AcomparativestudyonfoodculturebetweenChinaandAmerica

　　Asweknow,thepeopleregardfoodasoffundamentalimportance.Everycountryhastheirownfoodculture.SothisthesismainlyintroducesthedifferencesbetweenChinaandWesternculturefromcultureanddifferences.

　　ThemaindifferencebetweenChineseandAmericaeatinghabitsisthatunliketheWest,whereeveryonehastheirownplateoffood,inChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeverybodyshares.IfyouarebeingtreatedbyaChinesehost,youwillbepreparedforatonoffood.Chineseareveryproudoftheircultureoffoodandwilldotheirbesttogiveyouatasteofmanydifferenttypesofcuisine.Amongfriends,theywilljustorderenoughforthepeoplethere.Iftheyaretakingsomebodyoutfordinnerandtherelationshipispolitetosemi-polite,thentheywillusuallyorderonemoredishthanthenumberofguests.Ifitisabusinessdinneroraveryformaloccasion,thereislikelytobeahugeamountoffoodthatwillbeimpossibletofinish.

　　Traditionallyspeaking,therearemanyprohibitionsatChinesetables,butthesedaysnotmanypeoplepayattentiontothem.However,thereareafewthingstokeepinmind,especiallyifyouareaguestataprivatehome.Butyou’dbetterrememberthesethings:

　　1)Don'tstickyourchopsticksuprightinthericebowl.Instead,laythemonyourdish.Thereasonforthisisthatwhensomebodydies,theshrinetothemcontainsabowlofsandorricewithtwosticksofincensestuckuprightinit.Soifyoustickyourchopsticksinthericebowl,itlookslikethisshrineandisequivalenttowishingdeathuponapersonatthetable!

　　2)Makesurethespoutoftheteapotisnotfacinganyone.Itisimpolitetosettheteapotdownwherethespoutisfacingtowardssomebody.Thespoutshouldalwaysbedirectedtowherenobodyissitting,usuallyjustoutwardfromthetable.

　　3)Don'ttaponyourbowlwithyourchopsticks.Beggarstapontheirbowls,sothisisnotpolite.Also,inarestaurant,ifthefoodiscomingtooslowpeoplewilltaptheirbowls.Ifyouareinsomeone'shome,itislikeinsultingthecook.