<p>There are a lot of different types of "Western" food. For example, Italian cuisine(itself really a family of cuisines), with its emphasis on pastas and sauces, on olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and fresh produce, is very different from Polish food, with its stews and preserved vegetables. Nonetheless, the different cuisines have some things in common. One is that, across all the major cuisines, there is a fairly strong association between types of food and when they are eaten. Thus, for example, eggs are eaten for breakfast or perhaps brunch, sweet foods are usually eaten for breakfast or dessert, etc. Conversely, breakfast may consist of coffee, cake, cereal and fresh fruit, which would be an unlikely combination for lunch or dinner. </p><p> From the western point of view, other than the kind of foods served, the most distinguishing thing about a regular(not banquet) Chinese food is how it's served and eaten. Everything is eaten communally, except for the rice and soup, with people often using their personal chopsticks to take food from the communal plates. With the exceptions of soup and the fruit at the end, everything is served together, or at least as they are ready. The net effect is a meal where everyone has a portion of rice and shares the dishes, which are eaten in any order. </p><p> By contrast, in a Western meal, everyone eats separately and there is a clear order in which the courses are served. Although this can vary, it is generally salad or some other appetizer, soup, and a main course, perhaps followed by dessert. Each course is served separately, and the next course is served only when the previous one has been cleared. Everything may be served plated, that is complete to the table from the kitchen. Alternatively, it may all be on a side table or on the main table, from which you serve yourself or in more formal situations are served. A typical meal may have some elements of each. In any case, you may only use the serving utensils which are provided, never your own utensils, which is why some Westerners have trouble getting used to the idea of eating from a dish which has been touched by everyone’s chopsticks. Either way, the food is cut so that you can get your individual portion fairly easily, but it may require further cutting on your plate. For most foods, only children, the ill and the elderly get their food precut; to give anyone else precut food would be to insult them. </p><p> There are other differences. In a Chinese meal, it is acceptable to bend over your food, and many people bring their soup or rice bowl to their lips. In a Western meal, this is considered sloppy. You should sit up straight, with your arms held near your body, keep the plate or bowl flat on the table (although you may briefly tilt it to get the last soup or gravy) and bring the food to your mouth with your utensil. You may lean forward slightly as long as you’re not slouching or resting your elbows on the table. Thus, for example, dip your spoon into the soup, moving it away from your body, until it is about two-thirds full. Then sip the liquid from the side of the spoon without putting the bowl of the spoon into your mouth. By no means should you lift the bowl to your mouth, Chinese style. The Chinese method of cooling the soup by sipping from the spoon while breathing in makes a slurping sound that is considered rude. When finishing the bowl, you can tilt it away from you slightly to get the last spoonfuls. </p><p> In a Chinese meal, it is acceptable to reach across the table. By contrast, in a Western style meal, you should ask for things to be passed if they are not within easy arm’s reach. If someone asks you to pass something to them, and they are not sitting next or opposite to you, pass to someone who is close enough; he or she should then pass the item on until it reaches the person who asked for it. No one should take any until the person who asked for it has.</p>
[此贴子已经被作者于2006-10-21 23:00:26编辑过]
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