If you have gotten into relishing Korean food by watching K-Dramas, you must have picked up some table manners. Since South Korea and India are both Asian countries, you must have witnessed quite a few similarities between their eating habits and table etiquette. For example, in both countries, talking with a mouth full of food is considered a bad habit.
You have to be even more caught up with the dining rules if you are planning to visit a Korean restaurant in India or abroad. You don’t want to make the mistake of doing something that is not part of Korean culture and get frowned upon. Here is a short guide for you.
Don’t Lift The Bowl
Have you seen Korean actors eating with a bowl in their hands? They will always be seated at the dining table and use their spoons and chopsticks to bring the food closer to their mouth. It is only until the end, people lift the bowl to gulp down the soup or stew. Koreans don’t promote picking up plates and bowls from the table.
Don’t Stick Chopsticks Upright
Whether you are in Korea or any Korean restaurant, don’t ever try to stick the chopsticks upright down on rice or even meat. Upright chopsticks on rice are among the funeral rituals, and hence, if you do it in a restaurant, even in a playful manner, it will be considered disrespectful. If you need to put the chopsticks down, keep them in the bowl or place them across it. Some restaurants will give a chopstick rest as well.
Drink With Two Hands
While in the rest of the world, people cheer, raise a toast, and gulp down their drinks, Koreans are different. This is something widely shown across K-Dramas as well. Actors often use both to hold the glass and drink, especially when an elder is pouring the beverage. They also tilt their heads sideways and cover their mouth out of respect.
Use Chopsticks Properly
In most cases, Koreans use chopsticks to eat side dishes and spoons for stews, soups, and rice. You will not find them using the two pieces of cutlery at the same time. Neither will they leave a spoon and chopsticks crossed on a plate. Both these gestures are frowned upon. You must know what cutlery is for eating what kind of food.
Serve Others Before Yourself
It is one of the etiquettes in India as well. Once you are seated at the dining table with your friends and relatives, you must serve others before you serve yourself. This rule is especially followed when there are elders in the family. This manner also extends to when you are drinking. First, you will pour the drink for the people you are sitting with or elders, then, pour some for yourself.
Eat At The Same Pace With Others
While it is acceptable to eat in a hurry now or in K-dramas for a particular scene, the table manners say that you should eat with others at the same pace so that everyone finishes together. This does not put pressure on slow eaters to gulp down their food and allows everyone at the table to indulge in an interesting conversation.
Don’t Waste Food
No matter which you are in, every elder will ask you to serve yourself a small portion of food so that it does not go to waste. The same is the case with Korea. If you are hungry, you can ask for second servings but if you have served yourself a large amount of food and cannot finish it, you will invite stares from others in the same restaurant.
Thank The Host
It is not just Korea but most Asian cultures, as well as communities across the globe, that promote thanking the host for their effort to feed you. Whether at someone’s home or a restaurant, you must always say a few words about the food and host and not leave without thanking them. It is counted as a common courtesy.