Comments on: Not Another China Year in Review – 2011

By: Chrisinguam

Chrisinguam — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:42:20 +0000

That was a joke!
the way I have always experienced this is that in a formal dinner setting the rice is served last. In a small family lunch or supper, you get a bowl with rice. You then pick the various and sundry morsels of pork, beef, duck intestines, mushroom, seaweed, or whatever, place them on top of your rice and eat them mixing with the rice.
Chrisinguam

By: Cindy

Cindy — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:00:05 +0000

The “sincerely apologize for bringing rice at the end of a meal” left me a bit confused……Hi, Ozymandias, I think that when rice is served in a meal vearies in cities of China. For example, in my hometown Baise (a city located northwestern Guangxi Province), people always serve and have rice and dish at the same time, or have a small bowl of delicate soup to warm up stomach first sometimes, however, in Guilin (the world-famous tourist city located in northeastern Guangxi as well as the city I’m living and working in now), it’s quite the contrary! Guilin people are keen on various hot-pots all year round and it seems that they don’t care whether there is rice or not… Because of this distinct dining habit, my poor stomach was tortured for many times. Hence, every time before going dining with my friends and colleagues now, I would make a question clear: Is rice available?

By: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Chris Devonshire-Ellis — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:57:59 +0000

Rice is traditionally served at the end of the meal. It always messes with newbie expats heads. Hence the mirth. – Chris

By: Ozymandias

Ozymandias — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:27:50 +0000

The “sincerely apologize for bringing rice at the end of a meal” left me a bit confused. There does appear to be a tradition somewhere in China (perhaps not always honoured) that rice is only served after people have stopped quaffing alcohol with their food. So is it possible that the waitress didn’t actually forget to bring out the rice; she was actually operating according to this unexpressed protocol — that is, don’t bring the rice out until the diner says it’s time? Just a thought…

By: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Chris Devonshire-Ellis — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:26:58 +0000

“sincerely apologize for bringing rice at the end of the meal”
Ha ha ha
CDE