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23 Etiquette Tips You Need To Know Before Eating At A Real Chinese Restaurant

Put down the soy sauce and no one gets hurt.

1. Chinese dining etiquette is full of significant traditions. Observance reflects well on your family and how they brought you up.

2. Leave the ordering to the host.

3. Bring your appetite because you can count on about 10 courses.

4. For food and tea, always serve from oldest to youngest and yourself last.

5. There will be tea.

Chrysanthemum, jasmine, and pu-erh tea are popular tea varieties.

6. The proper way to pour tea is by holding down the lid.

7. Tap with two fingers as someone is pouring for you to show appreciation.

8. Pouring for everyone before yourself means you run out of tea a lot. Signal for more by turning over the lid or propping it ajar.

9. When making toasts, holding your cup with two hands is a sign of respect.

10. If you're someone's plus one, let the person who invited you serve you. So, if you invited someone, you have to serve him/her.

11. Meals are always kicked off with a soup.

12. If serving utensils aren't provided, use the backend of your chopsticks to get food.

13. NEVER stick your chopsticks straight up in your rice. NO.

It's reminiscent of burning incense upright for the dead, so it's really bad luck and super rude.

14. Think of rice as a supporting character. It's purpose is to be a balancing, palate-cleansing base in a meal.

15. Chopsticks are used for picking up food, not spearing food.

16. Your chopsticks aren't drumsticks.

17. When it's your turn, don't dig around with your chopsticks for just the parts you want to eat.

Digging through the communal dishes is rude because it symbolizes grave digging.

18. There's almost always a whole fish. When you're done with one side, don't flip the fish.

19. Finish all your rice or your future spouse will have as many pockmarks on his/her face as there are rice kernels left in your bowl.

20. When the bill arrives, prepare for battle. 'Splitting the bill' doesn't exist in the Chinese vernacular.

21. Don't expect a fortune cookie.

22. It's good manners to make sure your guests have plenty to eat, so the host generally dishes out the most food. If you're sitting next to the host, prepare to be overfed.

23. If there aren't any leftovers, then your host will assume you're still hungry.