Help me answer these questions about China?

Question

1) What are popular spices in China?
2) Are there any rules abou where to sit at a table when eating?
If there are, what are they.
3) How do you pass foods at a table when eating?
4) How do you behave at a banquet?

If you can only answer one question, that's ok. :)

Answer 1

1. The spices vary with the Provence you are in. Some are mild, south, and many in the North bite your tongue. Ginger is everywhere.
2. When I went to formal dinners, the table was usually round.
3. Again, you would have a dish and rice bowl before you, but the dishes and bowls were on a lazy susan and you would move food down to your dish or eat directly from the serving bowl.
4. Never clean your plate....if you do, it is like an accusation that the Hosts did not put out enough food.

Answer 2

You eat with chopsticks, usually on a low round table and don't point you chopsticks at anyone as it's concidered rude. Sticking you chopsticks into your food is concidered rude too.

Some of the most common Chinese spices include Szechuan peppercorns, 5-spices powder, cumin, star aniseed, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper etc..