Eating Customs

With the holidays in full swing most people associate eating lavish and delectable foods with friends, families, and loved ones. We graciously eat a melting pot of various foods, sipping drinks and chatting away. As we take the time out of our hectic end-of-year schedule to enjoy a meal with the ones we care about, in Chinese culture it is actually common for all three meals of the day to be eaten together as a family.

All meals eaten together are based around fan, or grain. Rather than associating certain foods with the time of day a meal is eaten, an array of foods is served at every meal to satisfy the palette. Children are taught to consume equal amounts of each dish, never favoring one food over another. Sorry kids, you really do have to eat your vegetables.

Each place setting for the meal consists of a soup spoon, chopsticks, a bowl of rice, and a saucer. All of the meat and vegetable dishes are placed at the same time at the center of the table, and people eat off these dishes communally. Unlike most elongated tables we often see in Western Culture, Chinese eat off of either round or square tables to reach for the dishes without having to pass the food. A hot towel is provided instead of a napkin as well to clean up after a meal.

Because tea is commonly drank throughout the entire day, no liquid is served during a meal except usually soup. Wine or spirits may be served for special occasions.

And for those people with a sweet tooth, unfortunately no dessert is served, unless it is a special occasion. Even during this period the sweet morsels are usually saved for in between meals.

So while the in-laws may be too much to handle, or the children fussy eaters, take time out to compare your family's eating habits with those of another culture. We may be able to learn a thing or two.