Global Table Manners: Eat Like a Local
When you travel, it can be nice to learn how to eat as the locals do. Depending on where you go, this might mean learning the right way to eat with your hands, or learning to make sure your plate is left empty — or that it isn't!
For example, for some people, adding salt and pepper to food is a normal part of eating a meal. However, in Portugal, it's better to avoid doing this. Portuguese food is known for its many spices, and adding extra seasoning can be seen as insulting to the chef's cooking.
While some of us may have been taught to empty our plates before we can leave the dinner table, in China, it's good table manners to leave a little food on your plate when you're finished.
This is because leaving an empty plate shows that you have not been served enough, or that you're still hungry, and it might mean that you'll continue to be given food!
However, in countries such as India and Japan, it's important to finish all the food on your plate, and leaving food left over is seen as wasteful and impolite.
Eating with your hands is a common way to enjoy meals in many parts of India, the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. In these places, you may see people use flatbread to scoop up dishes like curry and rice, for example.
There are also certain rules for eating with your hands in Thailand. It's seen as good table manners to eat only with your right hand. And while cutlery such as spoons and forks are common for eating in Thailand, it's seen as bad manners to put a fork in your mouth. Instead, use your fork only to move food onto your spoon.
