Should you by no means eat along with your fingers in Chile? Or at all times go away some meals in your plate in China—or danger being known as impolite? Must you watch for the elders to be seated earlier than touching your meal in Korea? And god forbid you order a cappuccino after 11 am in Italy. Mamma mia!
This was an inventory of “meals etiquette guidelines each traveller ought to know,” compiled by Style Atlas, a brand new meals evaluator.
I, for one, recognize the thought behind the listing, although a lot of it’s inaccurate. Having travelled pretty broadly since childhood, and having seen individuals from totally different nations as visitors in our residence in Calcutta, I’ve at all times felt that one of many fundamentals of journey is to teach your self in regards to the customs of the place you’re visiting. It’s possible you’ll not agree with them, however as a visitor, the least you are able to do is respect and adapt to them.
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In 2012, Oprah Winfrey visited India for a TV present. At a dinner in a businessman’s residence, she expressed nice shock—bordering on shock—that Indians ate with their fingers. From her response, you’d assume the household had been consuming with their toes, which actually would have been much more spectacular.
I even wrote about it then, as a result of what struck me was not Oprah’s astonishment, however that nobody had prepped her with essentially the most primary cultural analysis. And even with out analysis, it’s hardly a novelty that deserved the type of fuss she made.
So don’t be like Oprah. Educate your self. And should you aren’t conscious of sure practices, at the very least don’t look scandalised by them.
Listed below are some culinary practices I’ve come throughout—together with just a few fundamentals value figuring out.
First, let’s debunk just a few Style Atlas “information.” You may definitely eat along with your fingers in Chile. Many dishes—similar to empanadas or the completo (a type of scorching canine)—are supposed to be eaten that method.
The no-cappuccino-after-11-am rule in Italy isn’t totally improper. Cappuccino, heavy with milk, is historically a breakfast drink and regarded indigestible later within the day. If you happen to order one after 11 am, a restaurant will serve it to you—however will immediately peg you as a vacationer who doesn’t know any higher.
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In Portugal, each restaurant I visited fortunately supplied salt if requested—some even had salt shakers on the desk. In Thailand, nobody offers you a second look should you eat native meals with a fork.
Different habits I’ve seen: in Italy, pizza is normally eaten with a knife and fork, not fingers. In China, soup is usually served on the finish of the meal, not the start. Conventional eating places there not often have forks; solely chopsticks and serving spoons. If, like me, chopsticks are a battle, it’s sensible to hold a small cutlery set. In Spain, genuine eating places don’t serve scorching sauce or Tabasco. The truth is, once we would go to any of the various Spanish eating places in England, we might carry our personal tiny bottle to Spanish eating places.
The day you begin saying Cellular as मोबिल pic.twitter.com/RyBXyvlOO9
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) September 4, 2025
Nearer residence, in components of East Bengal, dal is usually served on the finish of a meal. Pals whose grandparents had been among the many final Portuguese settlers in Bengal recall this being widespread in areas the place the Portuguese as soon as traded in jute and indigo.
Within the Center East, communal eating from a big shared plate is widespread. Most Arab nations encourage consuming along with your hand—however solely with the suitable hand —whereas in Turkey, cutlery is the norm until you’re consuming kebabs wrapped in bread. Throughout Africa, hand-washing earlier than a meal is a ritual. One in every of my most interesting meals was in Cape City’s Africa Café, the place the waitress washed our fingers with water in an attractive, massive bowl earlier than serving conventional dishes.
In Bengal, meals are eaten course by course: greens first, then dal, adopted by fish, prawns or meat, and eventually dessert. Mixing every thing collectively is taken into account sacrilege. And opposite to what many consider, dosa will not be a lunch dish; in southern India, it’s eaten for breakfast. Solely outdoors the south has it change into a lunch or dinner staple.
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In China, soup is usually served on the finish of the meal, not the start. Conventional eating places there not often have forks; solely chopsticks and serving spoons. (Photograph: Pixabay)
France, too, follows a course-by-course construction. Bread isn’t reduce however torn into small items and used to mop up butter. In England, soup bowls are tilted away from you, not in direction of you, and blowing in your meals is taken into account impolite.
On the finish of the day, the golden rule is straightforward: don’t be gauche. When in a brand new nation, I normally simply observe how others are consuming and observe their lead. That is one place the place being a know-it-all doesn’t assist—it’s higher to defer to customized.
At all times keep in mind: you’re a visitor. And when in Rome, do because the Romans do—drink wine along with your meals, end your cappuccino earlier than 11 am, and eat as a lot spaghetti vongole as your abdomen will enable.
Subsequent week, I’ll write about how Meghan Markle is solely following in India’s footsteps with regards to her love for edible flowers. What am I speaking about? Learn subsequent week’s column to seek out out.
