How to Eat in China: 5 Things You Should Never Do!
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Cultures and cuisines from countries around the world are quite different from one another, and they usually come with their own set of social etiquettes that anyone visiting or residing in a particular country should know about and respect. The Chinese food culture is no exception.
Locals here follow a certain set of rules when it comes to eating their food quite religiously, so we took it upon ourselves to put together a list of the 5 most important etiquettes you should know about so you can blend in more easily next time you decide to eat out.
1. Don't make slurping noise when you drink your soup.
That’s just disturbing and annoying. There’s no need to make so much noise just to drink a soup, and this type of behavior is considered quite rude in China.
2. Don’t hold a tea pot and pour the tea with only one hand.
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The proper way to serve yourself and others is by holding the handle of the teapot in one hand and pressing the lid with the other as you pour. Don’t do it with one hand only.
3. Don’t cross your chopsticks or stick your chopsticks straight into your rice.
One of our traditions in China is to stick burning incense into rice to honor the dead, so doing the same with your chopsticks is bad form.
4. Don’t flip your fish.
Chinese restaurants often have whole fish listed on their menu, but if you order one, beware of the specific way to polish it off. Flipping a whole fish after eating one side of it is said to bring bad luck because it symbolizes the fishermen's boats capsizing. Once you’re done eating one side of the fish, pull the bone out and continue eating it.
5. Never "pop" a soup dumpling
Soup dumplings, or xiao long bao as they're called in China, aren't like pistachios: They're not meant to be eaten any number of creative ways. Try not to pop the soup dumpling in case the broth goes everywhere - and I do mean everywhere: your clothes, your faces, your friends’ faces, etc.
Editor: CH
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