Most of Westerners think of Chinese cuisine as mysterious and full of surprises. Not many of them realize however that there also are some tricks to how it should be eaten. There are some customs that will shock Chinese if not followed and some, that will definitely shock you if you're unprepared. Check what you should know before sitting at a Chinese table...
1. Chopsticks – it's quite obvious that you don't eat with good old fork and knife. What is less known though, is that you absolutely shouldn't leave your chopsticks sticking vertically in rice (even though it might be convenient to do so if you want to get something from your bag). It's basically a death wish. Literally, because Chinese people stick incense in a bowl which they leave as an offering for the dead. Doing so with chopsticks is a reminder of this custom and is considered a taboo.
2. Round table – while Westerners are used to getting all their food on one plate, in China every dish is meant to be shared. The only things you have private during dinner are your chopsticks, bowl of rice and a glass. Sitting at the round table makes it easier to reach all the dishes. Quite common in restaurants is usage of so called Lazy Susan – a turntable (remember not to move it while someone else is picking their food). Personally I find it pretty ingenious idea as it allows you try all set of different dishes during one dinner.
2. Round table – while Westerners are used to getting all their food on one plate, in China every dish is meant to be shared. The only things you have private during dinner are your chopsticks, bowl of rice and a glass. Sitting at the round table makes it easier to reach all the dishes. Quite common in restaurants is usage of so called Lazy Susan – a turntable (remember not to move it while someone else is picking their food). Personally I find it pretty ingenious idea as it allows you try all set of different dishes during one dinner.
3. Toast – inherent with formal dinners. The host starts the dinner with a toast while everyone are supposed to shout 'Gānbēi!' (干杯! – en. Cheers!), tap their glass at the table (or Lazy Susan if there's one) and drink it all (as a show of respect). Throughout the dinner the host will also toast each guest separately. If you are the singled one just repeat the procedure from the beginning. If you think a while you'll understand why the result of this custom is not quite sober host at the end of the dinner (although drinking under the table is uncommon and would be considered as loosing the face.
4. Seating order – it does matter where you sit. The guest of honor should be seated at the place facing either East or the door. If you're invited for a formal dinner it would be best to ask the host where you can sit (in case you've misjudged your importance). That way you'll avoid possible misunderstandings.
5. The bill – always paid by the host. There's no tradition of splitting the bill. Even if you go to a foreign restaurant in China and ask to split the bill, the waitress will look at you suspiciously as if not knowing what to do (if it is a fancy – read expensive – restaurant in a big city, it might not happen though, as those places tend to adapt Western customs). There's also no need to leave a tip. There's no custom of doing it and the waitresses would be confused if you did so (again - foreign restaurants might be an exception).
Those 5 points pretty much sum up the customs you should be aware of in order not to offend your Chinese hosts. There are however a few things you ought to know about for your own sake, since unawareness might cause you quite a cultural shock.
Good luck!
4. Seating order – it does matter where you sit. The guest of honor should be seated at the place facing either East or the door. If you're invited for a formal dinner it would be best to ask the host where you can sit (in case you've misjudged your importance). That way you'll avoid possible misunderstandings.
5. The bill – always paid by the host. There's no tradition of splitting the bill. Even if you go to a foreign restaurant in China and ask to split the bill, the waitress will look at you suspiciously as if not knowing what to do (if it is a fancy – read expensive – restaurant in a big city, it might not happen though, as those places tend to adapt Western customs). There's also no need to leave a tip. There's no custom of doing it and the waitresses would be confused if you did so (again - foreign restaurants might be an exception).
Those 5 points pretty much sum up the customs you should be aware of in order not to offend your Chinese hosts. There are however a few things you ought to know about for your own sake, since unawareness might cause you quite a cultural shock.
- Burping, slurping and all that noise – in other words every kind of table manners that you've been taught from early childhood as extremely rude. Those are not considered so in China. No one would as much as blink if your boss or business partner suddenly burp during dinner. He's just complimenting the food after all. To this pleiad of noises you should add also chewing with open mouth and speaking VERY loudly (you can't imagine how noisy it is in a Chinese restaurant). All those habits are probably the ones that are the most difficult for Westerners to get used to. No matter how long you've been in China or how knowledgeable you are about the customs here, you just can't help wanting to snap on reflex “Would you mind?!” each time you hear the 'noise'.
- Waste. Let's say you're eating chicken wings. Normally you'd put the bones at the 'corner' of your plate. But there's no plate. Just the bowl of rice. WWCD (What Would Chinese Do)? Just leave it on the table (that's why they never have tablecloths) or just throw it at the floor (depending on where you are). It's a common sight to see a group of Chinese leaving their table with mountains of bones, napkins and other trash piling underneath. The fascinating thing though is that the waitresses can clean this mess in less than 5 minutes (often with a hose).
Good luck!
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