论文总字数：31306字

摘 要

由于历史和社会背景的不同，从而导致了中西方两种不同文化的产生。餐饮文化是传统文化的一部分，也是传统文化的重要组成部分。本文主要根据中西方餐饮文化的差异，论述中西方餐饮礼仪的具体表现。对到达时间，座次安排，餐具的使用以及用餐礼仪等进行描述，并且根据表现的不同分析各种情况形成的原因。并阐明在学习中西方餐饮礼仪的同时也要更好地将中西方文化相融合。在餐饮中，每个国家、每个地区的每种民族都在不自觉的透着自己深刻的文化背景，揭示了社会背景，历史文化对人的生活方式，时间观念等的影响。

关键词：餐饮文化；餐饮礼仪；文化融合

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

3. The Differences between Chinese Catering Culture and Western Catering Culture 2

3.1 Pre-dinner etiquette 2

3.2 During-dinner etiquette 4

3.3 After-dinner etiquette 9

4. Reasons for the Formation of Differences 10

4.1 Lifestyles 10

4.2 Time concept 10

4.3 Cultural differences 10

5. Conclusion 10

Works Cited 12

1. Introduction

Catering culture refers to the concept of value on food, cooking, as well as tableware and eating customs, and its customary ways, both of which is generally accepted and passed on by people (Margaret Visor 123). Catering culture is a quite important element of the nation’s culture including the table etiquette and dietary culture. The differences on geographical locations and customs cause the different behaviors, ways, and the knowledge of catering culture and so on. While this difference roots in the different ways of thinking and philosophy of life in China and the West. Chinese people usually pay attention to the "harmony between man and nature". Westerners focus on "people-oriented". Historically, China is one of the oldest countries in the world with a long and cultural history of five thousand years. Therefore, thousands of years have formed a broad and profound culture. Along with the passing of time as well as the difference on vast national territory region, four major cuisines are generally formed, with their own characteristics and diversities, and their common is complexity of material fastidious, producing method, various flavors. The west, which takes Europe and America as a representative, whose culture, is similarly well established. Till the Middle Ages, Europe"s culture has extremely consummated, the old West"s diet culture has already been formed during this period, with its main characteristic: the staple food is given priority to with flour, rich raw material, also more simple production compared with China, while it also simultaneously extremely pays great attention to the taste.  Nowadays, there is no great difference on Chinese catering culture, what’s more, there gradually has some bread and cakes appearing on people’s tables with the influence of western culture, but its general characteristics do not change so much. Studying these differences can help us to have a better understanding of the culture of Chinese and Western to promote close communication between Chinese and Western cultures. This paper mainly issues on the difference between the Chinese and Western table etiquette and dietary culture, and the reasons for these differences.

2. Literature Review

In recent years, the Eastern and Western catering culture have caused a heat debate. Because of the globalization academic communication, many scholars around the world have done a lot of researches on this. Some articles deal with the diet cultures in Eastern countries and Western countries. For example, Bian Haoyu (2004) introduced the Chinese food and western food. Xu Xianlin and Li Zuzhuang (2005) dealt with the diet culture in China. Some articles discussed the influence of diet culture on Chinese and western people. For example, Larry A. Sanovar (2003) analyzed the cultures between the Eastern and Western. Zeng Lijuan (2001) concluded the influence of cross-culture communication.

After carefully comparing and analyzing these papers, the author finds out that in spite of the great amount of study on catering culture, there are still some vacancies. There is a lack of integration of dining culture and table manners. Therefore, in this thesis, the author aims at integrate the dining culture and table manners, and the reasons for differences between Chinese and western cultures.

3. The Differences between Chinese Catering Culture and Western Catering Culture

3.1 Pre-dinner etiquette

3.1.1 Arrival of time

The Chinese is diversity for time, and willing to do anything to comply with the schedule. So this difference is particularly prominent at the banquet. In general, the Chinese is more inclined to be late. The guests tend to arrive in half an hour later, and the master usually will arrange other programs during this period, such as playing card, drinking tea, chatting, etc., so that some of the guests who arrived in advance could kill time. For these phenomena, both the host and guest are accustomed to, and it is not an impolite behavior to the host.

The westerner is single for time. In the western countries, all kinds of activities start in accordance with the provisions of the time, being late is very impolite, the formal banquet request guests arriving on time. If you are late for ten minutes, you will be seen as improper to the host and the other guests may think you don’t respect people.

3.1.2 Table and seating arrangement

In China, a round table was often being used to array the dishes and drinks. There are two types of situation to arrange the order of the inferiority or superiority of the round table. First situation is composed of two tables in the small banquet. This situation can be divided into two table rows and two columns in the form of a table. When the two tables were put horizontally, the table means the respect for the right while the inferior for the left. When the two tables were putted vertically, the table is the emphasis on meeting in a much more expeditious reorganized along the lines of the next. The second situation is composed of three tables (Margaret Visor 236). In general, the more you close to the table, the more status you own; if you sit far from the main table that means the less status you own. When the table is being arranged, the size and shape of the table should be the same. Besides, the host table is a little bigger than other tables. Other tables should not over-size or small than the host table.

In China, there are three arranging ways, and they tend to play the same role. First, hosts should sit facing the main entrance and sit the main table. Second, when multi-table banquets are held, each table should have a master. Commonly, the location and the main table should be in the same direction of the master, and sometimes can be geared to the needs of the table master. The third is inferior or superior to the arrange of the desks, the right of the desk means the superior, the left of the desk means the inferior, which will be subject to the master for table. In addition, the number of each table should be limited within the 10 people. According to the above three arrangement ways, specific arrangement of round table can be divided into two kinds of situations. They are all related to the host. First, each table only has a master; the guest sits on the right hand while each table has a conversation center. The second situation is that each table has two main approaches to the arrangement. The advantage of this kind of arrangement is the owner and his wife is in the same table. The male host is the first master and the hostess is the second master. The guest and the guest’s wife would sit on the right of the host. Each table thus has two conversation centers.

In western catering, people use long table, square table and round table. Sometimes, it can also be spelled in a variety of other patterns (Zhang Yahong 177). However, the most common and the most formal catering table is the length table. The following is an introduction to the specific conditions of the western position.

The first is the length table, for long position, generally speaking, there are two main ways. One is the host and hostess sit on the opposite side of the central tables, at both ends of the table people can sit or not; the second is the host and hostess sit on both ends of the length table. Sometimes, when the number of dinner is large, we can also refer to the way in the front and spell long tables into other patterns to arrange everybody to sit together.

The second is the square table. Under normal conditions, each table should sit 8 people, and each side sits two people. When making arrangement, the male and female hosts with the male and female guests should be sat opposite. All people with their lover or spouse should be sat along the diagonal.

The third is the round table. In a grand and formal banquet, it is particularly rare. Its specific arrangement is basically the comprehensive use of the rules.

In Western food, even if some older people have higher status and identity than the guest, the guest of honor was still the center of the master’s attention. When arranging dining seats, the seat of honor generally ask the hostess to take, the male master must step down the second seat of honor. It refers to the seat which facing the main entrance of the restaurant must be higher than the back of the main entrance in the sequence. The arrangement principle is: the male, female guest should be respectively seated close to the host and hostess. When arranging the seats, in order to take more care, the next is ladies first. In the western etiquette, when set up the sequence of the seat, the seat of honor should ask the hostess to take the first seat, and the male master must step down the second seat.

3.2 During-dinner etiquette

3.2.1 The use of tableware

Chopsticks are the most important catering utensils in Chinese food. China is the birthplace of chopsticks which has a long history in China. Chopsticks must be placed on a chopstick rest, but can not be placed in a cup or a plate otherwise the chopsticks would be easily knocked off. If you accidentally knocked the chopsticks on the floor, you need to ask the waiter for another double. During a meal, if you do not know which dish to eat you should not move the chopsticks back and put in the dish. Do not fork with chopsticks to take food into the mouth, or with the tongue licking the chopsticks on the attachment, do not use chopsticks to push more bowls, plates and cups. If you need to leave the table temporarily, you cannot insert the chopsticks in the bowl instead you should place it on the chopsticks rest lightly. When talking at the dinner, do not put chopsticks as props, random flurry; or use chopsticks to beat dishes desktop, use chopsticks to point to others. Every time you use the chopsticks you have to put down the chopsticks gently, do not make the sound as far as possible. The Chinese use chopsticks, in the human history of civilization are a pile proud and the esteem since being invented.

In a narrow sense, common tableware in the western food can be understood as the knives, fork and spoon. The knife, fork and spoon in the public are bigger than the knife, the fork, the spoon which the guest dines. In a formal banquet, each dish is equipped with a corresponding set of tableware, and arrange from the outside to the inside according to the menu design serving order. Officially, we should use the knife and fork together. The right hand takes a knife and the left hand takes the fork. Generally, we use our right hand take the spoon and the cup, bring the food into the mouth with the fork. When you use the knife and fork to eat, knife used to cut food, fork used to send food into your mouth. Your knives and forks should be put into "eight" shape on the side of the plate when you need to put down temporarily. In the western dinner, the different placement of knife can convey different information or finish eating (Bian Haoyu 22-23). Since the server will be in accordance with this information to determine whether to clean up the plate. When finishing eat a dish or don"t want to eat any more, you should put knife and fork side by side and handle a fork towards your chest.

3.2.2 The object of the diet

Chinese food is “eats the taste”. So the Chinese cooking materials also show great randomness. What the things abandoned and can’t handled by the westerners, is the extremely good raw material in China and can be changed magically by the Chinese chef, which indicates the Chinese diet in needed materials aspect vastness capriciousness. According to the Western plant scholar"s investigation, the vegetables which the Chinese eats have 600 many kinds of, are more than 6 times the West. In fact, in Chinese"s cooked food, the vegetarian dish is an ordinary food, the meat only used in holiday, therefore then had “the vegetable food” since old times saying, the vegetable food occupied the dominant position in the ordinary diet structure. Chinese is given priority to plant food, connected with the Buddhism advocates. Buddhism was treated animals as "creatures", the plant is "no", so, they advocated vegetarianism. Chinese food tends to art and sensibility. The cooking stems from the diet, which originally is for the purpose of the supplies maintenance life. In the Chinese diet custom to the taste imbalance, has pushed to the diet the artistic palace.

Westerners believe that food is to appease hunger, so they eat large pieces of meat, whole chicken and other hard food. When introducing the dietary characteristics of their country, the Westerners think they pay more attention to the reasonable nutrition than the Chinese; they have the developed food industry, such as canned food, fast food, although they have the same taste, but in order to save time, and they have good nutrition. Therefore the westerners’ body is generally more vigorous and healthier than the Chinese: They have long leg, spacious shoulder, developed muscle; But the Chinese appears the stature thin and small, the narrow shoulder, short leg. Someone according to the feature of Chinese and western diet object obvious difference, called the Chinese plant character, and call westerners animal character. The western diets tend to scientific and rational. Western diet custom is just an extension of the original diet.

3.2.3 The method of cooking

China’s cook esteem is with the characteristic, the westerner cannot understand that the China cooks does not pursue the precise standardization, instead esteems the capriciousness open up the menu, often find raw material preparation, amount of seasoning are fuzzy concepts. A spoon, bowl, can be found everywhere, but how much spoons, bowls, how much does a little, there is no specific standard. The Chinese diet favors the artistry. Its characteristic is the capriciousness. For example, a dish, because of the different area, the different function, the different rank and so on, may make different processing in the operation. Take the red-roast fish as the example, winter color suitable deep, taste suitable heavy, then in the summer color delicious light. Regarding Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces" area person, the red-roast fish blends flavors may sweeten, as if talking to you face to face to Sichuan, Hunan customer, then should put spicily.

Western cooking follows the standard and scientific, westerners emphasize science and nutrition, cooking shows standard and scientific. In western recipes, measurement is calculated in grams. This recipe appears to be science, in fact, the scientific, also has its disadvantages, lack of features. Moreover, the standardized cooking even requests the ingredient the preparation all as precisely as the second. In addition, in the West, a vegetable in the different area, the different season, facing the different food, all is the identical flavor, does not change.

3.2.4 Dietary taboos

The meal should be gentle, do not always eat like wolves and tigers, cannot be too large, should be small bites. Tasting imported foods and beverages, chew slowly, it is best to close your mouth, so as not to make a sound. When you drink soup, don"t suck hard, if soup is too hot, or at a later time with a spoon, do not use your mouth to blow. When the food or drink in the mouth, unless it have bones, slag, etc., should not be commonly to spit it out again. You need to deal with bone spurs, do not spit directly outside, can use the napkin to cover your mouth, use chopsticks to take out to put in their own plate of food or a spare disk, do not reset the table. Throughout the meal, warm conversation with his neighbors, you should not stare at the table, showing a pair of greedy. Finally must pay attention to use the toothpick. In the official banquet, is not suitable for using the toothpick in the presence of everyone. Do not use your nail to picks out in the gap between teeth food, if felt when has the necessity, may remove directly to the washroom. When you must use a toothpick at the table, preferably covered his mouth with his hand and gently scrape.
Chinese"s diet taboo displays most in the diet custom, but not in diet content. Chinese eats anything nearly, luxurious feasting, delicacies of every kind, even includes animal"s head foot and the internal organs all may bring makes the delicacy delicacies, enjoys for the human. Ancient Chinese food pay attention to allocation, for example, women"s seats, eat couldn"t talk and so on. The Chinese ancients to each detail which ate meal all have nearly made the request. Certain customs are stem from politeness and the identity, also is the ancient says “reveres”; Have some well-mannered sources from the custom; Also has some customs is to the people nonessential restraint. For whatever reason, these rules have been existed, also can be more or less reflects ancient people"s diet life and the diet culture. Whether observes these customs, was deciding a person"s in other human eye status, how others also can see your cultural inside story and the family educates.

If you attend a formal dinner, the hostess put your napkin on your lap is mark the beginning of the party. The table napkin was suggesting the banquet start and the conclusion, the West has speaks woman the first principle. In the western-style food banquet, the hostess is the first order. If the hostess does not sit, others cannot sit down, the hostess put the table napkin on the leg explained everybody may start. Otherwise, the hostess place the table napkin on the table, is symbol which the banquet ended. When you begin eating food, don"t hold too much, eating the food in the plate, if not, you can take. Before eating should be putting the napkin on the lap, folded down the right side of the plate after a meal, can not be placed in a chair, nor was mistaken for unused stack square ( Dominique Bouchet 189). The table napkin may scratch the mouth not to be possible to wipe away sweat. When using a toothpick, or napkins covering the mouth with the hand, do not walk your teeth. Leftover food, utensils, toothpicks used, should be placed in the tray and not to put on the table.

When you drink soup don"t make any noise, avoid big eat chewing, avoid ringing when you pick up the food with forks and knives, especially taboo rang cup. If you get rang cup without suspended, will bring misfortune. When does not dine, the knife and fork must put in the plate according to the custom, envies randomly puts. After the food envies picks the teeth in the presence of everyone, the death anniversary made has sprinkled the salt. When talking with your mouth full. Not smoke eat Western food at dinner, just coffee, said the feast at the end of smoking. Urges to drink when opposite party, the expression must certainly be warm (Ji Tao 187). Even if you cannot drink, also must carry the wine class to do in return opposite party. In order to express the etiquette, also must bump with opposite party the cup, then delivers the cup nearby the mouth to express drinks movement. Not the available both hands gesture said oneself married cannot drink or cannot drink move, this is one kind of politeness behavior.

In the dining process, should not be close to the back of the chair or close to the table. Put the arm on the table is uncivilized. Don"t wander off your coat. Loosen tie. Or rolled up and roll the sleeves. Do not drink in one gulp, stand up and take food doesn"t suit. The hand smeared, do not have randomly to scratch and do not use the mouth to suck. When mastication food certainly must shut the mouth, but cannot open the mouth to make the sound. If the soup must use a soupspoon bucket to scoop up in the soup import, but cannot use the lip to sip the soup. If the soup too burns, might blow gently or waits for its cool later to drink. Bones and meat residue shall spit in the hand and put on the edge of the dish. Not spit directly to the dish or a tablecloth on. The metal tableware you used must put in the dish, and can not be placed on the tablecloth. 

3.2.5 The way of diet

In China, any banquet, whatever the purpose, will only have one form, sharing one seat. Banquet should use round tables, and this has caused an atmosphere of unity, politeness and interesting. People put the delicious food on the table. On the one hand, the food is the center of the people. On the other hand, the food is the medium of the emotional communication. The people propose a toast mutually; offer food to a guest mutually, in front of the happy thing, has manifested the moral excellence which respects mutually, gives precedence out of courtesy. Although looked from the hygienic angle, this diet way has the obvious deficiency, but it conforms to “the happy ending” in China. This point of view had reflected the Chinese classical philosophy “and”. It has an important influence for the descendant thought, and it is advantageous for the emotional communication, thus it is difficulty to reform.

Although food and wine is an unnecessary part in western catering, in fact it is as a foil. Party lies in friendship, with the next conversation between guests, achieve the purpose of companionship. If compare banquet with dance, and then may say, the Chinese banquet is just like is a group dance, but the western-style banquet is just like the men"s and women"s social dancing. This compare shows that the purpose of the banquet is obviously. The Chinese banquet reflected more friendship on the full gallery. On the contrary, the Western-style banquet is reflected in friendship between the guests. It is obvious that the buffet is more popular in Western, but it is different with China in diet. If we eat buffet, we should follow the following ways: display all foods one by one, we need not sit in a fixed seat to eating, we can walk freely. This way is benefit to emotional communication between individuals, and need not put all things on the table, also shows western respect for individuality.

3.3 After -dinner etiquette

At the end of the party, only the host has the right to signal the end of the party. If other guests want to leave, we should wait the host and guest left seat. Master should stand at the door to see the guests off to display your master status, at the same time also show respect for the guest, the guest should express thanks to his master. If she wants to say goodbye in the middle of the party, just nod to the guests who sit around her.

Chinese people like dinner party. In China, generally speaking, is the master to treat meal. In order to express respect, pays a bill cannot appear two people to pay. For many people to have a meal, it will appear many people to pay a bill.

After the western food banquet, put the napkin on the first nap after folded in the left side of the table at random, and then got up and leave. When you leaving your seat, you should help elderly lady to pull the seat, and should be thanked to the host. If you attend an important banquet, you can by phone or write a card to express thanks to the host.

In the West, the Dutch are widespread, Westerners don"t like dinner banquet. Even if it must be a dinner banquet, they tend to the AA system, and pay a bill by themselves. In the western, many countries have a procedure of paying tips, it emerges in the 18th century English dining rooms, so long as puts a tip in the small bowl on the table, can guarantee the most rapid service, this method also expanded other professions (Ji Tao 76). Tip for the waiter, is an important income can get satisfactory service to customers. The tips always place under the tea tray and the goblet, or put the tips in the server’s hand directly.

4. Reasons for the Formation of Differences

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