Published By: Rinks

6 Culinary Rules One Should Follow While Dining In a Foreign Country

Learn about the unique culinary etiquette countries all over the world follow while entertaining their guests.

Customs and manners differ round the world, and some are entirely contradictory to others. Be it dressing, manners or dining etiquettes, what might be perfectly splendid for you can be the epitome of rudeness in some other countries. Here are the craziest dining norms that are followed around the world that will surely leave you awestruck.

  1. Half A Cup Of Tea Is A Welcome Drink For Guest-
In Dubai and Kazakhstan, only half a cup of tea is poured in to welcome guests, the notion being that full cup denotes the hosts are waiting for them to leave. The general rule is the host keeps refilling the cup till the prolonged conversation is over, and a full cup is a polite hint to wrap up the visit.
  1. A Spotless Teapot Is Soulless-
In China, there is a thinking that a detergent washed kettle wipes away its soul. The residue tea leaves are its essence, and it needs to be saved while washing it with plain water or special sand to keep the remainder intact.
  1. Don’t Use The Fork In Thailand-
You would have never thought using forks could offend anyone, but it holds true in Thailand. You are only allowed to drag food off your plate using that piece of utensil. Anything more than that will be frowned upon.
  1. Asking For Extra Cheese In Italy Is Insulting The Chef-
If you happen to visit Italy, don’t ever ask for extra cheese if you don’t want your Chef to frown upon you. Though cheese is famous in Italy, asking for mixed cubes of cheese indicates that you did not like the preparation of the meal, and you would like to change it.
  1. Avoid Asking For Salt And Pepper In Portugal Or Egypt-
Asking for salt or pepper in Egypt and Portugal may hurt the feelings of people around! As weird as it may sound to people from other origins, asking for salt and pepper means you did not like the cooking of Chef and would like to try your own hands garnishing it.
  1. Don’t Finish Everything Off Your Plate-
When you like a meal, you probably wipe your plate clean. But not in China! In China, if you like the dish, leave a small part of it uneaten to show you enjoyed the food. An empty plate is a sign of unsatisfied quantity, and you will be served more helpings till you leave some portion off!