Every culture has traditions that amaze people in other countries. For example, some people cannot turn fish on a plate, others consider a place with a lot of garbage to be a good institution, and still others cannot even hold a sandwich in their hands. Novate.ru will tell you about unique drinking habits from around the world.
1. Do not touch with your hands
We are used to eating fries, pizza and burgers with our hands. And in Chile, it is customary to eat even fast food with a knife and fork, but by no means with your hands. Unlike other South American states, it has stricter etiquette. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see people in a cafe digging with a knife and a fork in a sandwich. Of course, you can take food in your hands, but be prepared to catch dozens of sidelong glances on yourself. And there is also a great chance to get dirty, because a lot of sauce drips from the juicy sandwiches.
2. Spoon and fork
Thais use cutlery in a very different way than Europeans. They only use a fork to put food into a spoon that can be eaten from. The Thai people started using cutlery only in the 19th century. Despite the fact that more than a century has passed since the innovation, in some provinces people still eat with their hands.
3. Nice place = lots of rubbish
The Spaniards evaluate the quality of the establishments by the rubbish under their feet. Scattered napkins, pieces of paper, sugar sticks, plastic spoons will never prevent a resident of Spain from enjoying a cup of this aromatic drink. The Spaniards have a principle: the more garbage, the more popular the establishment. By the way, cider is constantly spilled on the floor in ciderreries, as it is traditionally poured into special holes.
4. There is a lot of meat
In Brazil, places where meat is cooked over charcoal are called churascaria, or shurascaria. In barbecue establishments, the rule applies: new dishes are brought to the guest as long as the token on the table is turned green. If you turn it upside down in red, the waiter will understand that you need to take a gastronomic break.
5. Tea on the bottom
Residents of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan are very fond of tea and endow it with a certain symbolism. Weekly tea leaves and tea bags are discouraged. At the same time, tea is drunk during all meals, in between meals, when meeting a guest and in other situations. For example, if you came to visit, and the owner served a bowl of tea, poured less than half, do not be discouraged. On the contrary, this is done so that the guest drinks hot tea and does not burn himself. But a full bowl is a bad sign, it is better not to linger.
6. Do not turn the fish
In China, fish cannot be turned over while eating. For the Chinese, this is about the same as for us to put empty bottles on the table. It is customary for the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire to first separate the upper part of the fish, then the skeleton, and only after that move on to the lower layer. The Chinese believed that by flipping the fish, they doom the boat to the same fate during the next fishing trip. Since then, the tradition has been entrenched, although now no one believes in these signs.
7. Endless coffee
In many eastern countries, only the owner brews coffee. The first cup goes to him, "for trial." The second goes to the most respected person in the company. Then the drink is poured over the rest of the guests. Refusing coffee is tantamount to insulting the owner. And to ignore the guest and not offer a drink is tantamount to throwing a challenge. Coffee is brewed strong and without sugar, served with cold water. The host will add the drink for as long as you can handle an empty cup. If after the next time you want to refuse, you need to shake your head slightly or turn the cup over.
Continuing the topic, we advise you to read about the whims of Americans, or Why the United States does not put fences around houses.