Here’s a post I had from a very old blog. Thought I’d repost it here since people seemed to like it back then too:
Today I feel like discussing Chinese table manners and chopsticks. Why? Because I feel it is important for anyone who plans on going to a Chinese restaurant and doesn’t want to look like a total Westerner. First things first:
The bowl:
The rice bowl that often doubles as a soup bowl, is a very important element of table etiquette. The way one holds the bowl and which way the Chinese characters, if any, are facing is also important. For bowls with the four Chinese characters on the sides, make sure the one that looks like a TV with two antennas on a TV stand is facing you when you hold the bowl. I’m not sure what the characters mean, but I know that it’s the proper way. Make sure when you hold the bowl with one hand, you keep all four fingers straight underneath the support of the bowl and have your thumb holding the side lip of the bowl for support. When picking up your bowl, it is customary to use your left hand (for right-handed people) to support the left side, and then use your chopsticks to support the right side of the bowl to pick it up. Then place your left hand in the aforementioned position and you’re good to go.
The Chopsticks:
The chopsticks are an important part of Chinese and other Asian cultures and it is really the only utensil you need to eat anything, including soup! More on that later. The way you hold your chopsticks is also very important, and it is found that you should be able to lift at least a pouch of sticky rice, or else your grip is too weak. Chopsticks also build your hand muscles for everyday life where you do a lot of writing and possibly painting or fencing. Those who are skilled with chopsticks also tend to have neater writing and more careful or disciplined hand motions. A few don’ts to holding chopsticks are, do not have your thumb sticking out of the top of your grip, do not put your chopsticks at a 90 degree angle inside your bowl, and you should never be able to see the back of your hand holding the chopsticks in whatever you do with them (in other words, keep your palm facing up when picking things up!)
Eating Rice:
Eating rice with chopsticks is seen as totally tedious by Westerners, but those with experience with eating rice with chopsticks know that rice has a sticky composition to it, and that eating rice in clumps is easy. For those who are seeking the real family-traditional style of eating rice from a bowl, it is customary to put one’s mouth right to the edge of the bowl and to scoop the rice directly in with the chopsticks. That is how people can eat bowls of rice in under five minutes easily! Some may say that eating a bowl of rice with chopsticks could take forever, but they are anything but right!
Eating Soup:
You may ask, how in the world can you drink soup with chopsticks? Well if the soup is something like congee, a spoon will do you more justice, but a clear soup with solid ingredients is different. In a Chinese family, it is not bad manners to put the bowl to your mouth and drink the soup directly from the bowl. Not only is this faster than a spoon, but it polishes off a few bowls in no time. If there are ingredients in the soup, one can hold the bowl the same way as with rice, and eat the ingredients out of the bowl with the chopsticks. After eating all the ingredients, one can then put the bowl to their mouth and start chugging!
Tea:
At every traditional Chinese restaurant, there is a pot of tea and tea cups at the table. All you must do is turn your cup into an upright position and wait for your tea to be poured by another person at the table who is closest to the tea pot. However, it is customary to always pour tea for others before yourself even during the meal. When pouring tea, try not to let the tea drip all over the cloth because you are just leaving a mess for the waiters. When someone is pouring tea for you in your tea cup, the first time you must verbally say “Thank you” in whatever language or dialect suits you. (Cantonese “mm goy sai”) After the initial reception of tea, all you must do is tap your right hand’s index and middle finger twice on the table when your cup is nearly full or until it is full to your desired level. This signals the person pouring the tea to stop and it also thanks them for the favour and respect.
Last Notes:
Chinese manners and traditions can vary from family to family, and the etiquette I present here are all practises within my family. We eat with chopsticks and bowl every single day, and often we find that it takes much longer to cook dinner than it takes to eat dinner. On average, we finish off a bowl of rice in just under five minutes, and it is customary to “Teen Faan” or go for seconds for good luck and to welcome prosperity into the family. Also at the very beginning of the meal, it is part of tradition for the youngest one at the table to pick up his/her chopsticks, and to take something from a dish and offer it to the oldest person at the table.
Thank you for your patience and interest in Chinese table etiquette. If there are any errors or omissions, just post it in a comment and I’ll try to fix it. Thank you for your time.
written by tofu
