Table Manners
• Wikipedia Article on Manners: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_manners:
• Good info from CuisineNet.com
• Colin's Book Suggestion:
Dinner is Served by Arthur Inch
Monday, January 08, 2007
SHOW NOTES: EPISODE 28
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2 comments:
As an avid listener of your podcast, I have to set a few things straight on your last cast. As a European, I can relate to the poor Australian girl who wrote in. I spent over 20 years in the States, and I realize that American have a few different etiquette rules for the table. However, Europeans are often appalled at Americans' eating styles. One of the big things in Europe is not to cut up all your food first like you would for a 3 year old and then shovel it into your mouth with one hand hanging in your lap. Keeping the hand you may not be using on the table (wrist bit) is an absolute must here. We joke that the Americans are holding their guns down there. The other thing is you ALWAYS wait for everyone to be served before you dig in unless there is a true service problem. Also, the host should serve himself LAST. The one last thing Europeans cannot stand is eating things out of the containers they came in even if you picked it up on the way home. You put it on a plate on a place mat (even if you are alone at home in front of the telly). And the napkin thing: We always fold it neatly and place it half under the plate. This is especially important when we are talking about linens. I think Europeans have a different relationship to food because 1 generation ago people still new what it was to be hungry. In Europe the portions tend to be smaller and it is actually rude to leave something on your plate unless it will kill you to eat it or it was clearly a portion beyond your capacity.
And last but not least... Europeans love their wine and spirits. If toasting, ALWAYS look the other into the eyes. It is rude to drink at a dinner party before the host has proposed a toast (except for the water). Oh, and keep your hand on the stem of a wine glass. First of all you alter the temperature of the wine by doing this… and those nasty prints are not very appetizing either. That is the low down on Europe. I realize this is very different form American culture, but it is important to make not of this especially before you travel here!
zuerigirl,
I'm often appalled at Europeans eating styles. How they tediously cut each bite like you're one step away from gnawing on the bone. And is there a European that knows how to eat with their mouths closed? Seriously!
And who DOESN'T wait until everyone has been served to eat? Rude people. In America, Europe, and Asia, RUDE people are the ones that don't. It has nothing to do with nationality or what continent you are from.
And from my travels in Europe and Asia, I can assure you and the other readers here that many, many Europeans eat right out of the box. To say that they don't is crazy, not to mention wrong.
And that bit about finishing your meal is funny. I don't think I've ever seen my British friends finish all the food on their plate at any meal. Rude? Nah, just full or not to their taste. Nothing wrong with that.
It might be that I am from the south, and in the south we have a tad more formalities to our meals, and maybe your experience was with the heathen yankees, but trust me, those people are barely American.
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