Chinese Art of Dining
2 min readEating is an essential part of the Chinese culture. In fact, much of Chinese life centers around food. It has even been said that Chinese people eat everything with foulegs except the table. It should not be surprising that there are many Chinese customs relating to dining and eating.
Chinese prefer round dining tables because more people can be seated.A round table allows people to eat facing each other without difference. In other words, when seated at a round table everyone is equal, regardless of their social status or wealth.
Meal time is for family members to converse. The dining table is a place for discussing business, education and other interesting and important topics. Discussing gloomy matters such as death, accidents and other misfortunes is regarded as bad table manners.
It is customary for a bowl of soup to be placed in the center of the table. Soup is believed to be nutritious and a good source of energy. Spoons are provided for each person to share the soup. Other dishes such as fish, vegetables, meat and eggs are placed around the table.
The main difference between Chinese and Western eating habits is that in the West, everyone has their own plate of food, while in China, the dishes are placed on the table and everybody shares from the communal plates. If you are being treated by a Chinese host, be prepared to eat a ton of food.
Sometimes, the Chinese host will use their chopsticks to put food into your bowl or plate. In China, this is a sign of politeness, and your host will often encourage you toeat more. If you feel uncomfortable with this, you can just say a polite “thank you”and leave the food there.
