Chinese Eating Habit

[Baron]

'Troll attempts'

Really don't know what you mean???

[Baron]

No really???

[Taguro]

Personally, I prefer to have my food on my plate military style, but when in rome try your best to meld in. If it is that bad, either refuse to eat with your chinese counter-parts (not very wise though) or eat a very tiny bit. (Like they do in presidential meetings)

But yeah, I can see this guy could be considered a troll wannabe... Have seen better though.

[HKFella]

>> Don't know what shortcoming you'd find in those

simply it is not hygienic to me,
i prefer buffet style or just eat
my own plate of food.

When we talk of using serving chopsticks, the scene (so obviously) is no longer one of people eating from the same plate, but of using serving chopsticks to serve themselves and then using their own chopsticks to eat from their own plates/bowls. But even that is apparently not hygienic enough for you. How then is it different from dishes brought to the table and people using serving spoons to serve themselves and using their own implements/hands to eat? Or going by that logic, the buffets you favour where so many people use the same serving implements for first as well as second helpings? Better give up on buffets too. Thought this through?

[wing]

First, I have not seen any one smoking in any public air-conditioned bus in Hong Kong since I am here. I am not sure what you are talking about. It is a huge penalty to pay if one smokes in any kind of public transportation. I saw an out-of-towner tried to get rid of his cigarette as he headed into the MTR station but got caught by the staff for violation and was ticketed.

Second, I learnt from the local Chinese friends in how to eat properly with chopsticks. You are supposed to pick a piece of food from the common plate without touching the other food on the same plate. You are supposed to pick the food up and then put it on your own plate before you consume it. There is why they always give you a plate and bowl. Once you put the food on the your own plate and bowl, then you are allowed to do whatever you like. That is why you always have to pick up food from the top or from the edge of the common plate.

It is very common in Hong Kong or even in the Mainland/Taiwan to use a pair of extra or so-called common chopsticks to pick up food from the common plates. Sometimes, they also serve an extra pair of chopsticks per person - one for your own consumption and the other is used to pick up food from the common plate.

[Vrindavan]

>> but of using serving chopsticks to serve themselves and then using their own chopsticks to eat from their own plates/bowls.

Yes, if everyone (12 ?) sitting on the same table follow the rule,
it is better. But i see too often there are offenders ( forget to change chopsticks or even simply do not like to use it )

Besides, it is common for serving chopsticks touching the bowl used for eating too.

>>the buffets you favour where so many people use the same serving implements for first as well as second helpings? Better give up on buffets too.

it is fine as long as the serving spoon do not touch their own plates.

>> I have not seen any one smoking in any public air-conditioned bus in Hong Kong

Smokers are not allowed to smoke on the bus, therefore they all have one just before they jump into a bus, no need further explanation then. Even it is not this case, the smell/air from smokers breathing is very bad all the time too. In a poor circulation bus, you have no choice, but to inhale the air.

[rani]

I've had a Pallea in Valencia and they also serve one big dish and eveyone gets a wooden spoon.

Rani

[jaykay]

Smokers are not allowed to smoke on a bus but have one just before they jump in? What about people who have just been drinking alcohol, eat strong food, have halitosis, and those with body odour? Cum' on lets get serious!!

I don't think anyone here can complain about Chinese eating habits, that's the way Chinese have been eating for years. I personally have no problem with it and most of the time I eat Chinese food, either socially, with my wife or with her family. In fact I don't think I've been to any country in the world where there isn't some kind of food that's shared, and I've been travelling continents for the last 15 years.

If you campare other eating habits, buffet style food - how many times do you see someone knocking their own plates with the serving spoon trying to knock food onto their plates, the odd person who picks up food with their fingers when they think no-one is looking? We've all seen the videos in restaurants from around the world seeing chefs add their "own" specialities to the foods served on separate plates!

If hygene is all you're worried about then the safest bet is to eat only at home, or eat only food that you have prepared. Then there are no problems at all!

[Vrindavan]

>> Cum' on lets get serious!!

everybody 's standard is not the same.

>> anyone here can complain about Chinese eating habits

it is not a complain,
it is just a discussion of a culture habit,
either accept it or not accept it, that's all

>>I don't think I've been to any country in the world where there isn't some kind of food that's shared

not about food sharing,
it is about separation of cooking/serving utensils with
eating utensils.

Is it really difficult to prepare and serve food like this ?
No, it is real easy.

jaykay
i am not against people playing chopsticks war,
it is just me who do not like to play this game.
everybody 's standard is not the same.

[fly]

I don't have anything against the common plate thing, that's the way its done, and its been like that all my life. I'm not so keen however on the hotpot, with some impolite folks who don't know enough to use the scoops or the seperately supplied chopsticks to get their food back out, instead washing their chopsticks in the communal pot.

I'm just more selective about who I choose to go have hotpot with now!