Chinesetablemanners

　　Thesearemostlyconcernedwiththeuseofchopsticks.OtherwisegenerallyChinesetablemannersarerathermoreinformal,whatwouldbeconsideredrudeinotherculturessuchastalkingwiththemouthfullmaybeacceptablebutbetternottodoso.

　　*Chopsticksmustalwaysbeheldinthecorrectmanner.Itshouldbeheldbetweenthethumbandfingersoftherighthand,

　　*Chopsticksaretraditionallyheldintherighthandonly,evenbytheleft-handed.Althoughchopsticksmaynowbefoundineitherhand,afewstillconsiderleft-handedchopstickuseimproperetiquette.Oneexplanationforthetreatmentofsuchusageasimproperisthatthiscansymboliseargument,asthechopsticksmaycollidebetweentheleft-handedandright-handeduser.

　　*Whencommunalchopsticksaresuppliedwithsharedplatesoffood,itisconsideredimpolitetouseyourownchopstickstopickupthefoodfromthesharedplateoreatusingthecommunalchopsticks.Anexceptiontothisruleismadeinintimatefamilydinnerswherefamilymembersmaynotmindtheuseofone'sownchopstickstotransferfood.

　　*Itisconsideredimpolitetousethebluntendofthechopstickstotransferfoodfromacommondishtoyourownplateorbowl.Usethecommunalchopsticksinstead.

　　*Neverwaveyourchopsticksaroundasiftheywereanextensionofyourhandgestures,bangthemlikedrumsticks,orusethemtomovebowlsorplates.

　　*Decidewhattopickupbeforereachingwithchopsticks.Donothoveraroundorpokelookingforspecialingredients.Afteryouhavepickedupanitem,donotputitbackinthedish.

　　*Whenpickingupapieceoffood,neverusethetipsofyourchopstickstopokethroughthefoodasifyouwereusingafork.Exceptionsincludetearinglargeritemsapartsuchasvegetables.Ininformaluse,small,difficulttopick-upitemssuchascherrytomatoesorfishballsmaybestabbedbutthisuseisfrowneduponbytraditionalists.

　　*Chopstickscanberestedhorizontallyonone'splateorbowltokeepthemoffthetableentirely.Achopstickrestcanalsobeusedtokeepthepointsoffthetable.

　　*Neverstabchopsticksintoabowlofrice,leavingthemstandingupwards.Anystick-likeobjectfacingupwardresemblestheincensesticksthatsomeAsiansuseasofferingstodeceasedfamilymembers.Thisisconsideredtheultimatefauxpasonthediningtable.

　　*Chinesetraditionallyeatricefromasmallbowlheldinthelefthand.Thericebowlisraisedtothemouthandthericepushedintothemouthusingthechopsticks.SomeChinesefinditoffensivetoscoopricefromthebowlusingaspoon.Ifriceisservedonaplate,asismorecommonintheWest,itisacceptableandmorepracticaltoeatitwithaforkorspoon.Thethumbmustalwaysbeabovetheedgeofthebowl.

　　*Itisacceptabletotransferfoodtopeoplewhohaveacloserelationwithyou(e.g.parents,grandparents,childrenorsignificantothers)ifyounoticetheyarehavingdifficultypickingupthefood.Alsoitisasignofrespecttopassfoodtotheelderlyfirstbeforethedinnerstarts(partoftheConfuciantraditionofrespectingseniors).

　　*Traditionally,itispolitefortheyoungestmembersofthetabletoaddresseachandeveryoneoftheelderlymembersofthetablebeforeamealstartsandliterallytellthemto"eatrice",whichmeans"goaheadandstartthemeal",toshowrespect.

　　*Thehostshouldalwaysmakesuretheguest