Culinary Etiquette for Business Dinners
There are reasons people conduct business over a meal; It is a strategic way to get to know someone. How they behave before, during, and after the meal tells the host a lot about their character, professionalism, and social awareness. Whether you are dining with a recruiter, prospective business partner, or boss of several years, you should always follow the rules of proper dinner etiquette.
a. Hold your utensils correctly: There is a “right” and a “wrong” way to hold your utensils, but it depends on the culture of the people you are eating with. There are two main styles for holding a fork and knife: continental style (i.e. European style) and American style. In both styles, you hold your fork in your left hand and your knife in your right, and you use the fork to hold the food while you cut it with the knife in your right hand. Once you cut a bite, the main difference comes in.
b. Cut your food one piece at a time: No matter where in the world you are located, be sure to cut your meat or meal one piece at a time instead of cutting it into many bite-sized pieces all at once. Likewise, cut your salad into bite-sized pieces so you aren’t stuffing giant lettuce leaves into your mouth and splashing your face with dressing.
c. Do not blow on hot food to cool it down: Turns out, it is rude to blow on food to cool it down. Patience, my friend: Just let it cool down by itself.
d. Drink soup from the edge of the spoon: In many countries, the proper etiquette is to dip the spoon sideways into the soup at the edge of the bowl closest to you, then skim from the front of the bowl to the back. Then, bring the spoon to your mouth and drink the soup from the edge of the spoon, instead of putting the whole spoon in your mouth. To eat the last bit of soup from the bottom of the bowl, tilt the bowl away from you slightly to scoop it up with your spoon.
e. Eat at a medium pace: In other words, keep the ratio of food eaten equally to the others at the table. If there is a lot more food on your plate than the other person’s plate, you might be talking too much. If there is less food on your plate than the other person’s, you are not taking enough.
f. Do not overeat or under-eat: Do not overindulge, or you will garner attention in a bad way. And never ask to finish anyone else’s food. At the same time, do not forego your meal -- that does not send a great message, either. When you are done, place your utensils in the “I’m finished” position.