Ispired by the soup spoon thread, especially the hilarious comments about chopsticks and bread rolls, I am curious as to dining faux pas here in Switzerland - or even in your own culture.

I'll start:

1. In my culture, chopsticks should never be crossed on the table. It represents death:


2. Chopsticks should not be left standing vertically in a bowl of rice or other food as they resemble incense and Asians are terribly superstitious when it comes to that.



Next?

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One shouldn't take a sip of one's wine until everyone has clinked glasses with everyone else.

This can take ages...

Other than that I know not to do those things, I don't know what more to say.

Oh, except that I was told that sushi should be eaten with the fingers, and not with chop-sticks!

Tom

Its acceptable to eat some types of sushi like nigiri with your hands. But sashimi only with chopsticks!

http://www.sushifaq.com/howtoeatsushi-etiquette.htm

In Canton Schwyz, one must always wipe the blood of the most recent kill off one's knife before offering it to a lady, who will use it to eat her caramel pudding.

Sashimi isn't sushi, sushi implies rice (but not always fish).

Tom

-I can't stand the slurping noise made by people while eating...

-Big no-no when someone doesn't wait for everybody to sit before to start eating.

-No talk on the phone at the table (exceptions can be made)

-Close your mouth when eating

-Do not drink directly from you soup bowl

-Don't lick your fork or knife

I probably have many others like that but they don't come up now...

Don't look surprised (or furtively cast your eyes around the room) if there is just one bottle of wine on the table for a dinner party of 16 people.

yes Tom, I knew that.

I just have one question: HOW?!

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Sorry, but it should be 16 bottles for a dinner party of 16 (at least around here).

Tom

It's hilarious how 'etiquette' changes from country to country. Here in t'mountains though table manners can be a bit ... can't find the word..
must say I find it hard not to wince when people put their knife in their mouth after spearing a bit of meat with it

OK, slight exaggeration but I remember in the early days of moving here I was slightly surprised that during most instances of going round to my husband's friends for dinner you'd get a splash of wine in a goldfish bowl-sized glass and that's it.

I'm used to it now and just ask for a top up.

And in Switzerland you must make eye contact when clinking glasses with everyone else

..... and spaghetti is eaten with a twirling fork and spoon.. outback

An old boss of mine in New Zealand, who went to some terribly posh school in the Old Country, said i should never look twice at a man who cut bread rather than "broke" it in a restaurant..

A very close friend from secondary school said never to eat food with utensils - it ruins the flavours.. (she was from India)
Oh, and never get your fingers dirty above the first knuckle! A sign of good manners

If you dont burp at the end of a meal in Samoa, you obviously didnt appreciate it.

Many places you shouldn't empty your plate. In some it is to show that you have had enough, in others, to leave some for the gods.

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interestingly, the Japanese mostly drink their miso soup straight from the bowl, and pick the ingredients inside with a chopstick.

Had a Parisian girlfriend a couple years ago, she would get upset if I tasted something from her plate.

In Ticino, we often swap plates halfway though a a course, and even my boss will offer his extras to whomever wants them!

Tom

They don't use a soup spoon?

In canton Vaud a lot of people seem to have the need to blow their noses (or try an elephant mating call, I am not sure) at the table...

And another one: When clinking your glass, you HAVE to stare the other person directly in the eyes. This seems very important here too.
I personally am more used to slamming our mugs of beer together while singing some drinking songs and ripping the meat of the bone with my teeth, but I suppose thats the barbarian in me

Yes, I always bitch at my girlfriend as she likes to slice it, and I prefer to break it!

Tom