Chinese table manners

Chinese table

Chinese table manners are the traditional styles that are used for eating in the region of China. In most dishes in Chinese cuisine, food is cooked in bite-sized pieces and easy to hold and eat. Therefore, chopsticks are used at the table instead of forks and knives.^[1]

History

There are many eating manners that one must pay attention to which date from the time of ancient China, such as how to sit in a banquet or the placing of the cutlery, and so on. Etiquette governs nearly every action at the table. Some rules were out of courtesy and identity, and were called by ancient Chinese "respect for manners"; some others were traditional; and some only concerned the behaviors of certain groups of people (especially women) and were actually not necessary. Whatever their origin, these rules show ancient China's dietary habits and food culture, and some of them are still followed in modern Chinese life. Compliance with these rules sometimes signals a person's status, culture, and family education to others. Because the custom of using banquets to solve problems in business, for friendship, and even in officialdom by the Chinese people, ones should pay great attention to the manners by the table and especially to the Chinese eating taboos.

Eating in Chinese culture

Eating is a dominant aspect of Chinese culture, and in China, eating out is one of the most accepted ways to treat guests. Similar to Westerners drinking in a bar with friends, eating together in China is a way to socialize and deepen friendship.^[2]

Table etiquette is very important to Chinese people. In Chinese culture, using correct table manners is believed to bring “luck” while incorrect use will bring shame. Similarly, table etiquette indicates children’s educational status: holding chopsticks incorrectly leaves a bad impression and shames the parents, who have the responsibility of teaching them.^[2][3]

Seating

Honourable people would take the seats of honour, and humbler ones then sit according to status; elders sit facing the best direction; and teachers seat themselves in a place of honour relative to their students. When sitting at a rectangular table, elders sit at the shortest side of the table, against the back wall of the room and facing the door, then the others judged by their ages sit from inside to outside; in the case of a round table, the most inside seat is left for the elder to show his venerability.^{[citation needed]}

Inviting guests

There are many traditions that govern table manners in China such as the correct treatment of guests and how to use chopsticks correctly. Although each Chinese household has its own set of table manners and rules, the foundational traditions used to welcome guests are the same.^[4][5]

There are common rules for inviting guests over.^[3][6][5] When the guest of honor enters into the room, the hosts stand until the guest of honor is seated. The host then orders the dishes brought, and the guest should be silent. When the dishes arrive, the meal begins with a Toast from the host, and the guests then make a toast in turn in the honor of the host. The guest of honor should be the first one to start the meal. The best food in a dish should be left for the guest of honor. When the hostess says her food is not good enough, the guest must be courteous and tell her it is the best food he has ever tasted. Guests should never “split the bill” with the host. A guest who “split(s) the bill” is very ungracious and embarrassing to the host. However, it is expected for the guest to offer to pay for the meal multiple times, but ultimately allow the host to pay.

Chopstick usage

Since chopsticks are often used in many dishes in Chinese cuisine, knowing the correct chopsticks usage is essential. The most common chopsticks usages are the following:^[6][5][7]

• It does not matter whether you hold the chopsticks in the middle or at the end, but you should make sure that the ends are even.
• Chopsticks are not used to move bowls or plates.
• Chopsticks are not used to toy with one's food or with dishes in common.
• When not in use, chopsticks must always be placed neatly on the table with two sticks lying tidily next to each other at both ends.
• Treat chopsticks as extension of your fingers, and do not point at other people or wave chopsticks around.
• Do not suck the tips of chopsticks.
• Do not impale food with chopsticks.
• Do not point the chopsticks at another person. This amounts to insulting that person.
• Do not bang your chopsticks as though you were playing a drum. It implies you are a child, or a beggar.
• Do not stick chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice; it implies the food is for the dead.

Three Long Two Short (Chinese: 三長兩短)

The chopsticks with different length shouldn't used on a table:
in the old times, the below part of Coffin was made with two short boards to the both heads and another three long ones to the bottom and both sides, this type was called “Three Long Two Short”, implied the disaster, so when it is not necessary, for all the things that may described by “long” and “short” it should avoid the saturation of “Three Long Two Short”.

Immortal Guiding (Chinese: 仙人指路)

“Immortal Guiding” means that one uses the thumb, middle finger, ring finger and little finger to hold the chopsticks, but points the index finger to the others. Because the index finger is actually is the finger for meal, using this finger to point to the others stands for censure.
The much worse case is to use the four fingers except middle finger to hold the chopsticks and to use the middle finger to point.

Taboos to using of Teapot

• One shouldn’t point the mouth of the teapot to others: this has the same meaning of using the finger to point to somebody, that’s very impolite to the one that be pointed; sometime, it also means that this person (the one be pointed) is not welcome to the house.

• When someone is using a teapot to pour tea for the others, he should hold the teapot with his right hand and press the teapot lid with another hand to show his honour and sedateness. In some places of south China (especially Canton and Hong Kong) the one who gets the tea uses the knuckles of his first and middle fingers to tap the table two or three times to show his thankfulness.

• Using the tea to force the visitor out (Chinese: 端茶送客): there was a rule in Qing Dynasty’s officialdom as “the tea that given by the boss shouldn't be taken”. If the boss give tea to his subordinate by his own hands (normally that would given by a servant), that means he is impatient to the subordinate, and the subordinate should leave immediately. If the boss is visiting the subordinate by his house, the subordinate must not give the tea to the boss by his own hands, either, because that’s very impolite and means to force the visitor out.

See also

• Culture of China
• Chinese cuisine
• Chopsticks
• Westerners
• Etiquette in Asia

References

1. ^ Inness, Sherrie. "Home Cooking ." Kitchen Culture in America: Popular Representations of Food, Gender, and Race (2001): 14. Web. 21 Jan 2010. <http://books.google.com/books?id=Ik7w8jQhzHMC&pg=RA4-PA14&dq=chinese+table+etiquette&lr=&ei=7flXS7G0IaaolQTd3rCwAw&cd=31#v=onepage&q=chinese%20table%20etiquette&f=false>.
2. ^ ^{a b} Dobsons, Richard. "China Cycle." China Cycle (2006): 20. Web. 8 Feb 2010. <http://books.google.com/books?id=1HwBFSfy_f0C&pg=RA1-PA20&dq=guests+dinner+china&lr=&ei=CVpwS9yrE4yKkASN0tS6DQ&cd=11#v=onepage&q=guests%20dinner%20china&f=false>.
3. ^ ^{a b} Chai, May-Lee, and Winberg Chai. China A to Z. New York : Plume Books, 2007. 104. Print.
4. ^ Morse, Edward. Glimpses of China and Chinese Homes. New York : Kegan Paul Intl, 2001. 65. Print.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Hu , Wenzhong, and Cornelius Grove. "Chinese-Style Dining." Encountering the Chinese: A Guide for Americans 2. (1999): 35-40. Web. 21 Jan 2010. <http://books.google.com/books?id=gInx5N7gGg4C&pg=PA39&dq=table+etiquette+china&lr=&cd=14#v=onepage&q=table%20etiquette%20china&f=false>.
6. ^ ^{a b} Zhou, Cathy. "Getting Along With Chinese Etiquette." Chinese Etiquette and Culture (2005): 26. Web. 21 Jan 2010. <http://books.google.com/books?id=0TV8ebayzNUC&pg=PA26&dq=chinese+table+etiquette+manner&lr=&ei=bPdXS6GDI5GEkwSX_MmVCg&cd=43#v=onepage&q=&f=false>.
7. ^ Fox, Sue. "Chapter 19: On the Go: Travel Manners for Land, Sea, and Air ." Etiquette for Dummies (2007): 319. Web. 21 Jan 2010. <http://books.google.com/books?id=HGno_t1crwwC&pg=PA319&dq=Dining+Etiquette+china&lr=&cd=34#v=onepage&q=Dining%20Etiquette%20china&f=false>.