Студопедия — III. International dining etiquette
Студопедия Главная Случайная страница Обратная связь

Разделы: Автомобили Астрономия Биология География Дом и сад Другие языки Другое Информатика История Культура Литература Логика Математика Медицина Металлургия Механика Образование Охрана труда Педагогика Политика Право Психология Религия Риторика Социология Спорт Строительство Технология Туризм Физика Философия Финансы Химия Черчение Экология Экономика Электроника

III. International dining etiquette






Read the information about table rules in different countries. Comment on the ones you find reasonable/unreasonable. Add more examples of your own.

You've got your tickets, your money and your passport and all that is lacking is the social polish that will allow you to enter the higher echelons of whatever foreign clime you're visiting. This text provides some of the essential rules that will make you an exemplary dinner diplomat.

In general, wherever you are, if you conduct yourself with charm and politeness and consideration for other people, and if you avoid offending or insulting your fellow diners, you can't go wrong. In fact, differences in the way different cultures dine make a good conversation starter.

In Austria it is considered the height of rudeness not to look somebody in the eye when you clink glasses. When you look a person in the eye, you are acknowledging their existence.

In China, if you eat everything you put on your plate, this indicates to the host that he hasn't provided enough food. On the other hand, in the West, children are told by over-doting mothers to eat everything up, there are poor starving children in Asia who don't have anything — a logic that never convinced any child to eat their cabbage.

In China, the host routinely places food in other people's dishes for them: so don't give them strange looks if they do this to you. In addition, you can reach for things on the other side of the table as long as you stand up to do it.

As in the West, don't start eating before other people, but don't start clearing the dishes while other people are still eating.

One of the most contentious areas of British dining etiquette is just how much food you should leave on your plate. The divide stems from the days of World War II rationing when things like fresh meat were scarce and spam was a delicacy. There was no excuse leaving anything on your plate, because you never knew when you would next get fresh meat or veggies and waste was viewed negatively. People ate everything they could get their hands on — just in case! It would be a very unusual family who did not experience any limitations on food during this time.

In about 50% of traditional British households, you should never totally clear your plate of food. This indicates that you are, indeed, full and the host has given you more than enough food. In the other 50%, to totally clear your plate indicates how delicious the meal was.

If you're a group of people going out to eat, or if you've got a dinner party with a few friends, you should never start eating before everyone has been served if your party is less than seven people. If you're more than seven, it's okay to just start digging in as soon as you get your food, because if you don't, it can go cold and that's not something you want. An exception to this rule, though, is soup. You can start eating soup as soon as it gets placed in front of you.

The French are notorious for their rules and regulations regarding their food. These are dilu­tions of the rules imposed by Louis XIV on his court and have infiltrated homes and restaurants. Here are some pointers to help you navigate dining etiquette a la Francaise. Most French chefs take umbrage if you add condiments to a dish before even tasting it. It is also a grave insult to ask for ketchup. They believe it hides the taste of the meal. If you do ask, the waiter will bring it but don't be surprised by surly service thereafter.

While eating in France, it is always polite to have both of your hands visible. If one of your hands or both are missing, people will assume you're playing with the legs of the ladies/gents next to you. Also when eating at night in a restaurant, always switch your mobile phones off. The French have a clear distinction between work and leisure and if your phone rings, expect disparaging stares.

If you're eating in a French restaurant, it is usual for ladies to sit on the bank/chairs with their backs to the wall and the men with their faces to the ladies and the wall.

In France, it's perfectly acceptable to use toothpicks (cure dents) at the table. Take your spare hand and hold it on your top lip, covering your mouth so others can't see what you are doing, then pick away. Put the pick on you plate, don't drop it on the floor or put it in the ashtray. If there is no plate available, leave it on the table.

In Germany you eat asparagus with a knife and fork which seems a bit heavy-handed coming from Britain where you eat it with your fingers. Asparagus can be served up to St John's day (25 June) and rhubarb is no good after this date either.

The British are usually accused of being precious about their potatoes but in Germany you must not cut potatoes with a knife. It seems simple, but it offends well brought up Germans. The simple explana­tion is that if you crush your potatoes with a fork it gives a rougher surface to soak up the gravy.

Well brought up Germans cut their rolls in half horizontally with a knife, which is shocking for someone used to French or British eating habits.

As far as cutlery is concerned, leave it on the plate in the right order after finishing the meal, forming an upside-down " V" to indicate that you are still hungry. Forming a line across the plate as the arms of a clock showing 5 minutes to 5 will indicate that you have had enough.

In Iceland, it is considered rude to give your host a gift when staying with them.

In Italy when eating spaghetti, you will often just be served with a fork and no knife or spoon. You use the bowl to twirl the pasta around the fork instead of a spoon.

In Japan, to express delight at the meal, you are supposed to eat noodles as loudly as possible, slurping all the way. The chef takes it as a compliment that you like their food so much that you're slurping it all up. This also has to do with the fact that you're eating the food while it's still hot. To eat hot noodles, you have to make a certain " O" shape with the mouth and the resultant space in the mouth cools the food as it is vacuumed up.

On the island of Malta, food is taken very seriously. Always check how many courses are being served. It is quite likely that you will be given a small appetizer, followed by a large pasta dish. This is usually followed by meat or fish. Don't be fooled into thinking that because the pasta dish is large it is the main course. The amount you eat will be noted and commented on once you have left. Also, beware of the bread you are offered at the beginning of the meal; it will fill you up fast and leave you without the appetite you need to complete the rest of the meal.

In a tapas bar in Spain all the detritus — pips, crumbs, disposable napkins, cigarette butts are thrown on the floor. This breaks years of conditioning but is in fact a part of the tapas culture. The detritus is swept up at the end of the evening.

The States are, of course, a varied place, and rules vary from person to person. There are only a few hard and fast rules that everyone must observe... the rest are considered optional:

• Don't reach over anyone else's plate, and don't lunge for anything that isn't within easy reach. Your neighbours will be only too happy to pass things to you.

• Eat over your plate. This one's more of a fashion tip than a politeness one.

• Left-handers must take precautions to ensure they don't sit to the right of a right-handed eater. Nobody likes to play elbow jousting with a fork in their mouth.

• Don't be a miser when the bill arrives. If someone offers to pay, that's okay, but otherwise, lay out the price of your meal, plus some extra for the tip. People who try to freeload don't get asked out again. Don't get mad over change you're due to receive, either, if it's only a couple of bucks. After that, anything goes.

1. Use your knowledge about the rules of international dining etiquette to fill in the table to let people visiting these countries be aware of their national peculiarities.

The names of the country Peculiarities
Austria  
China  
Great Britain  
France  
Germany  
Iceland  
Italy  
Japan  
Malta  
Spain  
The USA  






Дата добавления: 2014-11-12; просмотров: 997. Нарушение авторских прав; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы!



Обзор компонентов Multisim Компоненты – это основа любой схемы, это все элементы, из которых она состоит. Multisim оперирует с двумя категориями...

Композиция из абстрактных геометрических фигур Данная композиция состоит из линий, штриховки, абстрактных геометрических форм...

Важнейшие способы обработки и анализа рядов динамики Не во всех случаях эмпирические данные рядов динамики позволяют определить тенденцию изменения явления во времени...

ТЕОРЕТИЧЕСКАЯ МЕХАНИКА Статика является частью теоретической механики, изучающей условия, при ко­торых тело находится под действием заданной системы сил...

Механизм действия гормонов а) Цитозольный механизм действия гормонов. По цитозольному механизму действуют гормоны 1 группы...

Алгоритм выполнения манипуляции Приемы наружного акушерского исследования. Приемы Леопольда – Левицкого. Цель...

ИГРЫ НА ТАКТИЛЬНОЕ ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЕ Методические рекомендации по проведению игр на тактильное взаимодействие...

ЛЕКАРСТВЕННЫЕ ФОРМЫ ДЛЯ ИНЪЕКЦИЙ К лекарственным формам для инъекций относятся водные, спиртовые и масляные растворы, суспензии, эмульсии, ново­галеновые препараты, жидкие органопрепараты и жидкие экс­тракты, а также порошки и таблетки для имплантации...

Тема 5. Организационная структура управления гостиницей 1. Виды организационно – управленческих структур. 2. Организационно – управленческая структура современного ТГК...

Методы прогнозирования национальной экономики, их особенности, классификация В настоящее время по оценке специалистов насчитывается свыше 150 различных методов прогнозирования, но на практике, в качестве основных используется около 20 методов...

Studopedia.info - Студопедия - 2014-2024 год . (0.011 сек.) русская версия | украинская версия