Japanese dining etiquette Use of tableware If you go to a restaurant, the tableware is often already set out, so you don't need to worry too much about placement. However, if you are invited to a Japanese home as a guest, then you need to pay some attention. Japanese tableware mainly includes chopsticks, tea cups, rice bowls and soup bowls. The way to arrange them is to place the rice bowl on the left, the soup bowl on the right, and the chopsticks horizontally on the chopstick holders. Why are Chinese and Korean chopsticks placed vertically while Japanese chopsticks are placed horizontally? There is no exact answer to this question, but there is a theory that when chopsticks were introduced to Japan, Chinese chopsticks were placed horizontally in ancient times. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't like to place the chopsticks horizontally, so China gradually put the chopsticks vertically, but the Japanese haven't changed it because they think it's disrespectful to put the chopsticks vertically to point at people. This is also an answer to the question of chopstick placement. Teacups and Sake Jugs One thing to note about teacups is that in Japan, men and women use different teacups. Men use taller teacups while women's are shorter. The same goes for sake pots. Rice Bowls and Soup Bowls So how do you tell the difference between a rice bowl and a soup bowl? Rice bowls have a wider bowl portion, while soup bowls are deeper with a pronounced depression. In this case, rice bowls used by men are larger than those used by women, while soup bowls are a bit taller than those used by women. Both rice bowls and soup bowls have lids, and the lids are opened together during the meal, with the left one on the left and the right one on the right. The lids are put back on when the meal is over. Chopsticks Although Japanese people also use chopsticks, they are very different from ours and the way you use them is the most important thing to be aware of. In Japan, chopsticks are called Hashi, which are pointed chopsticks, not the flat ones we use in China. How to use chopsticks correctly is the basis of Japanese table manners, so let's take a closer look with us at Xinxianjubin. First, pick up your chopsticks with your right hand, remove the covers if there are any, and place them to the left of the food or next to a cushion. Next, place your left hand underneath the chopsticks. Then, slide your right hand under the chopsticks. Place the chopsticks Hold the chopsticks in your right hand and rest your left hand underneath. Slide your right hand to grasp the upper side of the chopsticks. Quietly place the chopsticks across the chopstick holder. Always place chopsticks horizontally. Return chopsticks to the chopstick rest halfway through a meal, again horizontally, with the chopsticks not facing another person. If chopsticks are stained with leftover food, wipe them clean with a napkin. Do not lick your chopsticks, as this is very unsightly. If you don't have chopstick rests, gently tie a knot in the cover of your chopsticks and use it as a chopstick rest. Although you can hold chopsticks in both your left and right hands, if you want to look sophisticated, use your right hand to hold the chopsticks, with your thumb and forefinger pinching the top of the chopsticks, and the other three fingers bent naturally to hold the chopsticks in place, making sure that the two ends are aligned. In addition, you should also pay attention to the use of hygienic chopsticks. Most people use chopsticks for hospitality, but more formal restaurants use high quality chopsticks such as cedar chopsticks with a clear wood grain. Once you have picked up the chopsticks as described above, it is better to hold them flat and pull them like a fan than to hold them up and break them. It is much more elegant to just pull one like opening a fan. Also, with the exception of very humble chopsticks, it is quite a bad habit to rub the tips of the chopsticks after pulling them apart. So, knowing the various habits, what about chopsticks when serving a bowl in your hand? When you eat Japanese food, most of the time you eat with the bowl in your hand. If you are already holding chopsticks in your hand, it is not against etiquette to pick up or put down the bowl with the same hand, but it doesn't look very elegant. The elegant thing to do is to put down the chopsticks in your hand and then straighten all your fingers to pick up the bowl. If you already have a bowl in your hand, the way you pick up the chopsticks is different. When holding the left end of the chopsticks between the middle and ring fingers of your left hand (or between the ring and little fingers), then reverse the hold with your right hand. If you find it cumbersome, then make sure to put down the chopsticks in your hand first every time you want to reach for the bowl. It is important to note that after a meal, you should always return all used utensils to the same place where you started, put the lid back on the bowl, and return the chopsticks to the chopstick case, chopstick rest, or paper bag. In addition, there are ten other taboos to remember when using chopsticks, otherwise you will be considered to have a low level of personal literacy: Licking chopsticks with your tongue. Use chopsticks as toothpicks. Don't swallow chopsticks upside down. Stick your chopsticks in your food or use them as a fork to eat something. Use chopsticks to pick around in the rice and pick something to eat. Hold the chopsticks over the rice and wiggle them around, holding them up. Do not place chopsticks across plates or bowls. No sucking chopsticks like candy. Pointing at people and things with the tips of chopsticks. No using chopsticks as knives. In addition to the above items, kenpai are also very important in Japanese cuisine, but they are not prepared by the restaurant, but are brought by the customers themselves. Kaiseki Kaiseki is a folded piece of Japanese paper that is carried in the arms of a kimono, and is used when changing plates or wiping the mouth of a tea bowl after drinking tea. Currently, there are some restaurants that prepare Kaiseki for their customers, and the main ways to use Kaiseki are as follows: 1. Instead of a napkin, you can use it to wipe the corners of your mouth or to wipe your mouth with. You can use it to wipe the corner of your mouth or wipe the stains on the table. 2. It can replace small plates. You can put a piece of pocket paper on your left hand when you eat food with crumbs such as dry snacks, or when you eat food with juices. 3. When eating grilled fish. Wrap the head of the fish with a piece of paper to remove the spines. You can also cover the leftover fish bones with the paper to make it look beautiful. If you want to express your knowledge and education, then the proper use of koji is a good way to express it. Dining Etiquette You should express two feelings in a loud voice, before and after the meal, saying "Itadakimasu" (I'm going to start eating) and "go-chiso-samadeshita" (Thank you for your hospitality) after the meal, to thank the host for preparing the meal. at the end of the meal to thank the host for the delicious meal. A Japanese meal usually consists of a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, and two or three dishes. The more side dishes you have, the more formal and honorable the meal is. Looking at a table full of delicious food, where do you start? The correct order of eating is to start with a small sip of hot soup, and then start tasting the dishes in the order in which they were served. But if there are a lot of dishes, or are served together, then there is no requirement for the order of eating dishes, but do not just focus on eating a dish, there is an order to taste each dish in a cycle, so that the proportion of each dish are equal, in order to eat all the dishes at the same time. In addition, during the meal, you should also pay attention to these items: 1. do not talk about the restroom during the meal 2. do not talk when there is food in your mouth 3. do not spit out what you have eaten in your mouth 4. avoid coughing, sneezing, or hiccuping during the meal 5. when you eat fish, do not put the fish bones and spines on the table, but put them on a plate 6. do not eat your food in a hurry 7. fold the warm towel that has been used and put it away. Warm towels that have been used should be folded and put away. 8. pay attention to the people around you at the table, especially women or older people 9. don't eat before the food is served. For many people, when eating food with soup in it, they always put their hands under their mouths for fear of the soup dripping. This is very rude in Japanese food, so if you are worried about soup dripping, use a piece of tissue paper instead of a plate, and you will not be out of line. For women, do not wear perfume that smells too strong, and it is best not to wear a large ring on your hand, because sometimes the utensils that hold the Japanese food are very valuable, and it is not worth it if the ring scratches the utensils. Seating If you are going to a banquet, the host will usually arrange the seating of the guests. The guest of honor or the couple of the guest of honor will sit facing the host couple. When you come to a restaurant, the oldest is usually seated first. If there are guests, the guests go first. For formal banquets, the latecomers arrive before the elders. After entering a private room, the host or superior should sit in the place farthest from the door, and the person with the lowest position should sit near the door to make it easier to pass the food or close the door. For private parties, the person who pays the bill sits near the door. Sitting posture During the meal, if the restaurant provides us with common tables and chairs, it is enough to maintain a normal, decent sitting posture. What we need to pay attention to is not common in life? Tatami? Sitting posture. When you enter a room with tatami mats, you must remove your hat, gloves and shoes, but you can wear socks. Japanese people will sit on a zabuton (Japanese for Zabuton) when sitting on a tatami mat. The correct way to do this is called Shoza, or Seiza in Japanese, and requires you to kneel with your knees together and your buttocks pressed against the root. This type of sitting is very formal. More relaxed practices include cross-legged seating (called Agura in Japanese) and horizontal seating (called Yoko suwari in Japanese). Men generally do cross-legged seating, which means crossing their feet in front of them and landing on their hips. For women, it is yokozuna, which means that they place their legs a little sideways, with their body not pressing down on their feet. Above we have talked about the Japanese dining etiquette of seating order, sitting posture, precautions to be taken during meals, use and placement of tableware, etc. So what are the other table manners that you need to pay attention to when savoring different foods? Below, take a look. Sucking Objects In Japan you'll find that you don't need a spoon to drink soup. So you can lift the bowl, take a whiff of the aroma and then drink it slowly. If there are edible ingredients in the soup, you can just use chopsticks to take a sip and then take a bite. If there are shellfish like clams in the soup, you can use chopsticks to press down on the shells and then savor them. Sashimi Sashimi, or sashimi, usually comes with white fish, shellfish, tuna, shredded white radish, shiso, and wasabi. To eat, start with the pale white, less fatty white meat sashimi, then move on to the richer or more flavorful red meat sashimi. When eating lower-end Japanese food, such as rotary sushi and the like, people often dissolve wasabi in soy sauce and dip it in, but if you're eating high-end Japanese food, it's important to note that wasabi should not be dissolved in soy sauce! The correct way to do this is: wasabi should be taken in small amounts and dipped onto the sashimi, then dipped in soy sauce on the other third of the side, not too much or too little, and condiments in small amounts to bring out the original flavor of the sashimi. When you are eating different sashimi in a row, use mashed daikon radish to clear your taste buds. It is also easier to eat it wrapped in a large leaf at the same time. Boiled things Boiled as a cooking method for intermediate dishes, kanto boiled is usually boiled until the broth boils dry and has a heavier flavor, while kansai boiled retains more of the broth and has a lighter flavor. Foods like taro, which are difficult to hold with chopsticks, should never be eaten with chopsticks stuck! Keep in mind that stabbing with chopsticks is a behavior that is absolutely forbidden when using chopsticks. You should not use your hands to transfer a portion of food from a large plate to your own small plate. Vegetables that have large pieces need to be able to be eaten with their faces covered. Yakiniku, or grilled food, is usually grilled fish. When eating grilled fish, you can break the tail of the fish, then poke the belly of the fish with chopsticks, press the head with one chopstick, turn over the skin of the fish with the other chopstick (because the skin of the fish is roasted by charcoal, removing the skin of the fish is a healthy and elegant way of eating it), and eat it from the left side up. Eat grilled fish can not be turned over, use chopsticks to pick out the fish head, tail, bones on the dinner plate to put, in continue to eat the other side. At the same time eat some white radish has the effect of removing fishy. After eating, you need to use the decorative industry to cover the food residue. The most famous Japanese food is tempura, of which shrimp is the most famous. The thinner the batter, the better, and the hotter it is, the more flavorful it is. It is best to eat tempura now, as it is crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. When eating tempura, you should bite into it slowly, not in one gulp, but little by little. What is the order of taste when eating tempura? Generally speaking, the order of the dishes is according to the taste, and the order is usually fried shrimp, fried fish, and fried vegetables. Steamed items, i.e., dishes that are mainly steamed, sometimes appear as a substitute for boiled and roasted items. To eat steamed food in a teacup, hold the teacup firmly in one hand, and with the other hand, run a spoon across the diameter of the teacup, and then run the spoon along the wall of the teacup to make a circle inside to separate the egg from the teacup perfectly. Afterwards, the egg is scooped up with a spoon and eaten. Vinegar is a cold dish mixed with vinegar, not a main dish. Western-style salads have become an important part of the gazpacho family with a Japanese twist. It is best to eat gazpacho mixed with vinegar in two or three servings, not all at once. Gohan, Juice, and Fragrant Things That is, rice, miso soup, and other staple foods. Miso soup can be clear or miso, and is also known as a stop bowl, signifying the end of a complete set of dishes in the order in which they are served. Rice can only be filled seven or eight times, and filling the bowl to the brim means saying goodbye forever. When eating, the bowl must be used for the mouth, avoiding only using chopsticks to clip rice. Halfway through the meal before eating kimchi, and must clip a piece to eat a piece, avoid only a small bite and temporarily placed on the rice. Soup Japanese miso soup (Miso shiro) is very famous, when you drink the soup, you should hold the bowl in your left hand and chopsticks in your right hand, bring the bowl to your mouth and drink it, stirring with the chopsticks as you drink. When holding the bowl, the thumb holds the mouth of the bowl and the index, middle and ring fingers hold the bottom of the bowl. It's best to make noise when drinking soup. Don't feel unseemly, making noise shows that the soup is very good and is a sign of respect for the chef. Noodles Many of my friends know that you must make a noise when eating noodles in Japan, which indicates that the noodles are delicious. This is true, but you can't eat the noodles right after they are served. You have to enjoy the noodles first. Appearance? , then smell the flavor, and finally eat. Japanese usually inhale the noodles directly from the bowl of soup into their mouths. You cannot add seasoning before eating the noodles, which indicates that you do not trust the noodles cooked by the chef, but after you have taken a few bites, you can add the seasoning you want. When drinking soup, Japanese people usually pick up the bowl and drink it, but you can also drink it with a spoon. When eating, hold the bowl to your chest with your left hand, thumb over the mouth of the bowl, index, middle and ring fingers over the bottom of the bowl, not too close to your mouth, and then use your right hand to hold the chopsticks. Do not wolf down the food, it is best to finish the food in your mouth before taking the next bite. It is important to note that you should not put the food on top of the rice, but rather eat the food before you eat the food. Drinking Etiquette In Japan, you cannot drink alcohol until after the age of 20. How to hold a glass of sake for men: Press lightly on the rim of the glass with your thumb and forefinger, and bend the rest of your fingers naturally inward. How women hold a glass: Hold the glass in your right hand, and with your left hand, center your middle finger on the bottom of the glass with your fingertips. When someone pours you a drink for the first time, be sure to take a small sip out of courtesy. If you are not up to it and don't want to drink more you can say so the second time, and it is not customary to persuade people to drink in Japan. In Japan, it is not customary to pour wine for yourself, but for two people to pour wine for each other, the same as in China. When pouring, look at the top of the glass, and when you leave your seat to pour, don't pour from your own bottle, but from the bottle on the other person's table. When pouring, be careful not to let the cups and the decanter collide. If the decanter or the bottle is heavy, hold it with your right hand while holding it gently with your left hand, and be careful to pour to the brim. The other party should not hold the glass in their hand while pouring, but place it on the table. Tea Drinking Etiquette The Japanese love tea and serve different kinds of tea at different times during the same meal. Generally, green tea is served before the meal, and sencha is served during and after the meal. There is a difference between men and women in tea drinking etiquette. The correct way for a woman to drink tea is to hold the tea cup in her right hand, with the fingers of her left hand supporting the cup. For men, it is acceptable to hold the cup with one or both hands. Sushi The etiquette of eating sushi is the most elaborate, and there is so much to it that it is covered separately at the end. Sushi is a traditional Japanese food, so you should wipe your hands with a warm towel before ordering. If you don't know what to order, ask the chef's opinion. In Japan, it is polite to ask the chef's opinion. Do not use chopsticks when eating sushi, but use your hands. Don't dip the sushi in too much seasoning either, as it will affect the fresh flavor. It is best to put the sushi directly into your mouth and eat it in one bite. During the meal, do not let the chef take items such as drinks, chopsticks, bills, etc. This is very rude to people. For the Japanese, eating sushi is a ritual, and there is quite a lot of attention paid to the sense of ceremony. △ Sushi rice should not be dipped in soy sauce There are no too strict restrictions on the tools used to eat sushi, using your hands or chopsticks is fine. However, there is one thing you should be aware of, and that is that sushi rice should never be dipped in soy sauce, as this is against etiquette, and the soy sauce also affects the flavor of the sushi itself. There are two recommended ways to eat a sushi roll: one is to eat it after dipping it in soy sauce, and the other is to ask the sushi chef to use a brush to apply the soy sauce, while the wrong way is to use vinegar and ginger instead of a brush to apply the soy sauce, which is not correct in terms of etiquette. △Where is the top seat when eating sushi? Basically, the top seat in a sushi restaurant is directly across from the owner of the restaurant because it is easy to communicate with the owner or the sushi chef, so it is best to give this seat to the guest of honor if you are bringing him or her with you to eat sushi. The order in which you order sushi is also very specific, and in principle, the order is as follows: 1. light white meat and fresh shellfish 2. strong and shiny fish and tuna 3. sweet eel and omelette Of course, the order mentioned above is only in principle and not absolute, but there is one type of sushi that must be ordered last, and that is? Maki sushi. However, there is one type of sushi that must be ordered at the end of the meal, and that is maki sushi, which is a mandatory rule. In addition to the above rules and etiquette, there are some other details to be aware of, such as? Don't just order your favorite sushi? ,? You should not leave the sushi for a long time after the sushi chef has prepared it, but should eat it immediately? You should eat the sushi immediately after it has been prepared by the sushi chef. Don't wear too much perfume before entering a sushi restaurant? What's the best way to get a good look at a sushi restaurant? Don't take pictures in the restaurant. etc. The basic 9 points of sushi Point 1, traditional diners eat sushi with their hands rather than chopsticks. 2, the vast majority of grip sushi do not need to dip horseradish, some of the flavorful grip sushi chef has brushed the sauce, and even do not need to dip soy sauce. 3, sushi should be eaten in one bite, eaten in two bites will destroy the density of the sushi rice ball rice, affecting the taste. 4, ginger is eaten between two different kinds of sushi, not a small dish more than a savory dish. Eat ginger between eating different fish species of sushi is to clean the mouth, so that the flavor of the two kinds of fish will not be mixed, commonly known as not string flavor. 5, if it is their own point, the flavor should be from light to heavy, in order to appreciate the fresh taste of each kind of sushi. Such as egg sushi, bean skin sushi and other sweet sushi, generally eaten last. 6, miso soup is the last drink, not the beginning. 7, rolled sushi is usually eaten at the end, because the traditional rolled sushi content is very simple, it is to Na fish or cucumber, is for people who have not eaten enough to fill the stomach as rice. 8, eat rotary sushi when you eat a plate, take a plate, so that the sushi will not get cold (because the master of the relationship between hand-held, freshly pinched sushi will be with the palm of the body temperature). 9, very, very traditional diners eat sushi without drinking rice wine, because the flavor of rice and rice wine is almost the same, it makes no sense to eat together. Tips 1. Traditional rolled sushi (seaweed wrapped around the outside) should also be eaten immediately before the seaweed becomes soggy. If the chef serves a whole plate of sushi, you should eat the rolled sushi with the seaweed wrapped around the outside first, and then eat the shaken sushi. 2. The etiquette for eating sashimi is a little different. Always use chopsticks to eat sashimi. It is impolite to rub your chopsticks before using them. It is insulting to the chef to envision that there may be thorns in the chopsticks. The chef places a small pile of wasabi next to the sashimi. Guests should use the chopsticks to lightly smear a bit of wasabi directly onto the sashimi, and then dip the other end of the sashimi, which is not smeared with wasabi, into the soy sauce so that the wasabi does not mix with the liquid and lose its pungency and flavor. A garnish side dish served with the sashimi is usually a green shiso leaf and some shredded daikon radish, all of which are edible and help with digestion.