Table Manners Between China and America – Table Manners between China and America Manners reflect – Studocu

Table Manners between China and

America

Manners reflect one’s personality. Table manners are art that reveals one’s culture. There are

many table manners around the world. It is also necessary to learn more table manners because

of the rapid process of globalization. Using utensils, eating gestures, and serving food are

different between China and America.

Frist, using the utensils is different between China and America. In the United States, people

would like to put their plate on the table when they are eating. On the contract, people in China

would hold the bowl close to their mouth when they are eating, which is a polite action. When

setting the bowl for the guest, it is impolite in setting them parallel, which represents the bad luck.

People in America only use the spoon to eat dessert or drink soup, and they usually use the fork

and knife to eat entrees, but in China people prefer to eat with chopsticks and spoons. In

addition. It is rude if chopsticks are stuck straight up in the bowl; because it makes the bowl

similar to the tomb and Chinese people do not like it.

Second, the gesture when eating is different from China to America. People in America will think

that it is rude to make the sound made from chewing. But In China, if you are eating with a loud

sound, it will not be criticized, at the same time, the host will think that you must love the food,

and which will satisfied the host. In America, when having a party, it is liberal to leave before

others leave, but in China, people should not leave before all the people have already finished

their meal. Because leaving the table early might be considered you do not respect other people.

Third, the table manner of serving food is different from America to China. People always serve

food for themselves in America although their relationship is really close. Chinese people like to

serve guests food many times, and each time they might make the guest’s bowl full of food in

order to let the guests eat more and show their respect to the guests. On the other hand, if the

host serves a drink, you can reject it in America, but in China, you have to drink when the host

gives you some beverages, although you might not really want to drink. Because you have to

respect the host in table. In addition, if you want to cooperative with the host, the host might want

to cooperative with you because of your genuineness.

Overall, the table manner are different between China and America. And it is also an essential

knowledge to help you to understand other country’s culture. Furthermore, as long as you master

this knowledge, some awkward situations can be prevented.

Chinese and American Table Manners

For people around the world today, eating is life. But you cannot eat in whatever ways you like,

for you might bother someone else on the eating table. That’s why there are table manners: a

type of etiquette used when eating. Different cultures have different standards for table manners.

And next, we are going to compare the Chinese table manner and the American one. First, let us

begin with their similarities. Chinese people put communal chopsticks on the shared plates of

food, while the American uses forks and spoons as communal utensils on the dishes like the

salad bowl. Another thing in common is that they both forbid the playing with utensils. You cannot

wave them or bang them like drumsticks, or use them to move the plates. Your two hands are

asked to be in use.

Hold your bowls in the Chinese culture or grab the fork and knife with your hands in the American

customs. Do not let any of your hands does nothing but lay it on the table. If you want to place

your hand on the table, put it aside your plate. But these rules would be a demand too harsh in

casual situations like eating at home. There are too many differences between Chinese and

American table manners. Before presenting the differences, we would like to introduce some of

Chinese special manners. We should decide what to pick up before reaching for the food with

chopsticks. Do not hover around or poke looking for special ingredients. After you have picked up

an item, do not put it back on the dish. In addition, it is traditionally polite for the youngest

members of the table to address each and everyone of the elder members of the table before a

meal starts and literally tell them to “eat rice”, which means “go ahead and start the meal”.

This is a sign of respect to the elderly as they play important roles in Chinese traditional society.

The differences existed between Chinese and American table manners are much more than

similarities. First of all, American consider speaking loudly with mouth opened, seeing the food

that you are chewing in the mouth as improper and rude. But in Chinese culture, we often see

people speaking loudly with each other when eating; it is totally acceptable. Furthermore, it even

looks awkward for the Chinese when family and friends sit together at a dinning table without any

conversation; this silent situation may be reagarded as speechless and will make the party feels

embarrassed. Secondly, the dinning utensils used by the American, usually forks, can be held by

both right and left hands.

However, Chinese people consider holding chopsticks with left hand as impolite. Therefore, even

if you are a left-handed person, you still have to use your right hand. One possible explanation

for this restriction is that if there are someone using right hand and the other using left hand, their

chopsticks may collide with one another; this is a sign of conflict and should be prevented.

Thirdly, there is a very strict cultural taboo in Chinese table manner: never stab chopsticks into a

bowl of rice and let them stand upwards. A stick standing upwards symbolizes the incense sticks

Different Table Manners in China and the West

Different Table Manners in China and the West

Food is so fundamental to our life so that all the other aspects of our living are influenced by and
built on it. Healthy daily meals ensures physical fitness for us to work and play. The diet has
become part of the culture. As culture various from country to country, so do table manners. It is
helpful for us to learn table manners in different countries, because there are more and more
international exchanges in the globalized world and banquet is an important part in such
communication.

Diet plays an important role in both China and Western countries, but table manners vary from
country to country. In China, banquet ceremony has become an indispensible part of people’s lives.
When a child is born, parents will invite friends and relatives to host a cerebration, Later on, when
the child is one month old and one hundred days old, similar celebrations will be held. During the
process of growing up, parents will hold a birthday party for their children every year. Even when
one passes away, funeral dinners will be offered by descendants to the deceased. On occasions
such as settlement of an issue and promotion, Chinese people will invite friends to dinner for
celebration and exchange. In short, banquet performs many social functions for Chinese people.
Unlike Chinese, people in western countries do not attach much importance to social functions of
diet. They think that diet ensures normal function of human body. They care more about the
benefits of food than its socialization roles.

Table manners are closely associated with the characteristics of Chinese and western banquets.
There are some similarities in table manners of China and the West. These rules show the
consensus between Chinese and Westerners on the proper way of eating. For example, it is
impolite for diners to smoke at table. Smoking is harmful to people’s health and considered rude at
banquet, unless permitted. It is advisable for people to sit straight up at the table to make a good
impression on others. Dinners should not talk with each other when their mouth is full. It is polite
Although there are some similarities in table manners, more obvious differences exist between
Chinese and Western table manners. Chinese people pay much attention to the content and
arrangement of dinner. They usually provide ten or more main courses at a formal banquet. The
more pompous the dishes are prepared, the more the host’s hospitality and the higher the host’s
status. In western countries, a banquet consists of no more than six dishes, and it is similar to
common dinner. In the U., friends may contribute to a dinner. They take their dishes to share with
each other amidst joyful exchange of ideas. What really counts is the relaxed and cheerful
atmosphere at dinner. Clearly, western banquet symbolizes freedom and relaxation.

In china , any banquet ,no matter for what purpose , is held in the same way .That is , people sit
around a round table eating, drinking and chatting. This creates an atmosphere of unity, happiness
and politeness. Delicious dishes are put in the center of the people and naturally become the
media by which people exchange their feelings and emotions. They toast to each other and drink
to their heart’s content. It is a symbol of great union among Chinese people. In the west, people
have their dinner in a completely different way. They never eat food which is put in the same plate
or bowl .Each of them has his/her own share of the food placed in his/her own plate .This displays

individualism in Western culture. Westerners encourage individual freedom and independence.
Though they also sit around a table, each of them has his/her own set of tableware and own share
of dish. In this way they do not interfere each other. It seems somewhat cheerless and cold, though
it is healthy and clean. The individual has more say on the dish they choose. For example, when
you go to a western restaurant and ask for a share of steak, the cook may probably ask you
questions like: would you like roasted steak or fried steak., how long do you want your steak
cooked etc cook will prepare the steak strictly according to your request. Besides, seasons are
usually put on the table for guests to choose.

Before dinner, seat should be arranged by some rules. The seating order is different between China
and the West. In China, senior people or people of higher social status are often assigned the seat
of honor, for it is customary to arrange seat according to social rank and seniority. In feudal society,
Chinese women had not a single right and were not respected at all. They were, of course, not
allowed to attend a banquet. But this situation has changed a lot, as women have been paid due
respect now. Today, Chinese women do go to a banquet, they, however, often, play a minor role at
table, especially when going along with their husbands. Unlike Chinese, Westerners follow different
rules. They adopt the code of of “ladies first” in both seat arrangement and during the dinner.
When the banquet starts and dishes served, the chief female guest is the first one to be served,
and then other female guests. The hostess will be the last. After that, it is the turn for male guests.
When the dinner comes to an end, others cannot leave until the hostess stands up and leaves her
seat while gentlemen should move chairs for ladies to leave.

In addition to seating order, the order of dish served is also differen in China and the West. In
China, ordered dishes are usually served all at once. The order, however, still exists. Cold dishes
will come first with drink and wine, followed by hot dishes. The staple food comes then and the
desserts and fruits are served in the end. If there are many tables of guests in a banquet, the same
dish should be served for each table at once. In a formal Western cuisine, the first dish is usually an
appetizing one, such as salad. The first plays as a kind of prelude. The second dish is soup. When
Chinese people have dinner in a foreign banquet, they should never think that the soup means the
end of the banquet.

During dinner, Chinese people like to persuade others to drink and use their own chopsticks to put
food in the plate or bowl of guests to show politeness and hospitality. In China, it has long been
held that people should not eat alone, without considering others when many people dine together.
A person should not possess one kind of dish totally and he should not jolt his hot dishes in order to
make it cool quickly either, for it is not decent and polite. In the West, people do not act as
enthusiastically and courteously as the Chinese when they have a banquet. Westerners pay more
attention to personal independence.

If it is a formal dinner by government officials, huge amount of food will be ordered that is
impossible to finish. A typical meal begins with a set of at least four cold dishes, like boiled peanuts
and sliced cooked beef, to be followed by the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes.
Finally soup is served, followed by staple food, rice, noodles or dumplings. Chinese people tend to
over-order food, for they will find it embarrassing if all the food is consumed.

Generally speaking, there are many taboos in Chinese table manners. Over time, some have been
abandoned while others still remain. To name a few as follows: First, do not stick your chopsticks
upright in the rice bowl. Instead, place them on your dish. The reason behind it is that when

collectivism and unity. In contrast, western table manners is the outcome of industrialized
civilization, valuing individualism and independence.

Though table manners change over time, much remains and calls for our attention and compliance.
As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.