Sampling local delicacies while experiencing all the local region offers is what makes the world go round. Right? But what may be often overlooked is our dining etiquette and how we apply good manners and adjust when we are not in our own country. Read on for tips on dining etiquette from around the world.
Culinary Travel and Dining Etiquette
Raise your hand if you love to travel and experience the culinary delights (Paired with wine, of course!) from around the world where possible. I feel that part of your responsibility as a culinary traveler is to respect local customs, including dining etiquette.
Did you know that in Italy for example, the polite thing to do when dining locally and especially in someone’s home — is to follow the host to be seated? If you take a seat without being asked, you will not make the best first impression.
If your culinary travel takes you to Colombia, South America, the same etiquette applies: wait until your host is seated before you do.
In the far-east, dining on the ground and not using tables or chairs is not uncommon.
In India, for example, your dining adventure is sitting on a rug in a circle. Indians do not use dining utensils such as forks, knives and spoons as we do in the United States, but will use their hands instead.
If you are dining in India, you should follow the same set of rules, but it is important to only ever use your right hand for placing food into your mouth.
Adhering to your table manners and dining etiquette in other countries show respect to your host and the locals.
For a more comprehensive set of dining rules from Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Columbia, France, Morocco, India, and Russia, refer to the below infographic, courtesy of Ard na Sidhe Country House.