TableManners
ThemaindifferencebetweenChineseandwesterneatinghabitsisthatunliketheWest,whereeveryonehastheirownplateoffood,inChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeverybodyshares.IfyouarebeingtreatedbyaChinesehost,bepreparedforatonoffood.Chineseareveryproudoftheircultureofcuisineandwilldotheirbesttoshowtheirhospitality.
AndsometimestheChinesehostusetheirchopstickstoputfoodinyourbowlorplate.Thisisasignofpoliteness.Theappropriatethingtodowouldbetoeatthewhatever-it-isandsayhowyummyitis.Ifyoufeeluncomfortablewiththis,youcanjustsayapolitethankyouandleavethefoodthere.
EatingNo-no's
Don'tstickyourchopsticksuprightinthericebowl.Instead,laythemonyourdish.Thereasonforthisisthatwhensomebodydies,theshrinetothemcontainsabowlofsandorricewithtwosticksofincensestuckuprightinit.Soifyoustickyourchopsticksinthericebowl,itlookslikethisshrineandisequivalenttowishingdeathuponapersonatthetable!
Makesurethespoutoftheteapotisnotfacinganyone.Itisimpolitetosettheteapotdownwherethespoutisfacingtowardssomebody.Thespoutshouldalwaysbedirectedtowherenobodyissitting,usuallyjustoutwardfromthetable.
Don'ttaponyourbowlwithyourchopsticks.Beggarstapontheirbowls,sothisisnotpolite.Also,whenthefoodiscomingtooslowinarestarant,peoplewilltaptheirbowls.Ifyouareinsomeone'shome,itislikeinsultingthecook.
Drinking
GanBei!(Cheers!“GanBei”literallymeans“dry[the]glass”)Besidesbeer,theofficialChinesealcoholicbeverageisBaiJiu,high-proofChineseliquormadefromassortedgrains.TherearevaryingdegreesofBaiJiu.TheBeijingfavoriteiscalledErGuoTou,whichisawhopping56%alcohol.MoreexpensiveareMaotaiandWuliangye.
Ofcourse,themaindifferenceontheChinesedinnertableischopsticksinsteadof
