Chinese table culture

I. Overview

China has a long history of table culture. In ancient times, there were sayings that "food is heaven, food is life" and "adequate food and clothing". There is a saying today that "people are iron, rice is steel, and if you don't eat, you will be hungry". People regard food culture as an important part of life, and often measure the living standard by the quality of food. And grand festivals are also related to diet. It can be seen that China people have always attached importance to diet since ancient times.

On the other hand, as a country of oriental etiquette, it is a tradition of China people for thousands of years to attach importance to banquet seating etiquette and observe etiquette. According to relevant historical records, at least in the Zhou Dynasty, China's food etiquette was initially formed, and after continuous development and changes, it gradually formed a system, which had a certain impact on western table culture.

With the changes of the times, food culture is developing in a diversified direction. Since the Qing Dynasty, some western manners have been introduced. It is more scientific and reasonable to use table manners in the cultural exchange between Chinese and western diets.

Second, the evolution of distribution model

China first implemented the personal serving system, and it didn't evolve into the current dining system until the late Northern Song Dynasty. The history of separate meal system is much longer than that of combined meal system. Due to the relative shortage of grain in the early stage, "per capita distribution" is a more suitable distribution principle. The failure to satisfy people's different tastes and habits is the defect of the separate meal system. With the progress of productivity, food is becoming more and more abundant, and the system of separate meals obviously cannot adapt to the development of food diversification. So the common meal system gradually replaced the common meal system.

Dining together is a historical progress, not only in its evolution itself, but also in its great influence on social behavior and culture. Eating together has narrowed the distance between people, cultivated the virtues of caring for others and being humble to our nation, and made China people gentle and kind, thus increasing the cohesion of the family and the harmony of the whole society; It has cultivated China people's communication ability, created exchange places and increased cooperation opportunities; Satisfies people's needs for food diversity and rich spiritual and emotional needs; China people have also developed a helpful character.

Third, banquet seating etiquette.

"If you don't learn etiquette, you can't stand it." China people have been advocating etiquette since ancient times. The earliest ceremony in China is also the most popular and important ceremony, which can be said to be a food ceremony. In China, the basic etiquette and central link of a banquet is the seating ceremony-"Seating". The guests or hosts at the banquet should sit in the "upper seat". In ancient China, it was generally "respecting the left and the east" and "respecting the door". However, due to the differences in appliances, cases, shapes of dining tables and chairs, time and region, the standard of "attendance" is also different. Before the Han Dynasty, "sitting in the south facing the east, with the west as the top" (Historical Records of Xiang Yu's Biography) was all sitting in the east. In the hall facing south, the south is the most respected, followed by the west and then the east. After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the way of living changed from bed to hanging on high feet. Square and rectangular dining tables have been prepared and the seats have changed. After the mid-Qing Dynasty, the round table appeared, and the position of Yang or Gate was the first.

The more popular seating etiquette in modern times is developed on the basis of inheriting the tradition and referring to foreign etiquette: the first guest of honor sits on the host's right side, and the second guest sits on the host's left side or the first guest's right side in a western banquet, which is flexible and changeable.

Fourthly, the evolution of tableware.

Our ancestors used knives and forks instead of chopsticks, just like modern people. Knife and fork should be used with both hands, so people should keep a considerable distance from each other. At the same time, knives and forks are only suitable for short-distance transmission, probably confined to the plate on the chest to the mouth. If this distance is required by the dining system, it should at least extend from the mouth to the center of the table, that is, it should at least be longer than the radius of the table. Obviously, the knife and fork can't bear the transmission function of this distance. After chopsticks appeared, it was much more convenient to eat together. From this perspective, we can probably understand that westerners still eat with knives and forks, and it is mutually causal to maintain a separate dining system with them.

The tableware commonly used in modern China includes chopsticks, spoons, plates and so on, which correspond to western knives, forks, spoons and bowls respectively. Their use is also exquisite.

The relationship between table manners and religion, superstition and festivals

China people not only respect the art and etiquette of eating very much, but even worship the kitchen god derived from Vulcan. People think that "Kitchen God" can protect the kitchen from fires and all kinds of unfortunate events. Every year on February 24th 12, every household will prepare a delicious meal to worship "Kitchen God", including a finished chicken, roast pig, various vegetables and rice. To thank the "Chef King" for his blessing in the past year. And many festivals are also closely related to diet. For example, eat New Year's Eve, Lantern Festival, Zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival and moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival. These all express people's yearning and pursuit for a happy reunion life.

People in China believe that diet is almost closely related to personal destiny. If a person makes a taboo while eating, it will bring bad luck For example, when eating fish, when eating one side of the fish, don't turn the whole fish over with chopsticks. People think that if the fish breaks when turned over, it means that the fishing boat will sink. This is because Hong Kong was a fishing port in the early days, and fishermen were very concerned about the safety of navigation. Besides, people in China never serve seven courses for dinner. Because the "comfort wine" after the funeral must have seven dishes. Don't stick chopsticks in the middle of the rice bowl vertically, because it's a bit like ancestor worship. Don't say "I'm finished" after eating, it means that I'm dead and won't have another chance to eat, but should say "I'm full". When eating, it is not only impolite to avoid chopsticks making noise when touching the rice bowl, but also means that there is no food in front. To get into the habit of eating all the rice in the bowl, there should not be a grain of rice left in the rice bowl, otherwise the future wife or husband will be "scarred" and disrespect the hard-working farmers. These superstitious dietary customs have been passed down to this day, and they are still more or less the dietary etiquette of China people.

Western dining table culture

First of all, the differences of table manners between Italian and China.

Italy is one of the food capitals in the world, with rich food. China's food culture is profound and has a long history. But the table manners in these two countries are quite different. Different table manners also show the cultural differences between the two countries and the different customs of the East and the West.

Let's start with the topic of inviting the two countries to dinner for the time being.

Let's start with the guest entering the door. When an Italian holds a party, the host should greet it at the door early. Guests usually bring wine, candy or some souvenirs, and so does China. However, it is polite for Italians to open gifts and praise them in person after accepting them, which is quite impolite in China. In China, after receiving a gift, the host should put it in a place first, and then open it when the guests come back.

When you sit at the table, there is a difference only in the choice of the table. In China, the round dining table is very popular, because more people can sit, and everyone can sit face to face, with the right as the respect, and the host sits at the right head, facing the main entrance. However, in Italy, guests prefer to use long tables, so the head of the family is more easily recognized than at the round table. In addition, it is more optional to arrange seats in Italy, depending on the preferences of the guests.

Serving is the biggest difference. In China, the table is full of all the dishes, and guests can help themselves. In Italy, the system of separate meals is implemented, and the dishes are in strict order, including salad, appetizer, side dish, main course, dessert, coffee or tea. Usually in Italy, when entertaining a small number of guests, there are usually only three courses, and there is bread on the table, so you can eat whatever you want. And this is completely different from the delicious dishes full of tables in China. There are some differences between drinking coffee and drinking tea at this time. In China, it's more casual. The host gave the guest a cup of tea without a small plate. In Italy, when drinking tea and coffee, only the cup is served and the saucer is left on the stage. After drinking, the cup must be put back on the saucer.

During the dinner, China's host is often very enthusiastic. It is completely reasonable to urge guests to eat and drink, and to send them food and drink frequently. In Italy, the host usually doesn't pay attention to these things, just chatting with the guests, aiming at creating a free and relaxed atmosphere.

Second, table manners in Canada.

Canada is an immigrant country with rich and colorful food culture. Among them, the "three noes" food culture has a different taste.

For China people, whether entertaining friends at home or in hotels, they are generally inseparable from alcohol and tobacco, otherwise they will be suspected of neglect. However, in Canada, you don't drink or smoke for dinner. Alcoholics can only drink in places or houses with liquor sales licenses. It is illegal to drink outside these places. It can be seen that Canadians attach great importance to health and even move the ban on smoking and alcohol to the table. In China, there is no such special etiquette.

Have you ever heard of the "cold dinner party" in Canada? That's because the dishes are cooked early and become cold dishes over time. Canadians like to eat cold food, but China people are different. Hot food is a major feature of China's food culture.

Canadians don't arrange tables and seats when entertaining guests. Usually guests take disposable plastic lunch boxes and forks, choose their favorite foods and dishes, and then find a place to eat. Guests are free. You can eat if you are not full. Disposable tableware should be put in a big plastic bag after eating. China people are busy, most people eat around a table, and pay attention to ranking, usually there is a distinction between primary and secondary. At the banquet in China, everyone must be present before they can start eating. People in China are most particular about using chopsticks. For example, when talking with people, you should put down your chopsticks temporarily, and you should not wave your chopsticks like a conductor when talking. They shouldn't put chopsticks vertically on food, which is unlucky.

Apart from the above special requirements, most Canadians' table manners are no different from those of other western countries. Attention should also be paid to sitting posture and the use of knives and forks, which are also very different from those in China.

[Abstract]

Due to the influence of geography, environment, customs and other factors, table culture will be different in raw materials, tastes, eating habits and other aspects. The differences between Chinese and western cultures have created the differences between Chinese and western food cultures, which come from different ways of thinking and philosophy of life. People in China pay attention to "harmony between man and nature", while westerners pay attention to "people-oriented".

First of all, two different dietary concepts

Compared with China's "taste" diet, the West is a rational concept of diet. This rationality makes it develop rapidly in natural science, psychology and methodology. But it has greatly hindered the development of food culture. Western food pays attention to nutrition, dish collocation, tableware and service, but all kinds of raw materials are irrelevant in taste, each with its own flavor and relatively single.

In China's cooking, the pursuit of delicacy has almost reached the extreme. This is also the main reason why Chinese food is so popular all over the world. Unfortunately, when we regard the pursuit of food as the first demand, we ignore the most fundamental nutritional value of food. The second half of "Food is the most important thing for the people" is "Taste first". It is this pursuit of delicacy that makes malnutrition the biggest weakness of China's food culture. This view of diet also accords with China's traditional philosophy. It contains rich dialectics of China's philosophy. Everything is based on the beauty and harmony of food. The variety in the range determines the richness and diversity of Chinese food, and also determines the characteristics of Chinese food.

Second, different ways of eating.

There are great differences between Chinese and western food styles, and this difference also has an impact on national character.

In China, any banquet, no matter for what purpose, will only have one form, that is, everyone will sit together and enjoy a seat. Banquets should use round tables to create a United, polite and interesting atmosphere in form. Food is placed in the center of a table, which is not only the object of appreciation and tasting, but also the medium of emotional communication. Although from the perspective of hygiene, this kind of diet has obvious shortcomings, but it conforms to the universal mentality of "happy reunion" of our nation, embodies the influence of the category of "harmony" in China's classical philosophy on later generations' thoughts, and is conducive to collective emotional exchange, so it is difficult to reform so far.

Although food and wine are very important at western-style banquets, they are actually used as foil. The core of the banquet is friendship, which is realized by talking to the guests next door. The more obvious difference from China's diet is the buffet which is popular in the west. This way facilitates the emotional communication between individuals, without putting all the words on the table, and also reflects the respect of westerners for individuality and self. But each eats his own food, does not interfere with each other, and lacks some China people's mood of chatting and having fun.

Third, the differences in table language.

Please pay attention to the cultural differences between China and the West when inviting guests to dinner, otherwise it will cause jokes.

The people of China are hospitable. When they invite guests to dinner, they usually put a table full of dishes. But no matter how rich the dishes are, they always say modestly, "There is nothing to eat. If the dish is not ready, please help yourself. " However, when British and American people hear such polite words, they will feel very disgusted: "Why invite me when there is nothing to eat?" If the food is not cooked, why should it be served to me? According to the custom in China, in order to show politeness, it is customary to persuade guests to eat more, while people in China often "insinuate" and say, "I'm full, no need. " ; It was not until the host invited him again that he said slowly, "Respect is better than obedience. ".However, British and American people are generally not so particular about entertaining guests. Three or four simple dishes are enough. When eating, the general host will say, "Help yourself!" ("Please eat. "That is, you can eat whatever you want. It is impolite for British and American people to treat guests with respect for personal wishes, pay attention to seeking truth from facts, repeatedly ask guests if they want food, or force food on them. So, when the host adds food to you or asks you what you want, for example, "Do you want another piece of meat pie? ("Do you want another piece of meat pie?" ), if you want to eat, you can directly answer: "Yes, please!" Or "thank you. A meat pie. If you really don't want to eat anything, just say "no". Thank you. "When having a meal, guests must praise the delicious food prepared by the host and the good craftsmanship of the host, otherwise, no matter how full you are, the host will be unhappy. Typical English humor is:

Guest: It's delicious. It's delicious. This meat is very tender. This meat is tender and delicious. )

Thank you. I'm glad you like it. Thank you. I'm glad you like it. )

Some China people who don't know the habits of British and American people are very polite when visiting their homes. As a result, they invite you once, at most twice, thinking that you really don't want to eat. The second question asked by British and American people is often: "Are you sure? No trouble. " ("Really? It's no trouble at all. " ) Note that this is the last invitation. No matter how polite you are, you can only drink northwest wind In addition, British and American people think it is uncivilized to leave food on the plate after eating, so they would rather ask for less for the first time and not have enough to eat, but they can generously say to their hosts, "Oh, this is delicious." ("Oh, this is delicious." ) I'd like a few more dishes I just ate. The host will be glad that you like their food.

Conclusion: Therefore, the difference between Chinese and western table culture is, in the final analysis, the difference between sensibility and rationality. Culture promotes the formation of diet, which reflects the cultures of various countries. However, this difference seems to be blurred with the development of science and the communication of the world. Chinese and western dining table cultures interact and blend with each other, making it more perfect.