“Is it offensive if I eat Korean food with my hands?” asked an IT consultant from India during our Expat training. I answered “Well, offensive might be the wrong word. I would advise to observe what the Koreans do and then do as they do”. This question beckons to look deeper into the different cultural table manners, which we too often do not pay enough attention to but it can create a culture shock if we are confronted with the eating etiquette of a new culture.
They are big cultural differences in table manners depending on which eating utensil people use. Clearly, in cultures, where fork and knife are used, the food is kept in big sizes i.e. served uncut but leaving the joy to the eater to cut it to the perfect size the moment he eats. In cultures where food is eaten with chopsticks, the food is usually cut in smaller pieces before serving (How do you eat a pizza with chopsticks?). The Indian IT consultant wouldn’t certainly enjoy eating Korean food with his hands as there is no support of - for instance bread - to scoop up the food. The Koreans also love noodle soups and a spoon alone (let alone hands) is not the best utensil to fish for the noodles.
The Korean food culture is all about sharing. They share the food from the same bowls and plates. The only exception applies for your own bowl of rice and your own bowl of soup. In this communal behaviour, there is also precaution of hygiene. The chopsticks, due to their minimal surface touching the food, reduce the spreading of saliva.
I often observed that the older generation in Korea do not know how to eat with fork and knife as they didn't have many occasions to eat Western food. One might think that what it takes is to take a knife into one hand and the fork into the other and you can immediately enjoy the meal. But the reality is that the right usage of the cutlery (and that is for both Western as well as Eastern table manners) needs to be learnt, practised and mastered such as playing the piano.
Knowing the proper table manners in different cultures is not only a question of practicality, but also expresses respect to the people of the host culture. The different table manners give interesting insight into the history and evolution of a culture's tradition and behaviours.
So how important is it for you to apply proper table manner when eating food from different cultures? Have a look at the quiz below. Look at this photograph.
There is something placed incorrectly. Is it a, d, c or d? a. There is no drink. b. Kimchi always needs to be there.
c. The chopsticks need to be
on the outside.
d. The omelet dish needs to be
horizontal.