豚ã—ゃã¶å¾¡è†³ ©mitsukuni
Vagabondish is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Read our disclosure.
Do you have good table manners? Sure you may keep your elbows off the table and your napkin on your lap, but do you know what to do with your chopsticks in Japan? Or how to drink your vodka in Russia? Manners get more complicated when you head abroad, so in the spirit of helping you avoid insulting the locals on your next trip, check out this list of 15 surprising food etiquette rules compiled by CNN.
Making an appearance on the list is backpacker favorite, Thailand. If your food shows up with a fork, don’t use the fork to shovel food into your mouth like you would back home. Instead, when eating a dish with cooked rice, use your fork only to push food onto your spoon.
When in China, you should never, flip your fish. In China–especially southern China and Hong Kong–it is considered bad luck to turn a fish over when you are finished eating one side. “To flip the fish over is like saying that the fisherman’s boat is going to capsize,” says Dean Allen, author of the “Global Etiquette Guide” series.
And the rules are limited to food. If you are a guest at a traditional feast in Georgia, called a supra, it is important to know that it is considered rude to sip your wine. At a supra wine is drunk–the entire glass at once–only during toasts toasts.
You can brush up of your international table manners at CNN.