Global Dining Etiquette
July 9th, 2009 | by admin |For us conventional Westerners, there are certain rules on dining that must be observed at
all times. It is, for example, polite to wait for the hostess to serve you first rather than
you serving your own plate before everyone else. It is also polite to position your
silverware at 4:00 once you’re done with your meal. Furthermore, it is polite not to make
unnecessary noise when eating. However, things are a bit different with other cultures.
Check out the differences below:
China
In China, it is polite not to finish a meal, regardless if it’s rice, noodle or other
Chinese cuisines. It is because when you leave nothing on your plate or bowl, you are
sending them the signal that you want more and the hostess has not served you enough.
Japan
The case is different if you are in Japan. If you eat there, it is in your best interest to
finish everything in your plate. The bonus? You get to have another serving. But what if you
don’t like the food? You finish the plate anyway. Otherwise, you would be considered
impolite.
Iran
Spoons and forks are not as popular in Iran as they are here in the Western world. So even
if you don’t feel comfortable using your hands on your food, you should respect the custom
and chow with it. So the next time you go there and you are expecting to eat with other
people, try to wash your hands in advance. You will be thankful that you did.
Spain
While it is impolite to leave a messy table in most parts of the world, not to mention a
cluttered floor once you’re done eating, it is somewhat expected of you in Spain. In Spain,
especially in snack bars, you can throw your mess (used napkins, bread crumbs, food
wrappings, etc.) on the floor. This is because they sweep the debris after you or before
they close their shops and it is just expected that you leave something behind. Otherwise,
you did not eat anything in the bar.
England
We Americans are fond of diving into our foods using our fingers, especially fried treats.
But English people have a slightly different opinion about that. For them, it is necessary
ONLY when there are no utensils around.
France
Should you or should you not ask a French chef extra ketchup? No, a big no. When in France,
you MUST NEVER ask a chef to give you more ketchup, this is insulting and totally
unacceptable.
Germany
If you find yourself in a high-class German restaurant and you ordered something that has
chunks of potato in it, what is the proper way of slicing the potato into convenient pieces?
The answer: with your fork. Knives are too smooth, they spoil the texture of the potatoes.
Australia
We all know that in some cultures, it is rude to stare direct to the eyes. However in
Australia, it is rude to miss the eyes of the person you are clinking a toast with. Not
looking a person in the eyes signifies that you don’t acknowledge the person’s presence.
Canada
You would usually get stares when you burp vigorously after a meal in most parts of the
world but the Inuit people of Canada think otherwise. For them, it is a sign of gratitude
for the meal.
