Eat, drink, man, woman, Part II - A foreigner's survival guide to China

A significant part of the Chinese culture revolves around food and food-related customs. And why shouldn't the Chinese give so much thought to food, since they're spoiled for choice when it comes to succulent dishes and quality restaurants. The Chinese dinner etiquette, however, differs markedly from the European standard. This, however, is still no excuse for burdening first-time China travelers with trivial details about the correct way to set a pair of chopsticks on the plate... In fact, the Chinese are very open-minded and quite messy eaters, and the only way to really gain some insight into their real-life dining rituals is to attend a dinner party where the drink of choice is something stronger than water.

Many China travelers go to a lot of trouble trying to learn about Chinese table manners. These include tips about not leaving chopsticks sticking out from a bowl of rice (they look like incense sticks at funerals) and not pointing the spout of a teapot at anyone. When an unwitting tourist then goes to a local restaurant, ready to put his new-found skills to practice, the reality may be totally different from what he expected. The position of the chopsticks and teapots may not be indifferent to the Chinese, but this is not the case with food scraps. Chicken bones may clutter the floor at the finest eateries and shrimp shells are happily discarded in heaps in the middle of the table. Locals also have a habit of loudly slurping as they scoop the yummy bits from their noodle soup straight into their mouths, which, granted, is the only right way to eat noodles. So, the Chinese dinner table is really no place for pretentious formalities and even an escaped burp is regarded as merely a sign of a satisfied customer. Food is to be enjoyed with all five senses, even if it means leaving onlookers thinking you have the manners of a caveman. For some foreigners, Chinese table manners may even present a refreshing break from the norm - once they learn to look past the most extreme examples thereof. In Chinese restaurants, waitresses are called and ordered around in a loud and brash manner, which may at first seem quite rude. Soon, however, most discover that this kind of conduct is necessary if one wants to get any kind of service: Most waitresses haven't had any kind of training for their jobs and no one seems to know what to do! Oh, and one important point - tipping is not a common custom in China. By doing so, you might even end up offending the restaurant staff!

A good businessman knows food

Foreigners may run into some surprises at Chinese dinner parties. (Image: Radio86)In China, a dinner is always very much a social event, which is why it also provides the perfect backdrop for ironing out business deals and building mutual trust. So, if you have some projects even remotely linked to China, it is likely that you'll be invited to more or less formal dinner party sooner than you can say “panda.” A Chinese friend of mine once told me that I would make a good business woman because I knew how to order food in a restaurant. I gather she meant that I usually ordered a wide variety of foods, which ensured that there was always something for everyone on the table. Personally, I doubt if my menu literacy had anything to do with having good business sense, but in China, it is important for a host or hostess to choose a menu which caters with good taste for all tastes. At times, some uncomfortable occasions arise when foreign guests cannot recognize the ingredients of a dish ordered by their Chinese host. If the guest is very highly respected, the host will usually pick the best bits from the dish and present them to him or her directly. At that point, a disconcerted guest can only hope that the hosts will soon get so inebriated that they won't notice as these prime pieces and up under the table... The other option is of course to try to flush the unrecognizable tidbits down with an ample dose of alcohol.

Strong spirits are a must

At a Chinese dinner party, both of the aforementioned scenarios are very likely go down without any effort on your part anyway, given the strong affection of the Chinese for their homegrown rice liquor and Tsingtao beer. So, you can forget all the myths about the Chinese not drinking. This said, many, however, can't seem to hold their alcohol. In any case, nowhere else have I run into situations where I've been so strongly pressured into drinking alcohol than at dinner parties in China. There, foreigners are expected to repeatedly toast with everyone at the table, raising their rice liquor shots and shouting gan bei! (bottoms up!). I would even go so far as to say that even the Finns, who are known for their high tolerance of alcohol, could not function after a round of the famous Chinese rice liquor. The only time in my life that I've actually had to resort to using my so-called weaker Against popular belief, most Chinese are quite heavy drinkers. (Image: Radio86)sex as an excuse for something was when I tried to think of a reason to get out of drinking ethanol-tasting rice liquor (baijiu). Finally I managed to trade it for beer, but even then I had to again keep making toasts with everybody. No drinking alone, now! It is also usual for men to indicate with their hand how much beer they are going to drink in one gulp and then challenge the person next to them to drink as much or more. You should also be prepared to answer questions about how many Tsingtaos you can gulp down before you find yourself on the floor among the chicken scraps. Such an evening of merrymaking will surely help to improve business relations, provided that someone has some recollection of the evening's discussions the next day. So, it is naturally those who can hold their liquor best who have the upper hand in these types of "business engagements." And always bear in mind that a hangover is no excuse for not getting up at 5 am to prepare for an important morning meeting. When you work hard, you also have to play hard – and vice versa.