Politeness is very vital to the Koreans. Although some of the older traditions have relaxed in recent years this is a couple of Korean table manners include etiquette still in use today. Here goes:
Before you start eating, we are supposed to say "잘 먹겠습니다" （jal meok-ket-seum-ni-da) which means "I'm going to have a nice meal" or "I will eat well"
In the beginning of the meal, wait for the oldest person to eat first. If you are with a friend of the same age or with a business partner, you should say "먼저 드세요" （meon-jeo deu-se-yo) [Please eat first].
In addition, try to keep pace with others by eating not too fast or not too slow.
How to hold a spoon and chopsticks the right way? Well, I came across with this article in lifeinkorea.com so I thought I should share this with you guys about the right way to use a spoon and chopsticks. Of course I know you guys know how to use them but this is the Korean way :D
1. Right way to use spoon
 |  | |
| O | X | X |
X
|
- Place one chopstick inside of thumb and reach to 4th finger.
- Place the other chopstick between the index finger and middle finger and hold by pressing with your thumb.
- Freely move chopsticks by pressing thumb and only using your index and middle fingers.
 |  |
| O | X |
The third rule is, during a meal you should not hold your bowl up. In some cultures in Asia such as in China and Japan, people hold the bowl up. However in Korea, that's not the case. You should have your bowl on your table. Moreover, you should hold one utensils at a time. Don't be going holding a pair of chopsticks on one hand and a spoon on the other.
Next, NEVER STICK YOUR CHOPSTICKS IN YOUR RICE OR ANY OTHER FOOD!! Because it looks like it's for an ancestral rite (제사 je-sa). In Korea, this is totally wrong!
When it comes to refilling your glass, always pour your drinks for others first especially those who are older or senior to you. Other than that, when someone offers you alcohol, it's not considered as polite to refuse especially from an elder. Speaking of alcohol, in Korea, it's only legal for someone to have alcoholic drinks when they're above 19 years of age.
Some Korean foods can be very spicy and some of you might not be used to it and hence you might have a runny nose. The major important manners in the Korean culture is to NEVER EVER blow your nose at the table. NEVER!!!
Finally, when you end your meal, you'll have to say "잘 먹었습니다" (jal meo-geot-seum-ni-da) which basically means "Thank you for the meal"
Thank you for reading, and thank you lifeinkorea.com and Seoulistics.com. I had a wonderful time learning!
-HH-
No comments:
Post a Comment