Rice eating etiquette

[SteveK]

My wife eats her rice in a manner I find a bit ill-mannered by western standards. At first, I thought is was just something she did, but then I saw an actor using the same technique in a Chinese movie.

 

She puts the rice bowl near her mouth, then rapidly shovels the rice into her mouth using chopsticks while she inhales. She can fill her entire mouth with rice in just a couple of seconds! The whole process is a bit loud and distracting.

 

If this is common practice in China, I can learn to accept it at home. Heaven knows I will never win any awards for table manners. I just wonder if I should discourage her from using this technique when we go out with friends.

Edited December 17, 2008 by SteveK (see edit history)

[Guest WenDylan]

Sounds like a good way to get hiccups.

[Randy W]

Let me guess - she's a Southern girl? Jiaying's mother even tried to get me to do it once, although they don't seem so interested in quantity as you describe.

[SteveK]

Let me guess - she's a Southern girl? Jiaying's mother even tried to get me to do it once, although they don't seem so interested in quantity as you describe.

 

You are right... Cantonese from Guangzhou.

 

On the plus side, I have never seen her do this in a restaurant. But, on the other hand, she rarely orders rice at the restaurants.

[SteveK]

Sounds like a good way to get hiccups.

 

Surely. It's actually quite amazing to watch. The speed that she can twirl those chopsticks...

[Sebastian]

I'm of the opinion is a common practice in china.

[joannaliu]

Hi Steve,

 

It was so so funny to see this post because just a few days ago my husband and I happened to discuss about this topic. I haven't started working yet so I cook most of the time, of course Chinese food mainly. I find him never touch his bowl when he eats and he eats cai--dishes and rice separately. So I taught him the same way me and your wife do. He explained to me later that it is kinda of rude to place your bowl close to your mouth and make noises with the chopsticks while inhaling the food from the bowl. And I was told that the elbows are not supposed to touch the table either when we attend a formal dinner.

 

So I think it is quite common to eat the way your wife does in China nowadays. Women today have much looser etiquette in China. In my grandparents generation or great grandparents', women were required to be more gentle, femaline which meant they were not supposed to eat loudly or fast.

 

My wife eats her rice in a manner I find a bit ill-mannered by western standards. At first, I thought is was just something she did, but then I saw an actor using the same technique in a Chinese movie.

 

She puts the rice bowl near her mouth, then rapidly shovels the rice into her mouth using chopsticks while she inhales. She can fill her entire mouth with rice in just a couple of seconds! The whole process is a bit loud and distracting.

 

If this is common practice in China, I can learn to accept it at home. Heaven knows I will never win any awards for table manners. I just wonder if I should discourage her from using this technique when we go out with friends.

[michaln]

its common in chongqing I tried this and darn near choked to death

nothing like a little rice in the windpipe

[IllinoisDave]

I'm of the opinion is a common practice in china.

I agree. My wife does practically the same thing. Doesn't bother me...I'm a fairly quick eater my own self.

[george lee]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chop_stick

scoll down to chinese etiquette.

[george lee]

its very common for chinese people to eat like your wife. i just observed my mother and also noticed she eats like your wife. i meeting my friends for dinner tomorrow and i will observe the way they eat and the people in the resturant.

[Dennis143]

Anyone try to eat rice with chopsticks without lifting their bowl to their mouth? Might be a good diet technique for some of us.

 

I'm around Chinese so much anymore that I forget what was once perceived as good and bad table manners.

 

I've always shoveled my food in...with sticks, spoon, fork, fingers...

[Sebastian]

Dennis- yup - I can do it with chopsticks on non-shovelling style.

 

But I cheat - I mush up my rice with the chopsticks, make a little ball, and then pick up the little ball with my chopsticks.

 

There is 'other' way to cheat - when you use chopsticks, before you pop it into your mouth, bounce the food twice INTO your rice bowl. SOME sauce or gravy will get on the rice. Now, do this for each piece o food going into your mouth. When you are finished, you now have a rice bowl with enough gravy or sauce in it to help 'glom' the rice together into mushable rice balls, and pick up with the chopsticks.

 

Usually, rice is eaten at the end of a meal, so brushing the food into the rice bowl is easy. Anyway, thats wot I do, I picked it up in GZ ages past.

[Ovahimba]

That method of eating rice is common among the working classes in China where you have to get it down, and get to work in short order. My family has always done it that way and it is quite efficient.

 

However in a restaurant or around better company, you do slow it down a bit and not make any wolfing noises. Around my inlaws I don't bring the bowl to my mouth and am quite dainty in transfering the rice.

 

It is a bit rude I guess, but like spitting the majority do it.

[sweattrl1]

steve if you go out to eat with friends ,just simply do not order rice , this will do the trick