FOOD NEWS
We Should All Follow These International Dining Etiquette Rules
BY Emily Hunt
Portugal
Refraining from asking for salt and pepper is a good Portuguese custom to remember. At the very least, try seasoning your dish while your host isn't looking.
Portuguese food is impeccably spiced and flavorful. So, asking for salt and pepper is incredibly insulting to the chef, as it indicates that the food isn't seasoned enough.
China
In China, leaving a small portion of food on your plate at the end of the meal is perfectly normal and even preferred. It indicates that you have been served enough.
If you don't leave that last bite on your plate, your host might awkwardly ponder whether you are still hungry and if they should offer you more food.
Japan
Eating quietly has become a pretty universal unspoken rule in the U.S., but in Japan, it's an insult not to slurp your soup. Slurping shows that you're enjoying your food.
Meanwhile, eating the soup quietly can hint that you're unhappy with your meal. Additionally, the cultural practice of slurping extends to noodles as well.
Chile
While it's far from a faux pas to dine on handheld foods in the U.S., eating your food with hands in countries like Chile would be tantamount to blasphemy.
You'll never see Chileans touch food with their hands for one simple reason: it's unhygienic. They just considered it a bit gross to eat with your hands.
France
In France, it's customary to use bread as you would use a utensil. You simply tear off a piece of bread and use it to help the food get from the plate to your mouth.
Rather than viewing bread as the vehicle for your leftover sauces, you can easily replace your fork or spoon with bread the next time you have it at a meal.