Etiquette, Starts with Food and Drink

This book uses time as its axis， presenting the Chinese culinary culture from different angles， like utensils， etiquette， and delicacies. With years of cross-cultural experience and profound knowledge in classical Chinese studies， the author oscillates between profound philosophy and daily necessities， elevating Chinese cuisine to cultural heights and ultimately portraying “China on the Tip of the Tongue.”

Etiquette represents the noble， elegant， and refined essence of human civilization and is the gem of the millennia-old Chinese civilization. The Chinese nation is also known as the Huaxia nation. “China has grand etiquette， thus called Xia. The nation has beautiful attire， hence known as Hua.” From the term “Huaxia，” we can understand the deep-rooted history of Chinese ceremonial customs.

Tracing back to the origin of “etiquette，” we find it stemmed from the dietary habits of our ancestors. To say that manners sprouted from food is no exaggeration.

The formal “etiquette” originating from food might sound unbelievable， but its the truth. Globally， by the pre-Qin era， Chinas economy was relatively developed， leading to prosperity， which supported the evolution of its food culture. Along with the thriving of culinary culture， “etiquette” gradually took shape. As the saying goes， “When the granaries are full， people know decorum and honor.” Nations that emphasize and understand etiquette often have substantial economic strength. Ancient China prided itself on being a “Nation of Etiquette” because it was wealthy and powerful.

Regarding the inception of “etiquette” from food， clues can also be found within the characters morphology. The earliest form of the Chinese character， “禮” （etiquette）， was also written as “豊，” representing a vessel used in ceremonies. The lower part of the character， “豆，” denotes a tall， slender container serving meat， pickles vegetables， etc. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties， people boiled raw rice and chopped raw meat to cook， then dipped it in sauce. When delighted， they would sing and dance to express their joy. In the minds of the ancients， omnipresent deities， too， were inseparable from food. To express reverence and seek blessings， they presented food to gods in beautiful tall dishes， leading to rituals and associated ceremonies. With the maturation of ceremonial systems， the religious aspects of worship began to fade， giving prominence to etiquette culture.

The most convincing evidence for the “origins of etiquette in food” is the textual records. In the ancient texts of the “Three Rites，” the earliest ceremonial norms mostly relate to food practices. For example：

Emphasizing respect for elders and guests and adhering to principles of respecting the elderly， venerating the virtuous， filial piety， and humility. The quantity and type of food consumed werent based on appetite but on societal status and age. At banquets， younger individuals wouldnt dare drink if the elder hadnt raised their glass. If an elder of sixty years sits， those below sixty should stand beside them in service.

Eating is of utmost importance， adapting to the changing seasons. The focus is on sourcing fresh， seasonal ingredients that align with nature. Good food deserves good utensils. The emphasis on food naturally extends to its dishware . Staples， side dishes， and beverages each have distinct vessels， and people had to use them according to their societal rank， ensuring dining etiquette was followed.

The education of etiquette should begin in childhood， teaching children about manners through dining and helping them grasp the essence of courtesy. Daily etiquette emphasizes respecting parents. Through dining activities， children can learn filial piety and master the rites of venerating elders， essentially “teaching through eating.”

Knowing and observing rituals is a fundamental principle of conduct. As early as the Western Zhou period， adhering to etiquette became a standard for judging moral behavior. In Chinas earliest poetry anthology， The Book of Songs， theres a poem called Comparing Rats，” which sharply contrasts rats with humans， satirizing those who lack manners and decorum.

Food etiquette is the foundation of all rituals. The procedural， systematic， and aesthetically pleasing manners formed from food merge individual behavior， moral cultivation， and collective norms， shaping the Chinese national character. Amid pots and pans， meat and sauces， feasts， songs， and dances， “etiquette” subtly took root. Daily dining activities prompted our ancestors to ponder： How should we greet our guests？ How are seating arrangements made for guests and hosts during meals？ How should dishes be placed？ How should guests be treated at a banquet？ These dining norms that everyone needs to collectively adhere to have gradually evolved into etiquette. Passed down through generations and revolving around the central theme of “etiquette，” they have been refined and improved over time， leading to orderly harmony， dignified gentleness， and restrained spontaneity. This has culminated in the stable， distinct， and refined Chinese etiquette.

“With 300 general principles of etiquette and over 3，000 specific details”， from major etiquette standards to minor behavioral guidelines， the various rules of etiquette are innumerable. The ancient rituals， strongly hierarchical and political in nature， manifest in various ways -- in venues， objects， participants， words， actions， etc. To some extent， “etiquette” is the guiding principle for all Chinese behaviors; its a unique identifier for the Chinese. With such “etiquette，” the Chinese have elevated ordinary dining into a distinct cultural form， transforming it into an exquisite art of living. The ancient customs live on today. When we sit upright and gracefully around a table， holding our chopsticks， nobody would think we arent courteous Chinese individuals.

Mats + Seats = Banquets

Before tables and chairs， our Chinese ancestors， influenced by caveman traditions， lived in low and simple dwellings a very long time ago. Young and old would sit on the ground around a fire to eat. These living rooms functioned like a “multi-purpose hall” where people cooked， ate， slept， socialized， and worked... seamlessly shifting between a kitchen， dining room， bedroom， lounge， and office. By the Shang Dynasty， the “multi-purpose hall” began to change. Stoves were removed from the main living space， leading to the development of separate kitchens. With the kitchen separated， the freed-up space in the living area inspired our ancestors to enhance and beautify their surroundings. Floor mats and rugs， “mats” and “seats” in the old language， emerged as essential interior items of that era.

The wise ancestors recognized the importance of local materials. They found plants like cattails， reeds， and bamboo to be delicate yet robust and began weaving them into natural “mats” and “seats” for floor coverings. While “mats” and “seats” were made of similar materials， they differed： “mats” were longer and wider， covering entire rooms like modern carpets; “seats” were shorter and narrower， finer in material than “mats，” and were laid on top of the “mats，” resembling floor cushions. Though the flooring looked more aesthetic with “mats” and “seats，” their primary function wasnt just decorative; they were also used as furniture. With a “mat” laid out and topped with a “seat，” the ground looked prettier and was much more comfortable for dining. Food and utensils were placed on the “mat” during those feasts while people sat on the “seats.” As “mats” and “seats” became synonymous， they gradually merged into one term that signifies banqueting.

Since then， “banquets” have been included in formal rituals. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties， strict rules were established for “banquet” use， even down to the materials and designs. Common households used bamboo or reed mats; Royalty and nobility could use orchids， cinnamon， or ivory mats. The emperor， being of the highest stature， would use colorful cattail mats with cloud patterns and decorative edges， topped with black and white peach branch bamboo mats.

Sitting on “banquets” woven from natural plants was far more comfortable， but their use was strictly regulated. How many “seats” you could add depended on ones social status： the emperor could have five layers， lords and high-ranking officials could have two or three， while commoners could only have one. Anyone who violated these rules would face punishment. Once the “banquets” were laid out and the food and wine were set， there was still protocol to follow. People couldnt just sit wherever they wanted; they had to sit according to their status. During the Shang and Zhou dynasties， everyone， whether commoners or officials， sat on designated seats during meals. Sitting without a designated mat was considered a breach of etiquette. The “seat” was highly regarded by the ancients. If the emperor left his “seat，” it meant something monumental had occurred. For instance， during King Lie of Zhous reign， the princes vied for supremacy. The Zhou royal court seemed sidelined， losing its influence. In contrast， King Wei of Qi， portraying himself as benevolent， was the first to pay his respects， earning himself a reputation for righteousness. But when King Lie of Zhou passed away， King Wei of Qi was slow to mourn. This delay angered the new emperor， who sent a message： “The death of the former king is an earth-shattering event. Even the new emperor has to leave his seat to mourn， but you， a subordinate ruler， arrive late. This is a grave offense！” This shows that the emperor leaving his seat only happened during monumental events， like the passing of a king. The significance of the “seat，” from a dining ritual to a widely accepted societal norm， has had a profound impact on future generations. Today， the term “chairman” is still used to refer to a leader. Important positions during meetings are on the “chairmans platform.” To attend is to “be present，” while absence is “not present.” At banquets， esteemed guests are offered the “head seat.”

The origins of the banquet are intriguing， evolving from woven mats to dining venues， to exquisite food， to purposeful gatherings. To host a successful banquet， one must observe the etiquette and rituals of the banquet. Because of this unique ceremonial form， the purpose of holding a banquet transcends mere dining and becomes a culturally significant collective gathering.

Tasty Tales

Bai Song

Zhejiang Education Publishing House

September 2020

68.00 （CNY）

Bai Song

Bai Song holds a Ph.D. in Ancient Chinese Literature from Nankai University， and is a postdoctoral researcher in Ancient Chinese Literature at Beijing Normal University. Bai Songs published works include Selected Translations of Mencius among others.