Manners in every country are different; what is polite in China or Thailand may not be polite in the USA, Australia, UK, Germany, France, Canada, Nigeria or New Zealand. There are however basic rules you can follow and still fit in anywhere in the world.

Below are the basic rules you must follow while you dine:

1. Put the napkin on your lap.

2. Wait until everyone has been served to begin eating.

3. Everyone begins eating at the same time.

4. Do not make sounds when eating.

5. Sit up straight at the table and bring the food to your mouth: do not lean down to your plate.

6. Do not lean on your arm or elbow while eating (as well as before or after eating): you may rest only your hand and wrist on the edge of the table.

7. Try to be friendly with others. If you are a man, you should pay attention to ladies sitting closest to you. Pass the dishes to them, serve them, etc. Equal attention must be paid to children.

8. Hold the knife in your right hand, and fork – in your left hand.

9. Cut large pieces of meat, potatoes and vegetables into bite-size pieces; eat the pieces one at a time.

10. Each time you cut a small piece with the knife, put it into your mouth with a fork.

11. When eating spaghetti, hold your fork in the right hand. Wind the noodles up on your fork: the spaghetti on your fork should be eaten in one bite. It is very impolite to eat half your noodles and allow the other half to fall back on your plate.

12. While eating, remember not to talk with your mouth full of food.

13. When the hostess/host offers you food, give her/him a direct answer; if you refuse the first time, she might not ask you again.

14. At the table, ask others to pass you dishes that are out of your reach. Good _expression to know is: “Please pass me the___________.”

15. When you have finished your meal, place your knife and fork side by side on the plate.

16. Never use toothpick at the table: it is impolite.

17. Before you leave the table, refold your napkin and put it beside your plate.

18. When you are unsure what to do, observe the way your western friends eat in order to avoid mistakes.

Nice tips

lovely

Guilty of number 4.

Hunger can make you forget all these things, especially after fasting!

Nice tips tho..

That is why i like the typical African man.No initial 'gra gra',dive the food & chop at a steady rate.
When hunger catch you,u go know.

Nice one.

Reserving space

nyc post....if na wen hunga dy katch me,i go 4get fork o..wetin hapn 2 spoon na?eatng with fork go increase d hunger cos wtn spoon dy pack ,fork no fit o,lol...
Dnt mind me jare,it a useful tip.

Number 3. . . . Imagine you are hungry (really hungry), get to a restaurant with friends and they serve yours first
Abeg put dinning tips for one corner, I am going in and kindly smile at my friends to meet me half way

This one na wahala na. Abeg we get our own dinning etiquette for africa. (1) Wash your hand before and after eating...(2)....

What about the eating etiquette on mat

sorry some of this tips won't work for me at home.like 1,2,3,8,10,16.i no send.

op..dat numbr 2 get as e be o..wait 4 others b4 eatng...except hungry no catch me o...

What if I take water diluted garri and fried fish with my bare hands.

Do the rules also apply?

8 and 10 does not apply to me,I took my food to my mouth with my right hand.

These are good tips. Thanks.

I'm a bushman by the way, I do the exact opposite of all these.

i hereby ignore rule number 7. (why the needless favouritism? now you'll make 'em ladies start nursing unrealistic expectations.. kids, yes but not grown ups)

Hhhmmm, nice one, but what about us that are "omo okos...."

abeg, how u gonna get down?


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The best dinning etiquette is to EAT before you attend any lunch/ dinner luncheon. If you dont , na hunger go kill you while trying to adhere to all this yeye rules. Theres a reason im always later to company dinners. Na me una wan kill. Use left hand for this, use right hand for that, dont eat chicken with your hands etc.

Nice Wetin? the first 17 points makes sense for PASTAS only but the 18th one spoilt it all 'cos I'm AFRICAN & PROUD so don't deny me of the ecstactic feeling in eating my African dishes i.e Tuwo Shinkafa, Semo, Wheat, Eba & others with my bare hands..... :-)

Ve u ever been hungry?

Do not use knife to eat vegetables(efo) at least there's nufin u waant to cut in it

Good tips.....but no be when i dey house and serious hunger dey catch me.

Use fork and knife when eating Garri and Okro soup?

sexy glow:

18. When you are unsure what to do, observe the way your western friends eat in order to avoid mistakes.

Those that don't have western friends, what's their option? There is no western friend here in Aba .

Ok dey dia dey form na, hungry neva wire u 1st.

I'm not waiting for anyone before eating, na competition?

Duh!

sexy glow:

8. Hold the knife in your right hand, and fork – in your left hand.

And what hand should left handed people use in holding their knives?
Was at a restaurant with my girlfriend on valentine's day and because she is left handed she couldn't use the knife in her right hand. So as not to break that rule i had to help her out but after a while I got tired of helping her cut her food into tiny bits and I had to encourage her to use the knife in her left hand not minding anybody that says we have committed a faux pas.

@16, So when am i suppose to use the toothpick? When i get home?

Some people tuck the napkin into their shirt, just below the chin... Right or wrong practise?

Lathunjimi: Nice Wetin? the first 17 points makes sense for PASTAS only but the 18th one spoilt it all 'cos I'm AFRICAN & PROUD so don't deny me of the ecstactic feeling in eating my African dishes i.e Tuwo Shinkafa, Semo, Wheat, Eba & others with my bare hands..... :-)

jmoore: Use fork and knife when eating Garri and Okro soup?




Those that don't have western friends? what's their option

Pls don't crucify us that use fork to eat solid foods e.g eba, amala, tuwo, semo etc
I started using fork to eat these foods at a tender age because I have kept long nails since primary school. I use a fork in order not to ingest germs with my food. Using FORK TO EAT SOLID FOODS IS A WAY OF LIFE FOR ME AND NOT FORMING!

jmoore: Use fork and knife when eating Garri and Okro soup?




Those that don't have western friends, what's their option? There is no western friend here in Aba .