in a more skillful manner, familiarize yourself with the western food etiquette is very necessary.

Western dining, people are concerned about the first is to eat, and the second is to enjoy the dining mood and atmosphere. In order to eat western food for the first time in a more skillful manner, familiarize yourself with the western dining etiquette is very necessary.

I. Dining occasions and notes

When invited to breakfast, lunch, dinner, buffet, cocktail or tea party, usually there are only two kinds, one is formal, one is casual. If you are going to an upscale restaurant, men are expected to wear a neat top and leather shoes, and women are expected to wear suits and shoes with heels. If formal attire is specified as a requirement, men must wear a tie.

The following are some of the most representative occasions and precautions:

1. Buffet

Buffet (also a common one at receptions) can be breakfast, Chinese food, dinner, or even tea, with both cold and hot dishes, along with cutlery placed on the food table for guests. It is usually held indoors or in a yard or garden to entertain different numbers of guests. If the venue is too small or there is no wait staff to entertain a larger number of guests, a buffet is the best choice.

When the buffet begins, you should wait in line to get your food. Grab a plate for your food before you take it. To adhere to the principle of "eat less, run more", do not take too much at a time to eat, you can take a few more times. After finishing your meal, put the dishes in the designated place. Not allowed to "eat not take away". If you eat buffet in the hotel, generally by the number of people dining on the price, some also provide for the length of the meal, and the requirements must be eaten, if not eaten, then you need to pay for your own pocket "buy" you did not finish things.

There are two types of buffets, and the sit-down and partial-service ones are the best. It combines elegance and relaxation, and such a gathering requires some service unless it is small enough for the hostess to handle, as well as enough space to accommodate a table. The other type requires no table and no or very little service; the guests amuse themselves by bringing their own plates, silverware and napkins to a place where they feel most comfortable, and are always ready to discuss problems.

Buffets, in addition to solving the problems created by extra service, also solve the problem of the hostess arranging tables. When guests are free to choose their place, the order of precedence and suitability for satisfaction, etc., are not the responsibility of the host. Often a wide variety of dishes are offered, the guests have plenty of choice, and the hosts don't have to worry about whether the menu is to their liking.

2. Cocktail party

Cocktail party form lively, simple, easy to talk to people. Hospitality to wine as the weight, slightly prepared some small food, such as snacks, bread, sausage, etc., on the table, coffee table or by the waiter with a tray, the drinks and snacks to the guests, the guests can walk around at will. The time of organization is usually from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. In recent years, cocktail parties are often held before and after various large international events.

On such occasions, it is best to hold a napkin in your hand so that you can wipe your hands at any time. Hold your glass in your left hand so that you are ready to extend your right hand and shake hands with others. Don't forget to wipe your mouth and hands with a napkin after eating. Throw the used napkin to the designated place.

3. Dinner party

The dinner party can be divided into two kinds: the grand dinner party and the casual dinner party.

Western custom, the grand dinner, also known as a formal banquet, is basically arranged to be held after 8:00 p.m., China usually starts at 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.. Holding this kind of banquet shows that the host attaches great importance to the theme of the banquet, or for a certain celebration, etc.. Formal dinners are generally well seated, and the dress code is stated on the invitation. There is a toast or a toast, and sometimes music is arranged for the table, played live by a small band.

The banquet is a simple form of banquet. This kind of banquet atmosphere is friendly and friendly, applicable to family and friends, some held at home. Clothing, seats, tableware, layout, etc. do not have to be too elaborate, but still different from the general family dinner.

Western custom, the dinner party usually invite couples to attend at the same time. If you are invited, read your invitation carefully, which will indicate whether you will be accompanied by one person or Mr. or Mrs., or bring a partner. When replying to an invitation, you would do well to tell your host their names.

4. Other notes

One of the characteristics of Western food is that there is a lot of cutlery: cups of all sizes, plates, silverware and so on.

The tableware is carefully arranged according to the order in which the different dishes are served. At the front of the seat is the food plate (or soup plate), with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. The spoon is also placed to the right of the plate. Above the plate are the spoons, forks and coffee spoons for the sweets, and slightly to the right of the plate are the wine glasses. Wine glasses, champagne glasses, and beer glasses (water glasses) are placed from the right. The napkin is folded into the beer glass or placed on the serving plate. The bread plate is placed in the left hand and the butter knife is placed horizontally on the plate with the blade side facing you. The number of knives and forks of the meal should be equal to the number of dishes, according to the order of serving from the outside to the inside of the arrangement, the knife to the inside, according to the order of the meal from the outside to the middle of the row with, in order to eat appetizers with, eat fish with, eat meat with the more formal meals, napkins are made of cloth. High-end restaurant napkins are often folded beautifully, and some are tied with small ribbons. Be careful not to wipe your nose or face with your napkin.

Small bottles of salt and pepper can be used by placing one in front of the center of each set of cutlery, one between every two sets of cutlery or even just in the center of the table, so that you can **** with one set of small bottles.

After the cutlery is all set, don't forget the table decorations, such as a candlestick or a small vase made from your teapot, can add a romantic atmosphere.

Don't put hot water in a glass when entertaining guests, which is neither scientific nor safe, as the glass is easy to burn your hands. Therefore, hot water, hot tea, etc., should be placed in a porcelain cup, glass is used to fill ice or cold water.

The Western way of drinking tea is also different from China. The Chinese way of drinking tea is usually to put the tea leaves directly in the cup and drink it with boiling water, with the tea leaves still in the cup. In the West, tea is brewed in bags or tea leaves are put in a teapot first, then the tea is poured out and drunk, leaving no tea leaves in the cup.

When seated, the body should be upright, elbows do not put on the desktop, do not stilt legs, and the distance between the table in order to facilitate the use of tableware is preferred. Do not fiddle with the tableware on the dining table. When the hostess picks up the napkin (if there is no hostess, look at the host), it indicates the beginning of the meal, spreading the napkin on the legs, if the napkin is very large, folding it in half and placing it on the legs, covering the part of the legs above the knees.

At a formal dinner, wait for the hostess to place the napkin before the man does so. It is best to open the napkin with both hands; never open the napkin by shaking it back and forth. Don't pin your napkin to your collar, belt or clip it to the lapel of your shirt. When eating, keep your head at a certain height, not too low, and don't move your head too much.

During a meal, if you leave your seat for a while, you can place your napkin on your chair. Never leave your napkin on the table, as this will mean that you don't want to eat anymore and have the waiter stop serving you.

Many hosts do not want guests to smoke in their homes. If you want to smoke, go to a designated area after dessert has been served and with the host or hostess's permission. Don't sit on the dining table and let the guests around you enjoy the "wonderland" with you.

Two. Western table manners

The table must pay attention to:

1. Western food ordering and serving order

Western menu has four or five categories, which are appetizers, soups, salads, seafood, meats, snacks and so on.

The main course should be decided first. If the main course is fish, choose meat for the appetizer, which is more varied in taste. Except for those with a particularly large appetite, you don't really have to make a full meal out of a single dish on the menu; just one appetizer and one main course, plus a dessert, will suffice. It is possible to do without the soup, or omit the appetizer, which is also ideal . combination (but in Italian cuisine, pasta is seen as a soup, so in principle these two dishes are not ordered together).

The formal order for ordering a full set meal is:

1) Starter. The first course of Western food is the first plate, also known as appetizers. Appetizers are generally divided into cold appetizers and hot appetizers, and common varieties include caviar, foie gras, smoked salmon, cocktail cups, creamy chicken puff pastry box, baked escargot, and so on. Because they are meant to be appetizers, appetizers usually have a distinctive flavor, with salty and sour tastes, and are served in small quantities and of high quality.

2) Soup. Unlike Chinese food, the second course of Western food is soup. Soup in Western food can be roughly divided into four categories: clear soup, cream soup, vegetable soup and cold soup. Varieties of oxtail soup, cream soup, seafood soup, American clam chowder, Italian vegetable soup, Russian borscht, French baked onion soup. There are fewer varieties of cold soups, such as German-style cold soups and Russian-style cold soups.

3) Side dishes. Fish dishes are generally used as the third course of Western cuisine, also known as side dishes. Varieties include a variety of fresh and saltwater fish, shellfish and mollusks. Usually aquatic dishes and eggs, bread, pastry box dishes are called side dishes. Because fish and other dishes of tender meat, easier to digest, so put in front of the meat dishes, called and meat dishes on the main dish is different. Western food to eat fish dishes pay attention to the use of special sauce, varieties of tartare juice, Dutch juice, hotel juice, white cream juice, Archbishop's juice, U.S. juice and sailor fish juice.

4) main dishes. Meat and poultry dishes are the fourth course of Western cuisine, also known as the main course. Meat dishes are taken from the raw materials of cattle, sheep, pigs, small cowboys and other parts of the meat, which is the most representative of the beef or steak. Steak can be categorized into sirloin steak, filet mignon, T-bone steak and thin steak. It is often cooked by grilling, pan-frying, or steak. Meat dishes with sauces are mainly Spanish sauce, thick roasted juice, mushroom sauce, white Nice sauce, and so on.

Poultry dishes from the raw materials from the chicken, ducks, geese, usually rabbit and venison and other game is also categorized as poultry dishes. The largest variety of poultry dishes is chicken, there are mountain chicken, turkey, bamboo chicken, can be boiled, fried, grilled, stewed, the main sauce has a yellow gravy, curry sauce, cream sauce and so on.

5) vegetable dishes. Vegetable dishes can be arranged after meat dishes, but also with meat dishes on the table at the same time, so it can be counted as a dish, or called a side dish. Vegetable dishes are called salads in Western cuisine. Salads that are served at the same time as the main course are called raw vegetable salads, and are usually made with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and asparagus. The main dressings for salads are vinaigrette, French dressing, dry island dressing, and cheese salad dressing.

Salads, in addition to vegetables, there is also a category of salads made with fish, meat and eggs, which are usually served without flavored dressings and can be served as a first course in the order of meals.

There are also vegetables that are cooked, such as cauliflower, boiled spinach, and fried potato fries. Cooked vegetables are usually served on a dinner plate with the meat dishes of the main course, called side dishes.

6) Dessert. Dessert in Western cuisine is served after the main course and can be counted as the sixth course. In the true sense, it includes all the food served after the main course, such as pudding, pancakes, ice cream, cheese, fruits, and so on.

7) Coffee and tea. The last course of a Western meal is served with a drink, coffee or tea. Coffee is usually served with sugar and light cream. Tea is usually served with spiced peach slices and sugar.

2. The problem of the seat

Even if the guest of honor has the status, identity, age higher than the guest of honor, in the ranking of the seat, but still close to the host to be seated. The male host sits in the main seat, the right hand is the wife of the first important guest, the left hand is the wife of the second important guest, the hostess sits opposite the male host. On either side of her are the first and second most important male guests. Now, if it is not a very formal luncheon or dinner, such spaced seating of one man and one woman would be unimportant.

3. Use of Knife and Fork

When using a knife and fork, take the fork from the outside to the inside, holding the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right; when cutting something, hold the fork in the left hand and press down on the food, and the knife in the right hand and cut it into small pieces, and use the fork to bring it to your mouth. When using a knife, the blade should not face outward. When you need to take a break in the middle of a meal, you can put down your knife and fork and place them in the center of your plate in the shape of an "eight" to show that you are not finished and want to continue eating. Whenever you finish a dish, place your knife and fork side by side on the plate to indicate that you have finished eating and can take the dish or plate away. If it is a conversation, you can hold the knife and fork without putting them down, but do not wave them around. When you don't use the knife, you can use your right hand to hold the fork, but when you need to make a gesture, you should put down the knife and fork, never wave the knife and fork in the air, don't hold the knife or fork in one hand and wipe your mouth with a napkin in the other, and don't hold a glass of wine in one hand and a fork in the other to take the food. At no time should one end of the knife or fork be placed on the plate and the other on the table.

4. Dos and don'ts at the table.

Don't put on makeup and wipe your nose with a napkin at the table. Burping during meals is a big no-no. When taking food, ask someone else to pass the food you can't reach, and don't stand up. Don't take too much food into your mouth at a time, and don't talk while you're chewing. Don't gulp down your food. You should ask for a little bit of the food you don't want to eat and put it on your plate as a sign of courtesy. You should not leave the table in the middle of a meal. If you do need to leave, whisper a greeting to the guests to your left and right. When drinking a toast, even if you do not drink, you should touch the mouth of the glass to your lips as a sign of respect. When someone pours a glass of wine for you, if you don't need to, simply say "No, thank you!" or put your hand slightly over the glass to show your thanks. Do not unbutton or undress in public during the meal. If the host asks the guest to broaden his clothes, the male guest can take off his coat on the back of the chair, but not to put his coat or carry things on the dining table.

Three. The specific way of eating western food western food, and Chinese food is very different.

1. Eat bread and butter, usually small round bread and baguettes to get their own bread and butter, and then use their hands to break the bread into several small pieces, smear a piece, eat a piece.

When eating sandwiches, small sandwiches and toast are eaten by hand, and larger ones are cut before eating. Hot sandwiches eaten with marinara sauce require a knife and fork.

2. Eating Meat

Westerners eat meat (lamb chops, steak, pork chops, etc.) in large pieces. When eating, use a knife or fork to cut the meat into small pieces, just the right size for a bite. Eat one piece, cut one piece, don't cut it all at once, and never use a fork to hold the whole piece of meat to your mouth while biting, chewing, or swallowing.

On the occasion of eating beef (steak), since you can decide on the degree of rare or cooked according to your own preferences, when you make a reservation, the waiter or host will ask you the degree of rare or cooked.

When eating meat with bones, such as chicken, you should not "do it" directly, but use a fork to hold the whole piece of meat in place (you can turn the fork upward and press the back of the fork against the meat), then insert a knife along the bone and cut the meat, eating it as you cut. If the bone is very small, you can put it in your mouth with the fork, separate the meat from the bone in your mouth, then cover your mouth with a napkin, spit it out onto the fork and put it on a plate. However, for meat that requires direct "hands-on" handling, hand sanitizer is often served at the same time as the meat. Be sure to wipe your hands and mouth with a napkin from time to time.

Don't turn the fish over when you eat it; use a knife and fork to pick out the bones after you finish the top layer, then eat the bottom layer.

3. Eat salad in Western cuisine, salad is often found in such occasions: as a side dish of the main course, such as vegetable salad, which is common; as a spacing dish, such as between the main course and dessert; as the first course, such as chicken salad.

Use a salad fork if the salad is served on a large plate. If it is served with an entree use an entree fork to eat it.

If the salad is a spacer dish it is usually served with cheese, nachos, etc. Take one or two slices of bread and place them on your salad plate, then take two or three slices of nachos. The cheese and salad should be eaten with a fork, while the nachos can be eaten with your hands.

If the entree salad comes with dressing, pour the dressing over a portion of the salad first and add more dressing after you finish that portion. Add until you reach the lettuce leaf portion at the bottom of the bowl so that pouring the dressing is easy.

The customary way to eat a salad should be to cut a large lettuce leaf into small pieces with a fork, or with a knife and fork if it's not easy to cut. Cut one piece at a time, and cut it again when you're done eating.

4. Don't slurp when you drink soup, and shut up and chew when you eat.

Don't lick your lips or smack your lips to make noise. Don't blow on your mouth, even if the soup or dish is hot. Use a spoon to scoop from the inside out, and when you are almost finished with the soup in the soup plate, you can use your left hand to cock the outside of the plate slightly and just scoop it up with the spoon. When you are finished, leave the spoon on the plate with the handle pointing toward you.

5. Oysters and clams are eaten by squeezing the shells with the left hand, removing the oyster meat with an oyster fork with the right hand, and dipping it in seasoning and eating it with the oyster fork. A mixture of small shrimp and crab can also be dipped separately in seasoning and eaten with an oyster fork.

6. Spaghetti to eat spaghetti, use a fork to slowly roll up the pasta, four or five at a time to roll the most convenient. You can also eat with a spoon and fork, the spoon can help the fork to control the slippery noodles. You can't suck directly through your mouth, or you'll easily splash juice everywhere.

7. In many countries, fruit is served as or with dessert. Often many fruits are mixed together to make a fruit salad or a fruit platter.

The key to eating fruit is how to remove the core. You can't take the whole thing and bite into it. If you have a knife and fork, you should use it carefully, cutting it into quarters with the knife before removing the skin and core, and eating it with the fork. Be careful not to spill the juice. When you don't have a knife or fork, use your two fingers to gently take the kernel out of your mouth and place it on the side of the fruit plate. It is very rude to spit the kernel right out of your mouth.

8. Western fast food and snacks hamburgers and hotdogs are eaten with your hands, but be sure to pad them with a napkin so that the sauce runs onto the napkin and not onto your hands or clothes. As a precaution, hold the napkin pad in one hand and have a napkin or two on standby in the other.

Pizza can be served by holding the slice in your hand and turning the outside edge inward to keep the toppings from falling out. But you don't usually see pizza on the dinner table.

Corn tortillas are a popular food to eat with your hands. They can be eaten after dipping them in a mixture of sauces such as sweet peas or ketchup.

Fried foods and chips can be eaten by hand or with a fork. If you are outdoors, you can certainly eat them with your hands.

Ladies should also be careful to put less into their mouths each time they eat. Chewing in small bites creates noise and breaks lipstick. If you get your fingers dirty while eating a typical dish, ask the waiter to bring hand-washing water.

Four. Five special situations to deal with.

What to do when you run into your host doing thanksgiving?

Some hosts will give thanks and pray before eating, either sitting or standing, and guests should do the same as the host. Before the thanksgiving prayer, do not eat or drink anything and quietly bow your head. Wait until the prayer is over, then place the napkin on your lap and begin the meal.

1. When stuffed teeth or foreign objects enter your mouth

If you have vegetable leaves or sandy type things stuck in your teeth, don't pick them out with a toothpick at the table, try a sip of water; if that doesn't work, go to the restroom so you can rinse your mouth out vigorously, or you can use a toothpick.

If you encounter bad food or a foreign object in your mouth, you must be careful not to cause displeasure to those who are eating with you, but you don't have to force the bad thing down. You can cover your mouth with a napkin, spit it out onto the napkin in a hurry, and ask the waiter for a new napkin. If there is a foreign object such as a stone in the food, remove it with your thumb and forefinger and set it aside on your plate.

Even if a bug crawls out of your salad (the perfect time to work on your courage and poise), calmly ask for it to be replaced, just wink at the host or waiter, don't make a scene, cry, and let everyone know to the point where they're afraid to eat.

2. What to do after eating garlic or onions?

Eating garlic or onions with your meal is not going to be too popular, whether it's at home, in the office or at a party. We introduce several solutions:

One is to use mouthwash; the other is to chew gum; the third is to rub the inside of your mouth and tongue with a slice of lemon; and the fourth is to chew a few slices of tea or coffee beans.

3. What if I spill something at the table?

If you spill something at the table, and you spill a lot of it, the host should call the waiter to come and clean up the mess, and in case he can't, he'll put a new napkin on the table to cover up the mess, and then serve the next course. If you're at home, just remove it with cleaning supplies.

If you get a large amount of stains on your seat, ask your host for another napkin to cover the stained area, while apologizing to your host and other guests. If you or a member of your family breaks anything of the host's, you should arrange for the broken items to be put away and for them to be cleared away or repaired and returned at the host's convenience.

4. What if I drop my knife and fork on the floor?

When you drop your knife or fork on the floor during a meal, if you bend down to pick it up, you will not only lose your posture and affect the people around you, but you will also get your hands dirty. You can signal the waiter to handle and you replace the new tableware.

Five. How to say goodbye in a decent manner?

Common sense dictates when to say goodbye at a reception after the main meal - if the reception isn't on a weekend, that means between 11 p.m. and midnight. If it's on a weekend, it can be later. Farewells should not be too early or too late.

At all (except the largest) receptions, it is polite to thank the hostess in person before leaving. When thanking the hostess, you can leave when you have finished what you were supposed to say, and don't go on and on, so that the other person can neither do his own thing nor greet others. If you have to leave early for some reason, don't be so conspicuous in your thanks that other guests think they should leave too.

If you are the guest of honor, you should say goodbye to your host before the other guests. Generally, the guest of honor should say goodbye to the camera between 20 and 40 minutes after the snacks are served. It is disrespectful to the host and the guest of honor for the guest of honor to leave before the guest of honor. If something does come up and they need to go first, they should sincerely explain the situation.

Guests attending a cocktail party should rise to say goodbye at the time stated on the invitation. If a verbal invitation was received (which may not have stated the time), the reception should be considered to be going on for two hours. If one guest is late and the hostess has another dinner engagement, then she should politely clarify. She can say in a friendly way, "I'll have to break up with you because I have to ......"

Also, it's very proper to write a letter or make a phone call to say thank you after attending a cocktail party or an informal formal dinner or reception. You can also thank them in person if you're going to see them again before too long.