Dining Etiquette

In polite US culture, dining etiquette usually involves using utensils to pick up and put down your food, you’re seated at a table, tasting your wine before giving the nod to your waiter to pour a glass and a general sense of following the lead of the host or hostess if dining in someone’s home. However, if you travel to other parts of the world, many variations of etiquette exist and table manners vary considerably depending on what country you are in.

From eating while sitting in a circle on the floor in India, to eating with your hands from a communal plate in Morocco, to waiting to be seated by the host in France, many different cultures call from many different customs. In fact, many countries in the eastern world, such as Japan for example, have such a myriad of dining customs that learning the rules in advance and knowing what is polite and what would cause offence is almost a necessity before visiting!

For an illustrated view of what dining rules apply in various countries around the world, have a look at this infographic created by The Dunloe:

What different etiquette situations have you encountered on your travels? We’d love to know in the comments below!