[erisa]

hehehe I just had to share this ...hope it's not posted before ..if you guys know some more just post it up
Some of them are pretty obvious but I guess a lot of people may forget

Table Manner

- When having a meal with the elderly, wait for the elders to hold their spoon first.

- Do not hold the spoon and chopsticks together in one hand. When using chopsticks, the spoon is rested on the table. Spoon and chopsticks are not rested on any bowl or dish. Do not hold the rice bowl or soup bowl in the hand.

- At first, taste soup or kimchi juice, and then try rice or other dishes. Use spoon for rice and foods with liquid such as kimchi, stew, or soup; use chopsticks for other foods.

- Do not make noises while eating and using spoon or chopsticks.

- Do not rummage rice or side dishes with spoon, and do not pick out what you don't like or shake off seasonings.
- Do not leave any trace of foods on spoon while eating. Pour sungnyung (boiled water in the rice cooker or scorched-rice tea) into the rice bowl, and drink it at the end.

- Use individual plate for foods served for a crowd, and also for sauces such as soy & vinegar sauce or sweet & sour hot pepper soybean paste.

- During a meal, uneatable parts such as bones or fish bones are quietly discarded by wrapping them in a paper. Do not put them on the table or floor.

- When coughing or sneezing during a meal, cover the mouth with hand or napkin.

- Try to keep pace with others by eating not too fast or too slow. When having a meal with the elderly, wait for them to put the spoon and chopsticks on the table at the end of the meal.

- After a meal, put spoon and chopsticks on the spot where they were placed first and put used napkins on the table as it is.

- When using a toothpick, cover mouth with hand.

From : tour2korea.com

[xkrndreamer]

some rules i learned or heard from the eldery when i was little. i never said it had to be in front of just the elderly. sigh

dont use your chopsticks to eat rice, use a spoon. (i do it all the time though)
dont lift your bowl off the table when eating rice.

the weird thing is, a lot of koreans chew with their mouth open or talk while food is still in their mouth.

[rigashi]

Haha yea I follow all those. But it's in front of ELDERS... not just the "elderly". o_O

It drives me INSANE when ppl pick at their food, trying to eat around seasonings or vegetables or whatnot. Show some respect and just eat it!

[Malice_Kaiser]

Hah, I'll be mauled when I got to Korea. I'm never remembering all that. X_x;

Especially the one about not picking around food. That's gonna drive me crazy.

[Jaeho]

I think Koreans are the only east Asians that consider picking up the bowl rude... i dunno. I see Chinese and Japanese people picking up their rice bowls and such.

Hmm, there are so many more table manners though... such as, when you're in front of elders/superiors, you must turn to the side to drink an alcoholic drink... and you must pour drinks with 2 hands, etc...

[siliconrex]

i remember one about don't pass food to people with your chopsticks, it had something to do with death i think.

[antokoalachan]

that's kind of like chinese rules xD
except for the spoon parts

[THiS ONE LOSER]

I am screwed if I go to Korea.
I will not be able to remember all of that! D:

[babiixj]

goodness!...these rules makes me and my family feel as if we eat like pigs..xD

[theedqueen]

I think Koreans are the only east Asians that consider picking up the bowl rude... i dunno. I see Chinese and Japanese people picking up their rice bowls and such.

Hmm, there are so many more table manners though... such as, when you're in front of elders/superiors, you must turn to the side to drink an alcoholic drink... and you must pour drinks with 2 hands, etc...

Yea, it's also vietnamese too. We just pick up the bowl and shovel food in with our chopsticks One time I was at a soondooboo place with my brother and he was doing that and I was like oh god he sticks out like a sore thumb. Oh well, I'm pretty sure they didn't mind much. I hope I don't offend anybody when I go to Korea, I'll just make sure I don't eat with elders.

[Happy_Day]

haha weird i do all that.. maybe coz i was just brought up that way, like a habit.

[Acropolis7]

The only thing I knew about in table manor Korean style is too not take a bite of food at a family dinner, until the elders of the family have choosed to. After it is ok to eat, I usaually F' up with chopsticks metal or wooden like most people who do not know how to eat with them. I felt like a barbarian when my friend invited me to his "Omma's" (misspell?) birthday feast when I was one of the only people who had to use forks to eat . Still I'm glad I learned more ettiquette Korean style than I had known previous.l

[tuxed0sam]

don't eat too much of one banchan

serve elders first

it's ok to slurp your noodles...but not over the top

in a lot of korean restaurants that have older women serving they will place plates, chopsticks and serving to men first. it will be considered disrespectful if you pass the plate to a woman ahead of you (if ur a male)

don't stick your chopsticks in your rice perpendicular to the ground. this is more of a buddhist (?) belief and many asian cultures will parallel this.

in very traditional korean-the men aren't supposed to eat the stem of the kiimchi (from pogi kimchi)

[LaZClaraBear]

my mom told me never to stick my spoons and chopsticks into the rice bowl when I was little.. I forgot why O.o

[amarynthis]

I think you're not supposed to stick anything on your rice bowl upright because it resembles incense for mourning or something?

[cutegit]

i think noone should like choose and rummage through the food.. not just in korea haha

i didnt know that you shouldnt rest the spoon or chopstick on bowls or plates cos i always do that bec i always think that the table's dirty haha

[carrotcake]

Wow I never knew this. No wonder I always feel like the odd one when I go to Korean Resturants. I'll never be able to remember this :X. I didn't even know Koreans used spoons for rice o_o;;.

[hitsuyouaku]

I think Koreans are the only east Asians that consider picking up the bowl rude... i dunno. I see Chinese and Japanese people picking up their rice bowls and such.

I've always been told to shouted at for NOT picking up my bowl because it's rude. I'd rather have the Korean rule lol.

These are interesting~. Btw, how important are these manners? Because although there are some rules I should follow no one really cares if I don't as long as I don't make a mess.

[Mo0nfairy]

I was just watching a Korean food show last night and it showed a guy picking up his rice bowl and chowing down some food. Does the rule not apply if you're eating with friends and not elders?

[dianannsano]

Hmm... I'm Vietnamese, and well I pick up the rice bowl while eating.
It allows me to keep my back straight while eating and to make sure I don't spill anything (since the bowl is closer to my mouth).

I also use chopsticks to pick up my rice as well as rest unused utensils on a plate or bowl.

Dang, I hope I don't embarrass myself when eating at a Korean restaurant, which is what I've been doing lately now.