Information about Table Manners

 

The circle is the embodiment of union, which is the most important symbol in Chinese culture. So the round table is used for people gathering for dinner.  

Nowadays, with the progress of the globalization, many western-style foods like steak, lasagna and burgers or sushi, ramen are popular in big cities in China. People from inland provinces who work in costal big cities are getting too busy to have a serious dinner with friends or family.

 

In most frequent situations, if there are five people or more, the situation that round table will be served nearly 100%, especially at dinner.

 

First, I believe it is because the eating habit is different. In western countries, they will order individual and different meals. Maybe for health reasons, it will be better if people get far away from other’s saliva.

 

Second, a traditional dinner should serve hot dishes, cold dishes, soups, including fish, chicken (or duck or goose), pork (not in Muslim family), and beef. So there are 8 to 12 dishes might be served for a formal family dinner. A round table is convenient for everyone to get different dishes.

 

Although it’s a round table, there are lots of manners the host and guest should follow. The host or the master of the banquet or the guest with the highest status should seat facing the entrance. That’s the seat called seat of honor. So, by parity of reasoning, guests with higher rank should seat next to the seat of honor.  And the second-host (like the wife in a family), should seat right in front of the first rank host.

 

As my family is populous, is about over 20 people will show up in spring festival. So different generation will have different tables, like my father, uncle, and grandpa will seat together, while I will seat with my cousins and my nephews.

Then, using tableware in a right way is important to have a pleasant dinner.

 

When you and your family enter into a restaurant, waiter or waitress will serve you hot tea and order to you. The tea cup is the first one using during the dinner. Then, the waiter (or waitress) is up to the table, you should use chopsticks and a bowl to have some dishes.

 

The plate is used for waste, and waiter (waitress) will change the clean plate for you if your plate is full. After tasting some dishes, the main course is serving, and you may have waiter (waitress) to get you some rice. And the last thing is taking some soup. After fruits or some ice cream, the dinner officially end.