I used to think that finishing all the food on my plate was always a good manner. In Japan, many people are teached that we should not waste food, so I believed eating everything was a way to show appreciation to the person who cooked the meal. However, I learned that eating rules can be different depending on the country and culture.
When I visited my Chinese friend’s house, her relatives was also there, and we had dinner together. They prepared many dishes that I never ate before. The food was very delicious, so I enjoyed eating and finished everything on my plate. However, everyone looked at me with suprised expressions. I did not understand what I did wrong, so I said, “It was very delicious.” Then they looked relieved and said, “That’s good.”
Later, I learned that in some Chinese cultures, leaving a small amount of food can show that the guest enjoyed the meal and that the host prepared enough food. I was surprised because it was completly different from what I believed. I wanted to finish all the food because it was delicious, but I realized that leaving some food could also be a way of showing thankfulness.
This experience taught me that good manners are not the same in every country. Food is one of the things where cultural differences appears clearly. If I knew this rule before, I could have avoided the misunderstanding. From now on, I want to learn about different cultures and respect many ways of thinking.