Chinese Eating
 The great difference between eating the Chinese way and, let us say, the Western way is that the Chinese use chopsticks and we use knives and forks - for main dishes, at any rate. This inevitably means that large pieces of fish, meat and poultry are not possible at the Chinese table. Most dishes, therefore, are made up of mouth-sized pieces which are taken up by chopsticks and transferred to the mouth. However, Chinese food can be eaten perfectly adequately with western cutlery such as forks and spoons, but it achieves a greater delicary when eaten with chopsticks
Table setting is simpler than in the west and consists of chopsticks, a selection of bowls of different sizes ( for rice, soup, meat dishes, etc ), plus a soup spoon, if soup is to be served. If wine or tea is accompany the meal, an appropriate small cup is added to the table.
Napkins, as they are used in the west, are unknown, but, as in Japan , a hot, damp hand towel is handed to guests both before and during the meal. Since the centre of the table is needed for the selection of dishes being presented, there are no floral or other decorations on the Chinese table.
For one main course of a Chinese meal, there may be as many as 5-6 different dishes - fish and/or shellfish, meat, poultry, vegetables, invariably including plainly boiled or fried rice.
Savoury sauces are also a feature of a Chinese meal. The three principal ones are chilli ( which one can buy ), mustard ( much like the sauce that we ourselves make ) and plum, which one can also buy.( These are illustrated in color on the jacket ). Small spoonfuls of the chosen sauce are placed on one's plate. A morsel of the fish, shellfish, meat or poultry is taken up with chopsticks, dipped in sauce and eaten - or the other way about. The use of chopsticks determines the kind and size of the portions to be consumed.
Chinese food is delicious tasty and the variety of flavors is so cleverly contained in each dish that there is nothing incongruous in the serving of fish, meat and poultry in the same course.
Far from being incongruous, this "mixing of foods" means that both cooking and eating become pleasingly adventurous. And it is because more than one dish is served at one course and the quantities in the various recipes are small.
There is an ever-increasing interest in and appreciation of Chinese food in the world. The fact that Chinese restaurants in around the world, especially in Britain and America have grown from the comparatively few in the not-so-distant past to the variety and quality of Chinese dishes.
How to Use Chopstick
- Hold first chopstick firm and stationary in fixed position
-Second chopstick is held like a pencil, with the tips of thumb, index and second fingers. Manipulate this chopstick to meet the first chopstick.
- As shown in picture above, this manipulation will form a vice to pick up your food. 1 |
