table manners west and east?

Question

a short while ago, someone asked about table manners which they were not sure of,nearly all answers assumed she was western, which led me to thinking, do asain countries, who mostly eat with their fingers. have table manners, besides the obvious, like making disgusting noises at the table, or maybe in some cultures this might be i sign of appreication

Answer 1

(m)

In Indian homes, always take off your shoes/sandals before entering a room, or in one corner near the door. At least, wait for your host to tell you that you need not bother.

Table manners
There are some basic rules like –
Wash your hands before and after a meal;
Ask for whatever you want instead of reaching out directly or pointing at dishes;
Don’t make too much noise; don’t talk with food in your mouth;
Preferably eat with your right hand (unless you are a leftie and cannot);
Wait until everyone else is sitting down before starting to eat;
Help clear the dishes;
Don’t read while eating;
Don’t talk on your cell phone during the meal and if you must get up in-between, ask to be excused.

Answer 2

You cannot generalize between Western and Eastern or between Asian and North American. Asian countries have wide differences in their table manners.

Here are two links that might help you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_manners
http://www.fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf

There's a story about a person from one country that went home with their roommate whose cultural background was from another country. During dinner Person A ate everything with great enthusiasm. Because Person B's cultural habit was to not let a guest's plate go empty, B continued to put food on A's plate. A showed a tremendous appetite, continuing to clean his plate, and B continued to put more food on A's plate. Finally, A passed out at the dinner table from eating so much. Come to find out, A's culture said that leaving food on a plate is considered rude and offensive.

Asking these questions of your hosts is a great way to learn about their culture and why they do the things they do. If you also put them into practice as you are learning, it shows that you are honoring their culture. Your hosts will greatly respect you for it.

Answer 3

Every culture has there own manners ettiquet,this is where the sayings like when in Rome do as the Romans do come from, always thank your host/ hostess for the meal wherever you are, never blow your nose at the table or speak with your mouth full,never point with a knofe in your hand.

Answer 4

that is a good question i dont know the answer for sure but i have heard that some countries find burping a complment not a gross act as most americans do. I also think i heard that asian cultures that use mostly thier fingers to eat with also keep finger bowls of water near by to keep thier fingers clean.

Answer 5

Here's an old saying that will help you adapt to cultures around the world and not have a ignorant misconception of what is correct.

"When in Rome do as the Romans" meaning when you are in another country you adapt to their cultural mannerisms...it would be rude if you didn't.

Answer 6

I dont know about asian countries but I know in the middle East we do. We aren't even suppose to frown or be upset at the table because it is rude to whoever prepared the meal. Slouching and so many other rules. Yall have it easy compared to us. I usually try not to eat at home lol.

Answer 7

If you mean eastern US and western US, the western table manners are much more casual -- except at formal or semi-formal affairs, where we westerners use the easterners' manners as best we can approximate them. If you mean Eastern (as in Asian, etc) and Western (as in European, Australian, American, etc) the differences are far greater. I don't know specifics, so if that's what you mean you'll have to ask someone other than me. Sorry.

Answer 8

Asian has some table manners too...do u know u should put the chopsticks back to the same position when you get it? I mean if you get the chopstiks wrapped in a tissue, you should wrap it back after finish using it...

In indonesia it's considered inpolite to make noise when you eat...

many more......

Answer 9

table manners are created and mandated. to compare eating manners, here's how they're compared to.

in china, they eat like chinese
in america, they eat like everyone else
in japan, they eat with ease
in england, they eat everything
in the far east, they eat and fight
in the middle east they eat less than they throw
in some countries in africa, they have nothing to eat
in thailand, they eat insects
in some countries, the insects eats them
in some countries in europe, they eat each other

the best table manner belong to the people who make thing happen to feed starving masses around the world...

Answer 10

even in midevil ages they had table mannors, like not keeping your hand in your lab (to prove you werent hiding weapons) so spitting over the table (everyone usually sat on one side of the table), there were more, i learned a bunch of them in middle school. sorry, that was years ago tho.... so i would assume, yes, eastern cultures have them too. in turkey, if you pull out a pack of smokes you are supposed to offer them to everyone else before taking one yourself. (mom's bf went there for business for a month)