ChinaDiningCustom

　　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.

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　　Ofcourse,themaindifferenceontheChinesedinnertableischopsticksinsteadofknifeandfork,butthat’sonlysuperficial.Besides,indecentrestaurants,youcanalwaysaskforapairofknifeandfork,ifyoufindthechopsticksnothelpfulenough.TherealdifferenceisthatintheWest,youhaveyourownplateoffood,whileinChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeveryoneshares.Ifyouarebeingtreatedtoaformaldinnerandparticularlyifthehostthinksyou’reinthecountryforthefirsttime,hewilldothebesttogiveyouatasteofmanydifferenttypesofdishes.

　　Themealusuallybeginswithasetofatleastfourcolddishes,tobefollowedbythemaincoursesofhotmeatandvegetabledishes.Soupthenwillbeserved(unlessinGuangdongstylerestaurants)tobefollowedbystaplefoodrangingfromrice,noodlestodumplings.Ifyouwishtohaveyourricetogowithotherdishes,youshouldsaysoingoodtime,formostoftheChinesechoosetohavethestaplefoodatlastorhavenoneofthematall.

　　PerhapsoneofthethingsthatsurprisesaWesternvisitormostisthatsomeoftheChinesehostsliketoputfoodintotheplatesoftheirguests.Informaldinners,therearealways“public”chopsticksandspoonsforthispurpose,butsomehostsmayusetheirownchopsticks.Thisisasignofgenuinefriendshipandpoliteness.Itisalwayspolitetoeatthefood.Ifyoudonoteatit,justleavethef