Are you heading abroad soon? Indulging in local food can be one of the best ways to get to know a place, 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. We’ve also included notes on tipping culture, where to sit and how to behave at the dining table.

The biggest food rule to follow in Chile is to not eat with your hands. Almost everything here is eaten with a knife and fork and hands should be kept above the table at all times. It’s also advisable to try and eat everything on your plate as leaving food is seen as really wasteful. 

Colombia has a fairly formal dining etiquette when it comes to eating out. Cleanliness is very important, so you’ll be expected to use a knife and fork for most dishes. If you’re served something messy, like chicken wings, you may even be given plastic gloves to eat with. Keep your hands visible, your elbows off the table and make sure to compliment the food.

Love this? Follow us on Facebook for more food inspiration

It’s generally viewed as impolite to talk about money at the table in France, so don’t split the bill if dining out with French people. It’s also customary for the person who invited you to dinner to get the bill, with the understanding that you’ll take them out for dinner in return. 

French bread is so delicious that it’s tempting to dig straight in, but breaking your bread into small pieces is the right thing to do at the table. Don’t even think about asking for butter either as you’re supposed to use your bread to mop up the food, which is seen as a sign that you’ve really enjoyed the meal.  

Another big food faux pas in France is ordering your steak well done – some chefs will even refuse to cook steak this way. So, if you’re not keen on pink meat then it might be best to avoid it altogether, or learn to love eating it “à point” like the French do, which is medium-rare. 

Eating with your hands is the norm in India, with one big caveat – you should only use your right hand. This is because your left hand is traditionally used for unsanitary functions, so it’s considered offensive to use it when eating. You should also avoid leaving food on your plate, if possible, always share food with others and never leave the table until the eldest person has finished.

In many countries across the Middle East and Africa it’s frowned upon to use your left hand when eating, and Ethiopia is one of them. Here, dishes are also served with a spongy flatbread, known as injera (pictured), which is used to scoop up food. If your dish doesn’t come with injera, it’s common to use the thumb and first two fingers (of your right hand, of course) to eat.

Parmigiano Reggiano, otherwise known as Parmesan, is a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) ingredient in Italy and can only be produced here under exacting, specific artisan methods. While you’ll find it in many pasta dishes, asking your waiter to sprinkle some on your main course, especially if it’s a fish dish, is a bad idea. This is because its strong flavour is seen to overpower much more delicate tastes, so if it’s not offered, don’t ask. 

Coffee is enjoyed after a meal in many countries, but in Italy, cappuccino is regarded as a breakfast drink and is almost never drunk after midday. It’s traditionally believed that the high milk content can wreak havoc on digestion, so if you try to order one after dinner you might even be refused. To get your post-dinner coffee fix, make like the Italians and order an espresso instead – just don’t blame us if it keeps you awake.

Considered a “distinctively Japanese custom” by food writer Motohashi Takashi, slurping one’s noodles is a practice which goes back hundreds of years. It’s thought that when soba noodles began to be sold at food stalls in the Edo period (1603–1868), they were often eaten on the go – or even standing up – so people would slurp them to finish them quickly. Today, the practice has endured, with many people believing it enhances flavour. 

Try these Japanese recipes anyone can make at home

Visitors to Japan would also do well to brush up on their sushi etiquette as there are a few key things to be aware of. Make sure you clean your hands with the wet towel you're provided and then use your chopsticks to pick up each piece – don’t think about spearing the sushi with your chopsticks though as it is considered rude. Also, only use a little soy sauce as wasting it is frowned upon, and never mix wasabi into it.

Americans travelling to Japan might get a bit of a culture shock as tipping is pretty much unheard of here – it’s actually seen as insulting. Japan is one of the few countries where the service is included in the price of the meal, so you needn’t add anything extra. The same goes for taxis, hotels and spas. 

On the flipside, not tipping in America is extremely rude, and that’s because waiters and bar staff earn a large chunk of their wages from tips – avoiding this extra addition is like suggesting the service was so bad it doesn’t warrant pay. The amount you tip is important too. While in many countries 10% will suffice, in America it’s advisable to leave at least 15% of your total bill, or 20-25% for especially good service.

If you turn up for dinner at around 6pm in Mexico then you might encounter a pretty empty restaurant as most people don’t eat their evening meal until around 9pm. Meanwhile, when eating street food, no cutlery is needed – use your hands or a tortilla as a utensil instead. 

Now check out our tasty Mexican recipes for midweek meals

In Egypt, it’s considered impolite to refill your own glass at dinner. Instead, you should refill your neighbour’s glass for them – if it is less than half full then it needs refilling – and they will refill yours in return. This is also a country in which you must eat with your right hand, most of the time using bread like a utensil to scoop up the food, while leaving a small tip after a meal is always a good idea. 

Unless there are salt and pepper shakers on the table, don’t ask for extra seasoning while dining out in Portugal. If the restaurant chef thinks you're suggesting their food is under-seasoned then it’s seen as an insult, so if you do find your meal bland, you’d be better to just suck it up. 

As is the case in many Asian countries, Thai cuisine is centred around sharing lots of dishes, which gives the added bonus of being able to savour many delicious tastes. While we’re at it, it’s common to let someone else around the table fill your plate, but if you do serve yourself, don’t pile your plate high. Last of all, try not to rest your elbows on the table as it is seen as rude. 

You could end up waiting a long time to be seated in German restaurants as its customary to seat yourself at a table. The only exception to the rule is in particularly high-end dining establishments, where there may be a sign at the door requesting you wait to be seated. Don’t bother asking for tap water here either – still or sparkling bottled water is the norm.

Morocco is a Muslim-majority country so the practice of sitting and eating on the floor – which is an important sunnah or teaching in Islam – is followed by many restaurants here. It originates from the prophet Mohammad, who is said to have sat and even slept on the floor throughout his lifetime. Today, many eateries will have low tables and cushions for guests to sit on. 

In many South American nations including Argentina and Bolivia, topping up your neighbour’s wine glass with your left hand is seen as a sign of hostility. You should also avoid pouring it backwards into the glass for the same reason. Our advice? Leave it to your host or hostess to do the honour. 

While it may seem like you’re getting short-changed, in Kazakhstan it’s traditional to be offered a half full cup of tea. The practice is meant to ensure your tea stays warm at all times, as well as allowing you to interact with the person who is pouring it. Meanwhile, bread has a sacred place in Kazakh culture and is served with almost every meal, according to West Meets East in Kazakhstan by Thomas E. Johnson.

While sipping your wine might seem polite in many countries, this isn’t the case in Georgia, where it’s customary to wait for a toast at a traditional supra feast – and then drink your glass in one go. As well as this, try to eat all the food on your plate and expect seconds – and even thirds – to be offered once you’ve finished. 

Discover what breakfast looks like around the world

Many Westerners come unstuck when attempting to use chopsticks for the first time, but once you’ve mastered the correct grip, there are a few other dining customs you need to remember. In China, you should never cross your chopsticks on your plate as this is seen as a symbol of death, and don't stick them upright in a bowl of rice either as this is associated with funeral rituals and read as a bad omen. 

If you’re served a whole fish while dining out in China – which is very common, especially at New Year – you should never flip it over. This is because it’s associated with fishermen’s boats capsizing and is considered a symbol of bad luck. Instead, remove the backbone and set it aside to get to the flesh underneath.

Now discover how to cook fish perfectly every time with these top tips