While on a trip to another country, it is wise to know the local customs and not embarrass yourself by being the ugly American.
Japan has a lot of food customs, and many of them have to do with handling your chopsticks:
• Never rub your wooden chopsticks (warabashi or disposable chopsticks) together to remove splinters. It is rude and an insult to the owner. He feels he would never offer his customers cheap chopsticks.
• Never cross your chopsticks.
• Never lick your chopsticks.
• Never stick your chopsticks vertically into your food. Sticking chopsticks vertically into the rice bowl is done only at funerals.
• Never grab food with your chopsticks from someone else with chopsticks. Using chopsticks is used to transfer bones at a funeral.
• When eating from a shared plate, use the blunt end of your chopsticks to get the food. Never grab the food with the pointed side of chopsticks that goes into your mouth.
• Never bite half of your sushi and put the uneaten half back on the plate. The pieces are small enough to eat a whole piece at once.
• Never put the pickled ginger, or gari, on your sushi. It is to be eaten between eating sushi as a palate cleanser.
• Never dunk your rice into the soy sauce.
• Never mix the wasabi with the soy sauce, turning it into soup.
• Never hand money to the sushi chef. He typically never handles money.
• It is OK to slurp noodles and soup, and the louder the better. It is OK to drink from the bowl.
• It is considered good manners to clean your plate. In fact, every grain of rice should be eaten and not left behind.
In China:
• Never point your chopsticks directly at people.
• Like in Japan, never place chopsticks vertically in your food.
• Leave a few bites of food on your plate to let the hosts know they gave you enough food.
• It is OK to burp after a meal, letting your host know you had enough to eat.
• When presented a whole fish, eat the top, remove the bones and continue eating the other side of the fish. Never flip the fish over. It is associated with a capsized boat.
In Thailand:
• The king brought the fork and spoon back from Europe. Prior to that, food was eaten with their fingers. The fork is never used to eat, only to push the food onto the spoon.
• It is OK to use chopsticks for noodles.
In India:
• Food is eaten only with the right hand. The left hand is considered “unclean,” like for toilet duties and taking off your shoes. You usually will find a sink at most Indian restaurants for washing during and after dining.
• It is considered OK to burp after a meal to let the host know you were well-fed.
In Tanzania:
• It is considered insulting to the host to show up on time, and very polite to be 20 minutes late.
In France:
• It is insulting to ask for more cheese.
• Never bite directly into the bread — tear off a piece.
• It is OK to use the bread to soak up whatever is on your plate.
• It is considered unsophisticated to split the bill.
• Rushing through lunch is considered rude and not an option. Take your time and enjoy your two-hour-plus lunch.
In Hungary:
• Never clink your beer glasses. Legend has it that the Austrians clinked their glasses after defeating the Hungarians in 1849’s War of Independence.
In Russia:
• Never place your hands on your lap. It is polite to rest your wrists at the edge of the table. Keeping your fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand throughout the meal is proper.
In Korea:
• Never leave the table until the elders do.
• Never pour your own drink, but it’s proper to pour for others.
In Mexico:
• It is considered snobby to use a fork and knife.
In Chile:
• Never eat with your fingers, it is considered bad manners, so forks and knives are used to eat all foods.
In Bulgaria:
• Never bring yellow flowers to a dinner, it symbolizes hatred.
In Italy:
• Never order cappuccino after a meal. It contains milk and the Italians think this will hinder digestion.
In Kazakhstan:
• You will be poured only a half-cup of tea. A full cup is a sign you want to leave.
In England:
• Soup is sipped from the side of the soup spoon and the bowl and the spoon should be tilted away from you.
• As proper as the English are, it is OK to fart.
In the Philippines, Cambodia and Egypt:
• Cleaning your plate means the host did not give you enough food.
In Jamaica:
• They believe children who eat chicken before they can talk will never speak.
In Nigeria’s Kagoro Tribe:
• Women are not allowed to use a spoon.
In Portugal:
• Never ask for salt and pepper, you are insulting the chef.
In Ethiopia:
• Dinner is served family-style. It is considered wasteful to use individual plates.
So, remember the rules when traveling, when it is OK to burp, fart, leave food on your plate and when you should clean your plate.
Foodie bites
• Attention all beekeepers: Enter your honey in the sixth annual Hawaiian Natural Honey Challenge. It is a statewide competition and you do not need to be a BIBA member to enter. For instructions, entry form and payment form, visit http://HawaiiHoneyFestival.com. You have until this Friday (Aug. 14) to enter.
Email me at audreywilson808@gmail.com if you have questions.
