Personal development: Table Etiquette

All of us generally pay a lot of attention to develop our personality. We work on our communication skill, our health, and our dressing style. But how many of us take care of eating etiquettes? Do we know what table manners are? Here I am discussing few points that we all know but usually ignore them. If we mind all the points from today, we can learn a lot about table manners.


• Please do not make a noise such as slurping and burping while eating. This is very bad table manner and looks very indecent.


• Do not talk with food in your mouth. Chew with your mouth closed.


• Do not put too much food in your mouth. Eat in small bites and slowly.


• Licking fingers or picking teeth on dinner table is very impolite.


• Wait for others to start. If you are a host, request your guest to start first. On other hand if you are a guest never start eating before any signal from your host.


• If you are dining with any lady, first serve for her.


• Do not look at others table again and again. This is very disturbing behavior for others.


• Do not put too much food at a time on your plate. Take a small amount, finish it, and then take another time. If you are unable to finish your food instead of eating forcefully and vomit politely say “Sorry”.


• If you drop your cutlery or napkin on floor while eating, do not pick it up. Take fresh cutlery or napkin.


• If you do not know the use of fork and knife, please do not try in front of your guest or host. If you really want to eat with fork and knife, first try in front of your family members. Hold your knife in your right hand and fork in the left hand. Cut the item into small peaces with the help of knife and eat with fork.


• If you are eating ice-cream or rice better to have it with spoon instead of fork.


• Place your napkin across your lap. Do not use it to clean your nose or your eyes.


• If you are eating chapatti and do not know proper use of fork and knife, better to use your fingers. On other way you can roll chapatti, take a bite of it and use spoon to eat vegetable.


• If you do not like the food presented to you, it is polite to at least make some attempt to eat a small amount of it.


• If you are eating noodles prefer fork instead of spoon. Roll noodles in your fork and eat.


• Do not drink water when there is food in your mouth. Finish the food first, and then drink water.


• If you are eating with your fingers use other hand to take glass of water.


• When finger bowl is presented to you, dip your fingers in the water and gently wipe them with the napkin.