Food etiquette around the world

Slide 1Overview
People around the world have developed unique traditions of table manners and
dining etiquette. Much like any other form of etiquette, it’s incredibly important to
respect and follow these customs when you’re travelling abroad.
Dining abroad can often make people feel uneasy, with the host of unfamiliar rules and
foods. Here are some extremely specific do’s and don’ts from around the world that
you should brush up on before you travel.
In Egypt, wait
your glass
Getting from a meal or a gathering to refill your glass is considered bad manners in
Egypt. Instead, you should wait for someone else (usually your neighbour) to offer to
do so. Similarly, you should also offer to refill your neighbour’s glasses.
Don’t eat your
bread before your
food in France
In France, if bread is put on the table, it is not an appetizer; it’s meant to accompany
your food. You’re meant to tear off pieces and use it to push food onto the fork or to
mop up sauces.
France
Eating out is a fairly common occurrence in France. But, whether you’re out with
friends or acquaintances, splitting the bill is considered highly unsophisticated. Either
offer to pay the bill fully or let someone else do so.
Tipping in
Japan is
frowned upon
upon
Tipping is a common and even a desired custom in many countries, but quite
the opposite is true in Japan. It is quite rare, and in some places, they might even
reject the money.
chopsticks
Another funeral ritual in Japan consists of the passing of bones from one set of
chopsticks to another. So, it is considered extremely rude and even taboo to pass
food this way.
Accept plates of
food that are
offered to you
with both hands
If you’re offered a plate, or even a large bowl, of food in Korea, make sure to accept
it with both hands and to hold it firmly. This shows respect and gratitude to your
hosts and to the food.
Always use the
shared plate
In Japan, and in China, many plates of dishes are shared amongst a group. Apart from
avoiding passing food from chopsticks to chopsticks, in such cases, you should also
never use the pointed end of the chopsticks (that go into your mouth) to dip into
shared dishes. Use the other blunt end instead.
Leave behind a
little food on
China
When you’re dining out in China, make sure to leave a little food on your plate after
you’re done eating. It shows that you have been given more than enough food by your
hosts and that you are full.
In Thailand,
in your mouth
When you’re in Thailand, eating with a fork is seen as unacceptable. Instead, you’re
expected to use the fork to push the food onto a spoon and use that to eat with.
Don’t ask for
in Portugal
If salt and pepper aren’t provided on the table, don’t ask for them, as it is
considered insulting to the seasoning skills of the chef.
Never mix the
wasabi and the
soy sauce when
you’re having
sushi
It is considered bad manners to mix the wasabi and the soy sauce in a bowl to dip
your sushi in. If you must have the wasabi, it goes directly on top of the fish, while
the fish (and NOT the rice) is to be dipped in soy sauce. Meanwhile, ginger is eaten
between pieces of sushi as a palate cleanser.
Don’t expect a
full cup of tea
in Kazakhstan
If your host in Kazakhstan serves you a cup of tea that is only half full, don’t feel bad.
It is a good sign, unlike a full cup of tea that is seen as a sign that the host might want
you to leave.
Don't ask for
cheese
In Italy, never ask for cheese if it's not explicitly offered to you. It's considered a
sin to put extra cheese on top of your pizza -- and it's even worse to put it on
seafood.
a mess
In China, belches are considered an indication of your satisfaction and a compliment
to the chef on a job well done. Making a mess around the table serves a similar
purpose, and leaving a bit of food leftover shows your host that he or she has provided
you with more than enough food.
Don't bring
yellow flowers
to dinner
In Bulgaria, yellow flowers symbolize hatred. Not the message (we hope) you're
trying to send.
dining
In Russia, it is considered polite to rest your wrists on the edge of the table -- not on
your lap. Also, keep your fork in your left hand and knife in your right.
Don't use an
individual
plate
In Ethiopia, individual plates are considered wasteful. Food is always shared from a
single plate without the use of cutlery -- just hands.
In Russia, it's
rude to turn
drink
If a Russian offers you a drink, tradition dictates you should accept it. It's
because offering a drink is a sign of trust and friendship, so if you reject it, you are
basically saying "I'm not interested in being your friend."
Don’t toast
with beer if
Hungary
If you're raising a glass in Hungary, don't do it with beer — Hungarians may
interpret that as the worst discourtesy since in 1848, when the Hungarian revolution
was defeated by the Austrians, the event was celebrated with beer.
Don't say
"thank you“
in India
In many countries, it's considered just good manners to say "thank you" when
someone, say, pours you a drink or hands you a delicious dessert. But in India, it can
be downright insulting.
floor
Spain has some incredible food, along with a bizarre way of advertising just how good a
restaurant's food is. Anyone looking for a good tapas place should look for the place
with the most amount of garbage on the floor. What? Really! That's anything from
napkins and pits to discarded food waste, and here's why that's actually a thing. The
reasoning went that the better food a place had, the more busy it was, the more busy it
was, the more people were in and out the door — which means a ton of garbage
building up.
complicated
Men and women are typically separated, and each group waits and watches while the
host makes the coffee then tries it first, to make sure it's suitable for serving. Then,
each guest gets a tiny bit in a tiny cup, and it's not unusual for cups to be passed back
to be refilled and handed off to the next person. People are served from right to left,
and you're allowed a max of three cups.
Thailand: You
won't be
ordering if
group
It's the responsibility of the eldest women at the table to order for the entire group,
and you shouldn't speak up with suggestions — even if that suggestion is dietary
restrictions you have. There's going to be plenty of options once the dishes arrive, so
it's not a big deal to turn down something for any particular reason.
Conclusion
Anyone who's ever had a great-aunt smacking at their elbows for resting them on the
dinner table knows just how important etiquette can be. Our etiquette — and the
reasons behind it — are so ingrained in us that we might not think twice about it, but
head to any one of a number of countries and you'll find some different and often
baffling bits of dining etiquette.