Indulging in local food can be one of the best ways to get to know a place when travelling but, if you want to feel at ease in a different culture, it’s advisable to freshen up your table manners. While some nations are strictly 'knives and forks only', others prefer eating with hands – and chopsticks come with a different set of rules entirely.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover our top 30 most surprising dining customs around the world – including tipping culture, culinary quirks and how to behave at the table.

We've based our ranking on how widespread knowledge of these customs seems to be, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Surprising dining customs from all over the world