What are the "three good and four taboos" when ordering food for a meal and what principles should be paid attention to when ordering food for a banquet?

The "three good things and four taboos" when ordering food

In our country, dietary etiquette has thousands of years of history. It can be said that there are countless "hidden rules" in it. Nowadays, there are often countless ways to prepare a standard Chinese meal. Even a seemingly simple order has many taboos and precautions. Once something goes wrong, it will make people laugh. When ordering food, there is an important issue to understand, which is the "three good things and four bad things".

The so-called "Three Excellent" refers to the dishes that are given priority. During the ordering process, some dishes must be given priority, including the following three categories:

The first "Excellent" "It is a dish with Chinese characteristics. Especially when entertaining foreign guests, this point should be paid more attention to. For example, fried spring rolls, steamed dumplings, boiled yuanxiao, lion head, kung pao chicken, Kongfu tofu, etc. Although these dishes are not expensive, they are highly praised by many Chinese and foreign guests because of their distinctive Chinese characteristics.

The second "best" is dishes with local characteristics. For example, in Xi'an, it's best to order mutton steamed buns; in Hunan, Mao's braised pork is a must; in Shanghai, braised lion's head is best; in Beijing, roast duck and mutton-shabu-shabu are worth considering. No matter where you are, there will be dishes with local characteristics. Serving some special dishes will be more popular than the same raw seafood.

The third "excellence" is the restaurant's own specialties. Almost every high-end restaurant has its own special dishes. Serving a special dish of this restaurant not only shows the owner's attentiveness, but also shows respect for the guests, making the guests feel at home. /dc54564e9258d1096b6a5d31dd58ccbf6d814dac?x-bce-process=image/resize,m_lfit,w_450,h_600,limit_1/quality,q_85

After talking about the "three advantages", let's talk about the "four taboos". When determining the menu, the dietary taboos of the guests must be considered, especially the dietary taboos of the guest of honor. There are four main taboos:

The first taboo is the dietary taboo related to religion. You must not be careless in this regard. For example, Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol; Buddhists do not eat meaty food or pungent foods such as onions, garlic, leeks, and mustard, so you must do your homework in advance.

The second taboo is food taboos that are harmful to health. For example, if the guests have heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and stroke sequelae, do not order dog meat; if there are hepatitis patients, do not order mutton and soft-shell turtle; if the guests have gastroenteritis, gastric ulcer and other digestive system diseases, they should not order dog meat. People with diseases should not eat soft-shelled turtles; if they have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, they should drink less chicken soup.

The third "taboo" is the taboo on dietary preferences in different regions. When ordering dishes, be sure to take into account the habits of people in various regions. For example, people in southwestern provinces generally like spicy food; people in the south prefer sweets; and British people generally do not eat pets, rare animals, animal offal, animal heads and feet, etc. These are all things that need to be paid attention to.

The fourth "taboo" is a special taboo against certain professions. For example, state civil servants are not allowed to eat or drink when performing official duties, they are not allowed to eat or drink excessively during official banquets, they are not allowed to eat beyond the standards set by the state, and they are not allowed to drink hard liquor, etc.; for another example, drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol during work, etc. . If you ignore this taboo, it is very likely that the other party will make a mistake.

What principles should be followed when ordering dishes at a banquet?

Everyone knows that a banquet is a pleasant thing and an effective way to enhance friendship and achieve mutual understanding. In fact, there are many principles and requirements for banquets, especially when ordering dishes.

So what principles should we pay attention to when ordering food? /b21bb051f819861809c41b0746ed2e738ad4e6b6?x-bce-process=image/resize,m_lfit,w_450,h_600,limit_1/quality,q_85

Be clear about the purpose of the banquet

Although ordering does not require too much You have a lot of experience and knowledge, but you must understand that at banquets, there are people who entertain guests on business, there are people who gather with friends, there are people who are in love, there are people who have nothing to do, there are people who reward based on merit, and there are people who win over feelings. ?Different purposes are the key factors that determine the dishes and quality. Only by clarifying the purpose of the banquet can we order dishes in a targeted manner.

You must learn to watch people order food

When ordering food, you must establish a people-oriented mentality, so watching people order food is one of the most basic principles. As the saying goes: "Know yourself and the enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without danger." Mastering the taste of guests is the primary task of ordering dishes.

Generally speaking, if you are two people going together and the other person is a female companion, you can order two cold dishes, one meat and one vegetarian, or add a high-end vegetable, a seafood, and a meat and vegetable stir-fry. That's enough. If the other person is a person who pays great attention to food and nutrition, it is best to order a small stew pot for him. This will not only make the best use of everything, but also allow him to eat with dignity.

If you are having dinner with business clients, in addition to following the above rules, when both parties are not familiar with each other, order just the right amount of food. Depending on the number of people, the dishes can be hot or cold. Proper combination of vegetables is a very critical issue, and the number of dishes ordered should be controlled to "the number of diners plus l".

Pay attention to features

Each hotel usually has several special dishes, also called signature dishes. Most of these dishes are the hotel’s specialty dishes. They taste good and the price is reasonable. too high. Whenever you go to a hotel that you are not familiar with, you might as well ask what the special dishes are, so that you can have a good idea of ??the quality of the hotel. /9f2f070828381f30a49a792aa5014c086f06f0b6?x-bce-process=image/resize,m_lfit,w_450,h_600,limit_1/quality,q_85

Pay attention to the rationality of the combination

We all know that the dishes are exquisite "All five flavors", this is the knowledge of matching. Under normal circumstances, dishes should emphasize the combination of vegetarian and meat, thick and light, dry and wet, and a variety of cooking methods, and the ingredients should not be repeated as much as possible. General cold dishes for work meals should not only include seafood and brine, but also preferably include some unique side dishes. The hot dishes must include one high-end dish, such as seafood, plus two meat and vegetable stir-fry dishes, one main dish with meat, and one dish of refreshing vegetables. Just one dish each of soup, snacks, and fruit. In addition, when ordering, you should also pay attention to the combination of high, medium and low-end dishes. Generally, if it is a gathering of less than ten people, two to three high-end dishes will be enough. It is best to have one dish that is not commonly made in other restaurants. Selecting some of the hotel's special dishes from the low-end dishes can also leave a deep impression on the guests. The host will not lose face and will not put too much pressure on himself.

Understand taste taboos

When ordering, be sure to ask the people at the table if they have any special taboos, such as whether there are vegetarians or people who do not eat beef and mutton. , those who do not eat chili peppers, or whether there are ethnic minorities, etc., be aware of it, so that you can take into account both when ordering, and no one will gorge on it; some will have nothing to eat.

How to order: order the dishes in the order they are served

The guests have all arrived and it is time to order. As the host, do you feel very confused? Faced with a variety of menus and a table full of guests, how should you order to accommodate everyone? Here, the editor of Caihuogu gives you a method of ordering dishes in the order they are served. /c8177f3e6709c93d817bfa74933df8dcd00054ac?x-bce-process=image/resize,m_lfit,w_450,h_600,limit_1/quality,q_85

The basic order of dishes in Chinese food. Although eating habits vary from place to place, some principles are still the same It has universal guiding significance.

For example, cold stir-fry first and then hot stir-fry; dishes first and then cakes, stir-fry first and then stew; taste should be salty first and then sweet, light first and then strong; dishes should be exquisite first, then ordinary and then exquisite.

Generally speaking, these principles should also be followed when ordering. When ordering, order some cold dishes first to occupy the table to avoid the table looking empty and unsightly. Generally, you can order 4 to 8 kinds of cold dishes for a banquet, and there are more than a dozen kinds.

Next, you should order some main dishes or "big dishes" according to the number of guests and the nature of the banquet, so as to establish the level of the banquet, and then you can gradually match some more ordinary dishes. The quantity of hot dishes is generally in even numbers such as 4, 6, or 8, because the Chinese believe that even numbers are numbers with auspicious meanings. For larger banquets, the quantity of hot dishes is controlled between 6 and 12 dishes. between. But for more luxurious banquets, you can increase the amount as appropriate according to the even number principle.

When ordering, you must also consider that due to cooking methods and the nature of the ingredients, the dishes ordered first may not be served first, so you must match the dishes reasonably and which dishes need to be served first. , which ones can be served later need to be communicated and coordinated with the waiter. /1b4c510fd9f9d72ae2d5e49ed82a2834359bbb84?x-bce-process=image/resize,m_lfit,w_450,h_600,limit_1/quality,q_85

When ordering, in addition to using high-end dishes to show respect for guests, you can also Order some of the hotel's specialties and signature dishes. This will arouse the interest of the dining guests and add some conversation topics at the wine table. After the main course, you can serve some desserts, and after the desserts, you can serve the main course. It should be pointed out that in a normal banquet, the main dishes are usually served on the male guests’ table later than on the female guests’ table.

In addition, you also need to refer to other people’s opinions when ordering. You can listen to the opinions of your friends who are going with you. Maybe they have been to this restaurant before, and they can provide you with some more pertinent and accurate suggestions. Constructive opinions, after all, the advice given by your friends is often worth referring to. Of course, the opinions of restaurant waiters or managers on duty are also worth listening to. After all, they work there and are relatively professional. As long as you tell them specific requirements, such as the taste and characteristics of the food, etc., they can provide you with them quickly. Several options to consider.

But remember, don’t adopt the waiter’s suggestions by yourself. Even if you are the host, you must seek the opinions of friends or guests present and make a decision when everyone agrees. Otherwise, even if It would also be very embarrassing to have only one guest without their favorite dish.