The integration of Chinese and Western cultures gives us more and more opportunities to eat Western food. Many people have experience of eating Western food, but do you eat Western food in the correct way? It is necessary to understand some etiquette. Here are Let’s take a look at the etiquette and usage taboos of Chinese and Western tableware. Etiquette for using Western tableware

(1) Knife.

The most correct posture for holding a knife at a banquet is: hold the knife in your right hand, hold the handle, press the side of the handle with your thumb, and press the back of the handle with your index finger. Do not extend your index finger to the back of the knife. Except for dishes that require strong force to cut, or the knife is too dull, your index finger cannot reach the back of the knife. In addition, do not straighten your little finger to hold the knife. Some women think that this posture is elegant, but this is actually wrong. The knife is used to cut food. Do not use the knife to pick up food and bring it to your mouth.

If three knives of different sizes appear at the same time during a meal, the generally correct usage is: the one with small serrations is used to cut meat; the medium-sized one is used to cut large pieces of vegetables. Cut into small slices; and the small knife with a rounded tip and an upturned neck is used to cut the bread, and then use it to pick some jam and butter to spread on the bread. When cutting food, your elbows should be lowered and your forearms should be slightly closer to the edge of the table. Otherwise, the other person will think that your eating appearance is very scary, and the food being cut may fly out.

(2) Fork.

There are two ways to hold the fork: back side up or inside side up, depending on the situation. The way to hold it with the back side facing up is the same as a knife. Press the back of the handle with your index finger and hold the handle with the other four fingers. The tip of the index finger is roughly at the root of the handle. If it is too far forward, the appearance will not look good. If it is too far back, it will not be able to exert force. Hard food is not easy to fork into. When the inside of the fork is facing up, hold it like a pencil, pressing the handle with your thumb and index finger, and supporting the bottom of the handle with the other three fingers. The thumb and index finger should be pressed in the center of the handle. If it is too far forward, it will look clumsy. Hold the fork in your left hand, with the tines facing down, and lift the food to your mouth. If you are eating soft food such as noodles or peas, the tines can face up.

Move gently, pick up an appropriate amount of food and put it into your mouth at one time. Do not drag a large piece, take a bite and then put it down. This is very indecent. When the fork picks up food and puts it into your mouth, your teeth only touch the food. Do not bite the fork, and do not let the knife and fork make any sound on the teeth or on the plate. When eating larger vegetables, use a knife and fork to fold and cut them. Softer foods can be placed on the flat surface of a fork and trimmed with a knife. Be careful when using knives and forks: don’t move too much and disturb others: don’t make any noise when cutting food; eat the cut food in just one bite, don’t pick it up and bite it bite by bite; don’t wave the knife and fork while talking, and don’t Use a knife and fork to point at people; do not pick up a knife and fork that has fallen to the ground and reuse it. Ask the waiter to change it.

If you need to leave temporarily or talk to others during a meal, you should put down the knife and fork in your hand, with the knife to the right and the fork to the left, with the knife edge inward and the fork tines downward, in the shape of "eight"; shape on a dinner plate. It means: the dishes have not been used yet. But be careful not to cross them in a "cross" shape. Westerners think this is an unlucky image. If you have finished eating or don’t want to eat anymore, you can place the knife edge inward, the fork tines upward, and the knife right and fork left side by side on the dinner plate. It means: If you don’t want to eat anymore, you can take away the knife, fork and plate together.

(3) Table spoon.

In formal occasions, there are many kinds of table spoons. Small ones are used for coffee and desserts; flat ones are used for spreading butter and sharing cakes; larger ones are used for drinking soup or serving food. Small pieces of food; the largest is a serving spoon, used for portioning soup, commonly seen in white lunches. Spoons and dessert spoons must not be used to directly scoop out other staple foods and dishes except for soups and desserts. When eating, do not put the whole spoon into your mouth, but use the front end. After using a spoon, do not put it back in its place, insert it into a dish, or leave it "upright" in a tableware.

(4) Napkin.

Generally speaking, the napkin is placed in the middle of the dinner plate or next to the fork. After everyone is seated, you can place the napkin at the hem of your chest. Do not tie the napkin in your shirt or belt. Or the napkin can be spread flat on your thighs. If it is a square napkin, it should be folded into an isosceles triangle, with the right angle facing the knee; if it is a rectangular napkin, it should be folded in half, and then folded outwards and flat on the legs. superior. Opening and folding napkins should be done quietly under the table without disturbing others.

Napkins have a cleaning effect, preventing dishes and soups from falling down and staining clothes; they can also be used to wipe mouths, usually on the inside, but they cannot be used to wipe faces, wipe sweat, or wipe tableware; they can also be used Use a napkin to cover your mouth. When you need to pick your teeth or spit out something in your mouth, you can use a napkin to avoid losing your temper. If you drop a napkin, ask for another and pick it up from the floor.

When you leave the table temporarily for business, the napkin should be placed on the chair where you are sitting, not on the table, because putting it on the table means: I will not eat anymore and you can remove it. Etiquette for using Chinese tableware

The biggest difference between Chinese food and Western food is that the tableware used for dining is very different.

Below we will introduce some precautions and etiquette when using Chinese tableware:

(1) Chopsticks

The most important tableware for Chinese food is chopsticks, and chopsticks must be used in pairs. In Chinese dining etiquette, when using chopsticks to eat and pick up food, you need to pay attention to the following issues:

1. Note that chopsticks are used to pick up food. It is disrespectful to use it for scratching, picking teeth or picking up anything other than food.

2. When talking to others, you should put down your chopsticks temporarily. Do not wave your chopsticks like a baton while talking.

3. Regardless of whether there is food left on the chopsticks, never lick it. Isn’t it a little unappetizing to use licked chopsticks to pick up food?

4. Don’t put the chopsticks vertically on top of the food. Because in Chinese custom this kind of insertion is only used when paying homage to the deceased.

(2) Spoon

The main function of the spoon in Chinese food is to scoop out dishes and food. Sometimes, when using chopsticks to take food, you can also use a spoon to assist in taking food, but try not to use a spoon alone to take food. At the same time, when using a spoon to take food, do not scoop it too full to avoid spillage and staining the table or clothes. After scooping up the food, you can pause for a while and wait until the soup stops flowing down before moving it over to enjoy.

In the dining room, when you are not using the spoon temporarily, you should place the spoon on the plate in front of you. Do not place the spoon directly on the table, or let the spoon "stand at attention" in the food. Use the spoon to finish taking it After eating food, eat it immediately or put the food on your own plate and do not pour the food back into the same place. If the food is too hot, do not use a spoon to scoop it up, and do not blow on the spoon with your mouth. You should put the food in your own bowl and wait for it to cool before eating. Also be careful not to put the spoon into your mouth or lick and suck repeatedly.

(3) Bowls

Chinese food bowls can be used to serve rice and soup. When eating, you can hold the rice bowl in your hand. When holding the bowl, support the bottom of the bowl with the four fingers of your left hand and place your thumb on the end of the bowl. When eating, the height of the rice bowl should be roughly the same as your chin.

If the soup is served separately in a soup cup with a lid, the way to indicate that the soup has been finished is to take out the soup spoon and place it on the tray, and turn the lid over and place it flat on the soup cup. .

(4) Plate

There are many kinds of Chinese plates. Smaller plates are called saucers, which are mainly used to hold food. They are roughly the same as bowls in use. When dining, plates are generally required to remain in place on the table and not piled together.

What needs to be introduced is a kind of plate with a special purpose-food plate. The main function of the food plate in Chinese food is to temporarily hold the dishes taken from the public dish. When using a dish, generally do not put too many dishes on the dish, as this will look messy and unsightly, as well as the reincarnation of a hungry ghost, which is very unsightly. Do not spit uneaten food residues, bones, and fish bones on the dinner table. Instead, gently pick them up and place them on the front of the plate. When picking them up, do not spit them directly from your mouth onto the plate. Instead, use chopsticks to place them on the front of the plate. If the food plate is full, you can ask the waiter to change the food plate.

(5) Soup cup

Soup cup is used to hold soup food. When eating, you should pay attention to one thing when using the soup cup: taking out the soup spoon and placing it on the tray and turning the lid over and placing it flat on the soup cup means that the soup has been finished.

(6) Water cups

Chinese food cups are mainly used to hold soft drinks such as water, juice, and soda. Be careful not to use water glasses to serve wine, and do not tip water glasses upside down. Also be careful not to spit what you drink into your mouth back into the water glass, as this is very indecent.

(7) Toothpicks

Toothpicks are also a must-have item on the Chinese dining table. It has two functions: one is for picking up food; the other is for picking teeth. However, try not to pick your teeth in public when eating. When you have to do it, cover your mouth with your other hand. Do not "watch" the food you pick out in public or eat it again, and don't flick or spit it out casually. After flossing, do not hold the toothpick in your mouth, let alone use it to pick up food.

(8) Napkins

Before a Chinese meal, each diner is usually given a wet towel. The purpose of this wet towel is to wipe your hands. After wiping your hands, you should put it back on the plate and let the waiter take it away. Before the banquet ends, the waiter will bring another wet towel. Unlike the former, this wet towel is for wiping your mouth and cannot be used to wipe your face or wipe sweat.