Etiquette at an Authentic Chinese Banquet

You've finally made it to China, and you're about to go to your very first authentic Chinese banquet. If you'd like to know what to expect and how to keep from offending your host, this article is for you!

At Chinese banquets, guests are generally seated at round tables, with between 10 - 12 guests at each table. Since the tables are round, each guest is an equal distance from the food. Multiple courses will be served, starting with an equal number (generally 8 - 10) cold dishes, followed by soup to aid digestion. After soup is served, an impressive and decorative meat dish will be put out onto the table, followed by several other meat and vegetable dishes. One of the last things served is generally a whole fish; the head of the fish points toward the guest of honor.

Your first experience at an authentic Chinese banquet may be a bit overwhelming, but if you keep the following etiquette tips in mind, you'll do just fine.

Chinese Banquet Etiquette Tip #1: Forget About Your Diet

First and foremost, Chinese banquets are all about food. Chinese banquets are not a time to even think about your diet. You will make your host happy if you chow down on whatever is served. In fact, enjoying the food is more important than being a great conversationalist.

Chinese Banquet Etiquette Tip #2: Listen for the Word, "Ganbei"

When your host lifts his wine glass and shouts, "ganbei!" grab your chopsticks and dig in. Ganbei means, "drain the glass," which is a direct reference to draining your glass of wine, which brings me to the next tip.

Chinese Banquet Etiquette Tip #3: Drink Alcohol in Moderation

The Chinese word for banquet is chiu-hiu which means, "wine spread." It is normal for alcohol to be present in direct proportion to the amount of food at the banquet. Therefore, drinking is quite common, but not mandatory. Also, although drinking is common, it is considered inappropriate to get drunk at a formal Chinese banquet.

Chinese Banquet Etiquette Tip #4: Take Small Servings

Even though guests are expected to eat a lot, taking more than your fair share of any one dish will keep other guests from being able to try everything. Chinese banquets are different from a typical American meal in that 15 to 20 dishes, and sometimes even more, are served at a single meal. Take a very small portion of each item that is offered. You will end up stuffed just by trying a little bit of everything.

Chinese Banquet Etiquette Tip #5: Leave Some Food on the Table

Although it is important to eat heartily at a Chinese banquet, it is also important that all of the food that is served is not devoured. Your host will not be offended if there is still a lot of food on the table at the end of the meal. In fact, no left over food indicates the host did not prepare enough food and he or she will lose face.

Chinese Banquet Etiquette Tip #6: Don't Ask for Rice

Rice is a normal part of a routine Chinese meal, but at a banquet, it is different. At a banquet, the focus is on meat and vegetables. Rice is not served until the very end of the meal. If you ask for rice in the middle of the meal, it will come across as if you think the host has not provided enough food.

Your first experience at an authentic Chinese banquet will likely be so memorable you might find yourself talking about the food for days, or at least until the next banquet. Talking about the food for days is not a bad thing, as it will please your host immensely!

Source: Asia News (January 4-10, 2008) Splurge, Chinese Style by Jofelle Tresorio in Hangzhou