Table Manners China vs. America

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Table MannersChina vs. America

• By Megan Tepper

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Eating Habits in China

• Sample every dish on table
• When eating rice hold bowl close to mouth
• Eat lightly at meals could be up to 20 courses

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Eating Habits in America

• Food is passed to the right
• Try little of everything
• Keep table cloth clean
• Food lifted to mouth
• Repulsive to talk with mouth full
• No elbows on table

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Chinas Chopsticks

• Rude if chopsticks are stuck straight up in bowl

• Chopsticks for eating rice
• Polite if try to use chopsticks
• Bad luck in set parallel on top of bowl or
  dropped

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Americans Utensils

• Start with the outer utensils and work in
  towards your plate
• Only spoon provided is soup spoon
• Salad fork has thicker tine at left

• Fish fork and knife
• Most inner fork and knife are for meat
• If tea or coffee or going to be served a teaspoon
  will be brought out with it

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Chinese Hot Towel

• Tot towel is provided at end of meal
• So one can wipe hands and mouth at end of meal

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American Napkin

• Napkin should not be crumpled or twisted
• At informal occasion is used to clean up mess
  that occurred during meal

• Once seated put napkin on lap
• Only meant to dab the lips and not get dirty
• After meal place napkin loosely near plate

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Chinese Table Manners

• Not rude to reach in front of someone to grab
  something
• Polite to reach for food with chopsticks
• Chinese host like to put food on your plate for
  you

• Place bones or seeds in different dish
• Your host will fill up your dish if it is empty
• Never take the last bit from a serving dish

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American Table Manners

• Food is passed around the table
• If something is out of your reach you ask
  politely for someone to pass it to you

• Not rude to leave plate full
• Not rude to leave your plate empty
• Not rude to take last item off dish

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Business Table Manners in China

• Banquets start around 630-700 p.m.
• Last about 2 hours
• Arrive 30 minuets before you guests

• Business is not always discussed during a meal
• Never eat before your host
• Return the favor

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Business Table Manners in America

• Arrive early especially if you are the host
• Pay for the meal in advance

• Courteous to hold the door open for male and
  female
• Business is discussed during the meal

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Special Occasions in China

• Big elaborate meals
• Usually held at restaurants that consist of 10 or
  more courses
• Rice is not served

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Special Occasions in America

• Usually only gather for special occasions or
  holidays
• Families travel across country for special meals
• Extra cooking and preparing

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Values in China

• Still have customs and traditions
• Have not let things become unimportant
• Significance into their meals
• Personal approach

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Values in America

• Manners surround being polite and proper
• Traditions have become unimportant thus have
  forgotten about them
• No customs in table manners only what looks nice
• No significance