■Chopsticks
Chinese simply use chopsticks at the table rather than knife and fork since Chinese people, under cultivation of Confucianism, consider knife and fork bearing some relation to violence, like cold weapons. However, chopsticks display gentleness and benevolence, which is the main moral teaching of Confucianism.
Generally believed to have its origins in ancient China, chopsticks are small tapered sticks which are used in pairs of equal length. They are usually made of bamboo or plastic, but are also made of metal, bone, ivory, and various types of wood. How to hold the chopsticks is the course the foreigners have to learn. First, place the first chopstick so that thicker part rests at the base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the lower side of your middle fingertip. Then, move your thumb forward so that the stick will be firmly trapped in place. At least two or three inches of the top chopstick should stretch beyond your fingertip. Next, place the other chopstick so that it is held against the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb. Finally, check whether the ends of the chopsticks are level. If not, then hit the thinner parts gently on the plate to make them be even.
When communal chopsticks are provided with shared plates of food, it is considered ill-mannered to use your own chopsticks to get the food from the shared plate or eat using the communal chopsticks. An exceptional case to this rule is in intimate family dinners where family members may not mind the use of one’s own chopsticks to pick up food. The blunt end of the chopsticks is sometimes used to bring food from a common dish to your own plate or bowl (but never your mouth).
There are some taboos that you should follow when you use chopsticks at the table:
◇Don’t use the chopsticks to point at another person. This is considered to humiliate that person and is a major faux pas.
◇Don’t wave your chopsticks around as if they were an extension of your hand gestures.
◇Never strike chopsticks like drumsticks. It is just like telling others at the table you are a beggar.
◇Decide what to pick up before you can reach dishes with chopsticks. Do not hover around or poke dishes to look for special/your favorable ingredients. After you have picked up an item, do not place it back in the dish.
◇Don’t use chopsticks to push bowls or plates.
◇Never suck the chopsticks.
◇When picking up a piece of food, never use the narrow ends of your chopsticks to poke through the food as if you were using a fork. Tearing larger items apart such as vegetables is an exception. It is informal to use chopsticks to stab small, difficult to pick-up items such as cherry tomatoes or fish balls, but this use is not supported by traditionalists.
◇To keep chopsticks off the table, they can be put horizontally on one’s plate or bowl; in some restaurants a chopstick rest is also be used.
◇Never push chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice, as this is similar to incense sticks used at temples to pay respects to the deceased. This is regarded as the ultimate dinner table faux pas.
■Dishware
Dishware is the umbrella term for the dishes used in serving and eating food, including plates, bowls and teacup. Modern dishes may be made of earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, glass, and durable plastics.
A plate is a type of dishware, which is a broad, hollow, but mainly flat vessel on which food is served. They can also be used in ceremonial or decorative occasions. There are various sizes of plates for serving food, from small saucers, to bread and butter plates, to dinner plates, to large platters from which food for several people may be distributed at table. Some plates are made as decorative items for display rather than used for serving food. A bowl is an ordinary open-top vessel used in many cultures to serve food, and is also used for drinking and storing other items. They are usually small and shallow, although some are larger and often aimed to serve many people. When eating, bowls and plates cannot be taken up.
■Toothpick
A toothpick is a small stick of wood, bamboo, plastic, or other substance, which is used to remove detritus from the teeth, usually after a dinner. A toothpick normally has one or two sharp ends to insert between teeth. They can also be used for transferring small appetizers (like cheese cubes or olives) from plates to your mouth or as a cocktail stick. You should cover your mouth with your hand when you use it. It is ideal to use it outside the restaurant, preferably in your own car. That is one of the reasons that many restaurants only serve them at the door for you to use when you leave. It’s vulgar and ill-mannered to use it at a table when others are eating. Even at home, you should go to another room or a bathroom to use it.