2011 Dec 27 Do You Know The Bishop of Norwich?
“He’s a terribly good chap, but he always forgets to pass the port.” News to me, but this is what you say (presumably in the voice of General Melchett from Blackaddder goes Forth - needs VPN) at an English dining table if someone makes the cringe-worthy culinary faux-pas of not passing the decanted bottle of fortified wine to the next diner after they’ve filled their goblet. Phew. But thanks to the China Daily’s My China Story section of their website, I won’t be falling into that hilarious trap ever again. Well, ever.
The idea for My China Story, something I've not come across before, seems to be that regular expats send in articles about their life in China and the best ones get published online. You get paid RMB 200 too, which is essentially the same as employing freelance writers, but at a lower rate, for (presumably) lower quality output. But this festive food article is super awesome, all about the differing dining customs between China and the UK.
“This can lead to amusing results when foreigners try to emulate the British and attempt to eat their peas by lifting them up on the backs of their forks. Mind you… watching a European getting to grips with chopsticks can, I suspect, sometimes be as amusing for the Chinese!”
Lolz. The author goes on to talk about complex Chinese dining customs: "A Chinese friend of mine, for instance, explained that at a formal Chinese meal the host should always place himself nearest the door while the 'guest of honor' should sit facing the door with other guests seated away from the honored guest in order of seniority or importance."
I reckon this actually happens about as much as someone in England saying, “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?”
But there are plenty of everyday Chinese dining quirks I for one struggle to get to grips with. Here’s a couple:
1. The fuwuyuan yelling“yi wei” (one person) when you walk solo into a restaurant. Table for one ... friendless loser.
2. Being afforded no time between sitting down and ordering. As a rule, if the menu has more pages than The Dying Animal by Philip Roth, I’ll need a few minutes.
Feel free to add your own cross-cultural food faux-pas under the line. Or don’t, because you are thousands of miles away having fun with your friends and family, in which case, I refer you to number one above. Merry Christmas.
You might also be interested in :
A Steak & Eggs Christmas Story
Apologies to all you non-Christmas types … but ‘tis the season for festive goodwill, in the sentimental, snow-capped world of me, at least. In Beijing for the holidays, I was figuring out where to have my turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but at every turn was thwarted by prices that would make Ebenezer Scrooge thwack a dusty ledger over Tiny Tim’s malnourished head. With more than a whiff of festive price fixing, RMB 280 was the going rate for turkey ‘n spuds at Blue Frog, The Stumble Inn, Flamme and The Filling Station. Enough to rob anyone of their festive cheer. Bah. KFC it is, and was.
The Great Christmas 2011 Guide: Dining Out (And Win Christmas Eve Dinner At The St. Regis!)
Thirteen days 'til Christmas, folks! If you don't have your act together - no presents bought, no decorating done and no recipes Googled, you ought to get on that. On that last front, we can help you out. Today's post is the first of three Christmas-themed posts, with a focus on Dining Out during Christmas. We've rounded up the jolliest Christmas Eve dinners for you to sink your merry little teeth into, and we've even got a free dinner to give away. For your chance to win a Christmas Eve dinner for two to the St. Regis, read on.
Take 5: Christmas Eve Set Dinners
For those who fancy a delicious Christmas dinner out, but are not a huge fan of hotel buffets filled with dancing, entertainment and lucky draws, there are some fabulous alternatives – check out these Christmas Eve set dinner menus presented from some of the most popular restaurants in town. Sure, they’re pricey, but hey, it’s Christmas and shouldn’t we treat ourselves? Make your reservations early.
Your Beijing Christmas Guide
Spending the holidays away from home can be depressing for expats, but Beijing’s hotels and restaurants have made sure that those staying behind won’t have a chance to be homesick. With just a week to go before Christmas, this article from the latest edition of Agenda lists the best holiday events around the city.
There's a Lot of Chocolate Santas in Here... Benjamin Devos of Comptoirs de France
This time of year, Comptoirs de France bakeries around town become veritable Santa’s grottoes. We called in on jolly owner Benjamin Devos for a cup of seasonal cheer in his Ritan store.
the Beijinger: Sure are a lot of chocolate Santas in here …
Benjamin Devos: They’re really traditional, huh? The biggest Santa is 70cm high, around 3kg of chocolate. Parents like to buy it for their children so they can destroy it then eat the pieces.
