Eating Etiquette

By icReporter

The dining experience is a minefield of manners and etiquette, fraught with social complexities. Whether at a dinner party or in a sophisticated restaurant, often it's the company that can set your nerves on edge. In an effort to impress a prospective partner, a business colleague, or a circle of friends, the last thing you want is to sit there with spinach between your teeth, chopsticks akimbo, committing one faux pas after another. Here's our guide to dinner table etiquette - to help you get it right on the night! Silver Service Faced with a perplexing myriad of cutlery at a silver service dinner, sheer panic may lead to (horror of horrors) the use of the wrong fork/knife for the wrong course. The simple solution is this - work from the outside in, taking the first set of cutlery for the first course and so on. Chopsticks Ahoy! Battling with chopsticks and slurpy noodles may leave you exasperated and probably starving. The accepted rule is that if you're not an accomplished chopstick user then feel free to request a fork. If you do take up the chopstick challenge and come across a larger piece of food that is difficult to manoeuvre, it is perfectly acceptable to 'chop' it in half using your chopsticks. Rice may also pose a problem, but when using chopsticks simply lift the bowl to your chin to avoid spillages. But if you opted for a fork then leave your bowl on the table. Remember to avoid shovelling the rice into your mouth at all times - small scoops are the preferable option. Remember, however, that chopsticks are for your personal use only - don't launch them into the serving bowl for a second helping - use a serving spoon. Sushi is the coolest cuisine around at the moment, and although you can use chopsticks to chow your raw fish, if the sushi is presented on a pillow of pressed rice with the fish on top, then simply pick it up with your fingers. The Japanese dip one end of the sushi into soy sauce, then place the entire piece into their mouths, soy-dipped end first and fish side on the tongue. It is permissible to take a delicate bite and return the uneaten portion to a private dipping sauce, to be finished momentarily.

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