Dining Etiquette From Around The World

Never rest your hands in your lap while dining.

In Russia, it is considered polite to rest your wrists on the edge of the table -- not on your lap. Also, keep your fork in your left hand and knife in your right.

Don't bring yellow flowers to dinner.

In Bulgaria, yellow flowers symbolize hatred. Not the message (we hope) you're trying to send.

Be sure to belch and make a mess.

In China, belches are considered an indication of your satisfaction and a compliment to the chef on a job well done. Making a mess around the table serves a similar purpose, and leaving a bit of food leftover shows your host that he or she has provided you with more than enough food.

Don't put food in your mouth with a fork

In Thailand, forks are used to push food into a spoon. Also, it's unusual to use chopsticks -- they're considered tacky.

Don't ask for salt and pepper.

In Portugal, if salt and pepper aren't already on the table, don't ask for them. It's considered an offense to the chef's seasoning skills.

Don't ask for cheese.

In Italy, never ask for cheese if it's not explicitly offered to you. It's considered a sin to put extra cheese on top of your pizza -- and it's even worse to put it on seafood.

Don't touch any part of your meal with your hands.

In Chile, touching food with your hands is considered ill-mannered. Yep, even fries! In Brazil, too, pizza and burgers are normally eaten with a fork and knife.

Eat only with your right hand.

in India, the Middle East, and some parts of Africa, it is considered unclean to eat with your left hand.

Eat with your hands.

In Mexico, it is considered an almost snobby practice to use a fork and knife.

Bread is a utensil.

In France, you are supposed to use two hands to eat -- either fork and knife or fork and bread. Bread isn't meant to be an appetizer -- instead it serves to assist the food to the fork. When you eat the bread, tear off a piece of it to eat instead of biting directly into the bread. When not in use, the bread belongs on the table or tablecloth instead of the plate.

Don't offer to split the bill.

In France, splitting the bill is considered the height of unsophistication. Offer to pay the bill in its entirety or someone else will.

Don't use an individual plate.

In Ethiopia, individual plates are considered wasteful. Food is always shared from a single plate without the use of cutlery -- just hands.

Slurp your food.

In Japan, most commonly when eating noodles and soups, slurping shows your appreciation of the food to the chef. The louder the better! You may also drink directly from the soup bowl -- spoons are uncommon. Furthermore, never cross your chopsticks, lick your chopsticks, or stick your chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice. It's considered very rude in Japan and many other Asian countries, including China.