First, an overview of table manners

1. The position and function of table manners in the development of Chinese and western cultures.

2. Different food cultures in different countries

1. The development of food culture and the formation of table manners in China.

2. The development of food culture and the formation of table manners in Britain, France, America and Italy.

3. Compare Beijing Roast Duck, a typical food in China, with turkey in western countries to further compare the differences between them.

4. Find the similarities between Chinese and Western cultures from the differences.

5. Forming the root of cultural differences between China and the West.

Table manners

The main difference between China and the West is that, unlike the West, everyone has his own plate of food. In China, dishes are put on the table and everyone shares them. If you are entertained by the host of China, please prepare plenty of food. China people are very proud of their food culture, and they will try their best to let you taste many different kinds of dishes. Between friends, they will order enough food for the people there. If they take someone out to dinner and the relationship is polite to semi-polite, then they usually order one more dish than the number of guests (for example, four people, five dishes). If it is a business dinner or a very formal occasion, there will probably be a lot of food that can't be eaten.

A typical meal starts with garlic. Next is the main course, hot meat and vegetables. Finally, soup is served, followed by the "staple food" of starch, usually rice or noodles, and sometimes jiaozi. Many people in China eat rice (or noodles or other things) last, but if you like to eat rice with other dishes, you should say it earlier.

One thing to pay attention to is that when you have dinner with China's host, you may find that the other person is using chopsticks to pick vegetables into your bowl or plate. This is a sign of politeness. The correct way is to eat whatever it is and then say how delicious it is. If you feel uncomfortable about it, you can say thank you politely, and then put the food there, maybe cover it with a little rice when they are not looking. When dealing with westerners, you need a certain degree of tolerance. So you will not be punished.

Eat taboo food

Traditionally, there are many taboos on the dining table in China, but not many people pay attention to them now. However, there are several things to remember, especially if you are a guest of a private family.

1) Don't stick chopsticks upright in your rice bowl. Instead, put them on your plate. The reason for this is that when someone dies, there is a bowl of sand or rice with two incense sticks in it in their shrine. So, if you put your chopsticks in your rice bowl, it looks like this shrine, which is equivalent to hoping that people at the table will die!

2) Make sure that the spout of the teapot is not facing anyone. It is impolite to put the teapot where the spout is facing someone. The spout should always face where no one is sitting, usually outside the table.

3) Don't knock on the bowl with chopsticks. Beggars knock on their bowls, so it's impolite. Besides, in restaurants, if food is served too slowly, people will knock on their bowls. If you are in someone else's house, it's like insulting the chef.

Eat local food

You can eat expensive and delicious food in any big hotel, but if you want to find the atmosphere, you must go to the local small restaurant. Not only is it cheap, but you can also have a good look at what local people and normal people are like. What food lacks in presentation is compensated for in taste. Some restaurants have English menus, but don't count on it. A good way to choose a dish is to look at what others are eating and then show it to the waitress. Another option is to play "My Dinner", where players randomly point to items in the menu and wait for the surprise dishes to arrive. Whoever orders shark's mouth sauce and scallions to burn the dog's heart wins! However, if you bring your guide, you can use the food guide at the back of the book to choose some safe and delicious foods.

In addition, be sure to taste the locally brewed Yanjing beer.

Drinen

Gambei! (cheers! )

Wine is a major part of Beijing's diet. Especially when dining with China's host, you will see beer being drunk and many beers being dried. (Cheers literally mean "dry cups") Besides beer, the official alcoholic beverage in China is baijiu, a kind of high-alcohol liquor made from various grains. There are different degrees of liquor, and some are quite good. Beijing people's favorite wine is Erguotou, with an alcohol content of 56%. Maotai and Wuliangye are more expensive and less difficult to deal with, about 300-400 yuan per bottle. In contrast, Erguotou sells only 4 per bottle to 5 yuan. If you can't drink, or don't want to accept the challenge, just say "I don't drink He Hui". It is usually acceptable to use cola or tea as an alcohol substitute.