The Chinese have always paid attention to dining table culture from ancient times to the present, and they are very particular about eating, banquets, etc. Now let me tell you about the etiquette of placing Chinese dishes and tableware.

Chinese food etiquette

(1) The placement of dishes should be particular The basic requirements for setting up dishes are: they should pay attention to the art of presentation, pay attention to politeness, respect the host and guest, and make it easy to eat. There are also many etiquettes in the setting of the table. Generally, chopsticks, spoons, food plates, condiment plates, soup bowls, tea cups, wine glasses, etc. are placed in front of each seat. Sometimes there are also bone vessels or napkins.

The specific requirements for placing dishes are as follows.

1. The location for placing dishes should be moderate. Dishes should be placed in front of small utensils with appropriate spacing. There are several groups of scattered customers at one table. The dishes in front of each guest should be relatively concentrated, with a certain distance between them to prevent mistakes. The dishes at Chinese banquets are usually placed from the middle of the table to the surroundings.

In Chinese banquets, the large platter and the first course of the main course are usually placed in the middle of the table. If a turntable is used, it must be placed in front of the guest of honor first. Soup dishes such as tasting pots, casseroles, hot pots, candle cups, etc. are generally placed in the middle of the table.

2. During the banquet, the first dish should be facing the main seat, and the other dishes should be facing around. The so-called viewing side of a dish is the side that is most suitable for viewing. The noodles of various types of dishes are: dishes with plastic heads, such as roast suckling pig, cold dishes, peacocks, etc., whose heads are the noodles; and dishes with plastic heads that are hidden, such as roast duck, eight-treasure chicken, eight-treasure chicken, etc. For Baoya and other dishes, the plump body is the noodles; for ordinary dishes, the parts with fine knife skills and beautiful colors are the noodles.

3. Various dishes should be placed symmetrically and pay attention to plastic arts. When placing, pay attention to the matching and spacing of meat, color, and taste. The distance between plates should be equal.

In addition, according to traditional etiquette and folk banquet customs, when placing whole chickens, whole ducks, and whole fish at the banquet, you must follow the rules? Do not sacrifice the head of a chicken, the tail of a duck, and the spine of a fish? It is a custom not to place chicken heads, duck tails, and fish spines facing the guest of honor when serving dishes. Especially when serving whole fish, the belly rather than the spine should face the guest of honor. Because there are few spines in the belly of the fish, it is tender and delicious, so it should be oriented toward the guest of honor to show respect. Moreover, relatively high-end dishes, dishes with special flavors, or every new dish, must be placed in the guest of honor position first.

(2) Placement of tableware

Chinese food culture is extensive, profound and has a long history. China is also a country of etiquette, so food etiquette has naturally become an important part of food culture. With the continuous exchange of Chinese and Western food cultures, Chinese food is becoming more and more popular among foreigners. Today I want to talk to you about Chinese food etiquette.

The banquet etiquette of Chinese food is said to have originated from Zhou Gong. After thousands of years of evolution, of course there will never be another day like that when Meng Guang took over the Liang Hong case, but it has finally formed what is generally accepted by everyone today. A set of dietary etiquette is the inheritance and development of ancient dietary etiquette. Chinese food etiquette varies depending on the nature and purpose of the banquet; it also varies in different regions.

There are six main types of tableware for Chinese food: cups, plates, bowls, saucers, chopsticks, and spoons. At a formal banquet, the water glass is placed on the upper left side of the dish plate and the wine glass is placed on the upper right side. Chopsticks and spoons can be placed on special seats or in paper covers. It is best to place public chopsticks and spoons on dedicated seats.

(3) Chinese food ordering skills

Priority dishes when ordering Chinese food

1. Dishes with Chinese characteristics, when entertaining foreign guests, this rule Pay more attention to it. Dishes such as fried spring rolls, boiled yuanxiao, steamed dumplings, lion heads, kung pao chicken, etc. are not delicacies, but because they have distinctive Chinese characteristics, they are highly praised by many foreigners.

2. Dishes with local characteristics, such as mutton steamed buns in Xi'an, Maojia braised pork in Hunan, braised lion heads in Shanghai, and mutton-shabu-shabu in Beijing. Serve these specialties when entertaining foreign guests there. The dishes are probably more popular than the same raw seafood.

3. The special dishes of this restaurant. Many restaurants have their own special dishes. Serving one of the restaurant's special dishes shows the owner's attentiveness and respect for the guests.

At the same time, when arranging the menu, the dietary taboos of the guests must also be considered, especially the dietary taboos of the guest of honor.

Taboos when ordering Chinese food

1. Religious dietary taboos cannot be ignored at all. For example, Muslims generally do not eat pork and do not drink alcohol. Domestic Buddhists should eat less meaty food, which not only refers to meat, but also includes onions, garlic, leeks, mustard and other pungent-smelling foods. Some Buddhists who believe in Guanyin specifically prohibit beef in their diet. This should be especially noted when entertaining compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese.

2. For health reasons, there are also taboos for certain foods.

For example, people with heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arteriosclerosis, hypertension and stroke sequelae are not suitable to eat dog meat. Hepatitis patients should avoid eating mutton and soft-shelled turtles. People with gastroenteritis, gastric ulcer and other digestive system diseases are also not suitable to eat soft-shelled turtles. , Patients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol should drink less chicken soup.

3. People in different regions often have different dietary preferences. This should be taken into account when arranging the menu. For example, people in Hunan Province generally like to eat spicy food and eat less sweet food. People in the United Kingdom and the United States generally do not eat pets, rare animals, animal offal, animal heads and feet. In addition, when entertaining foreign guests, try to order as few dishes as possible that require chewing. Foreigners are less likely to spit out the food they bite during the meal. This also needs to be taken into consideration.

4. Some professions, for some reason, often have different special taboos in catering. For example, state civil servants are not allowed to eat and drink when performing official duties, are not allowed to eat or drink excessively during official banquets, are not allowed to eat beyond the standards set by the state, and are not allowed to drink hard liquor. Another example is that drivers are not allowed to drink while working. If you ignore this, you may cause the other party to make mistakes.