Eating Western-style food, we must pay attention to the arrangement of tableware on the table and the placement of the position, do not take randomly. Formal banquets, each food, dishes, that is, with a corresponding set of tableware (knife, fork, spoon), and the order of the dishes from the outside to the inside. When eating, you should first take the outermost set of knives and forks on the left and right sides. After each dish, the knife and fork will be put side by side on the plate, indicating that the dish has been used up, the waiter will take the initiative to remove this set of tableware. If not yet finished or temporary pause, the knife and fork should be eight-shaped left and right rack or cross on the dinner plate, knife blade inward, meaning to tell the waiter, I have not finished, please do not take away the tableware.
When using the knife and fork, try not to make it collide, so as not to make a big sound, not to swing the knife and fork to talk to others.
2. Meal etiquette
Western food is of many different kinds and flavors, so the order of serving the food varies according to different cuisines and specifications, but the basic order is largely the same.
A full meal of western food is generally seven or eight, mainly composed of such parts:
First, drinks (juice), fruit or cold pot, also known as appetizers, the purpose is to enhance appetite.
Second, soups (also known as first courses). A spoon is required, and at this point it is usually topped with butter and bread.
Third, vegetables, cold dishes or fish (also called side dishes). The corresponding knife and fork on either side of the padded plate may be used.
Fourth, the main course (meat or cooked vegetables). Meat entrees are usually accompanied by cooked vegetables, which should be cut with a knife and fork and placed on the plate for consumption. If you have a salad, you will need a salad spoon, salad fork and other utensils.
Fifth, the meal food. Generally, desserts (snacks), fruits, ice cream and so on. Lastly, there is coffee, and you should use a coffee spoon or a long-handled spoon to drink coffee.
When eating, in addition to using a knife, fork, spoon to pick up and deliver food, sometimes you can also use your hands to take. For example, when eating chicken or lobster, you can tear it with your hands when signaled by the host. Cookies, potato chips or small fruits can be eaten by hand. Bread is always taken by hand, pay attention to take the front of their left hand, not to take the wrong. When taking bread, take it with your left hand, tear it with your right hand, spread butter on it, and tear it in small pieces. Do not dip the bread into the soup or bite into the whole piece.
When you drink soup, you must not drink from a soup plate, but must drink from a spoon. The posture is: with the left hand holding the edge of the plate, the right hand with a spoon, not end of the plate to drink soup, do not make a squeaky sound, and not too fast frequency. If the soup is too hot, wait until it cools down naturally.
Be especially careful when eating meat or fish. After pressing it with a fork, slowly cut it with a knife, cut it and eat it with a fork, and never fork the whole thing up and send it to your mouth to bite. This type of dish dish generally some lettuce, often used to garnish and increase appetite, eat or not by you, do not in order to face strong eat down.
The condiments on the table are usually already prepared and placed on the table. If the distance is too far, you can ask someone else to trouble you, you can not stand up and reach for it yourself, which is very ugly.
Talking to each other when eating Western food is a very normal phenomenon, but you can not make a lot of noise, laughing, and do not smoke, especially in the eating should be chewing and swallowing, the mouth should not make a lot of noise, and can not put the fork and knife into the mouth. As for holding a knife and fork as a gesture waving in front of others, is more rude and lack of cultivation behavior.
Eating Western food should also pay attention to sitting. Sit to be correct, the body should be straight, the back of the spine can not be close to the back of the chair, generally sit in the seat of three-quarters can be. Do not stretch your legs, can not cross your legs, and do not put your elbows on the table.
When drinking, do not overfill your glass, and do not try to persuade others to drink (these are different from Chinese food). If you have just finished eating greasy food, it is best to wipe your mouth before drinking, lest you let the grease from your mouth make your glass oily. When you drink a toast, even if you don't, you should touch the glass to your lips as a sign of courtesy.
Some people have summarized the procedure for a polite drinking session: first, raise the glass and look at it with level eyes to appreciate the colors; second, bring it slightly closer and smell the wine lightly; then, take a small sip; fourth, taste it slowly; and finally, praise the wine for its goodness and aroma.
In short, Western food is both heavy etiquette, and rules, only to seriously grasp the good, to be able to eat in the dining room to show a gentle and elegant, quite elegant.