Table manners

Su-hyeon's parents invite Jessie and Pedro over to their house for the Chuseok (Full Moon Harvest) holiday. Jessie and Pedro get a crash course on Korean table manners before going to Su-hyeon's home.

Su-hyeon: It's Chuseok holiday this week. Do you guys have plans? If not, why not come over to my house on the first day of the holiday? My parents say both of you are more than welcome.

Jessie: Oh, really? Thanks. This is my first time being invited to a Korean home.

Pedro: Me, too. This is great! I should study what to do in advance since Korean culture is quite different from Western culture.

Su-hyeon: Great. Then you guys are all coming to my house next week.

Jessie: But please tell us what we should or should not do when invited to a meal at a Korean home.

Su-hyeon: Don't worry so much about formality. Many households eat meals quite casually. But I will go over a few things so both of you know what to do.





Su-hyeon: A Korean set menu has all the dishes on the table served at once. It's different from a Western meal, which is often served as a course. In Korea, rice is placed on the left and soup on the right. The spoon is placed on the left and chopsticks on the right.

Jessie: I was quite surprised when I first saw how many side dishes are placed on the table.

Su-hyeon: Younger people usually don't hold their dining utensils and eat until the older people at the table do so. When pouring alcohol for someone older or receiving it from the latter, a person must hold the cup or the bottle with both hands. When drinking, one must slightly turn his or her back to the older people.

Pedro: I picked up on that from my social life (smiles).

Su-hyeon: Why am I not surprised? Then you also know that you shouldn't stick chopsticks in a bowl of rice or lift your soup or rice dish when eating, right?

Pedro: Of course. Sticking chopsticks in rice is done in rituals for the dead (holds his head proudly).

Jessie: Wow, you do know quite a bit, Pedro.





Su-hyeon: It seems Pedro knows quite a lot, so there's not much more for me to tell you.

Jessie: I know one. You shouldn't pick your teeth or blow your nose during a meal in Korea.

Pedro: That's right. Jessie knows her Korean table manners well.

Jessie: Yep. In Germany, it's considered rude to sniff during a meal but blowing your nose during the meal is rather common. I was quite surprised when I found out that it's the opposite in Korea.

Su-hyeon: In the past, the etiquette in Korea was to not talk during a meal. A few households are still like that, but our family likes to talk while eating.





Jessie: Pedro, let's buy some drinks and refreshments when we visit Su-hyeon's house as housewarming gifts. What do you think?

Pedro: Sounds like a plan. I thought I was going to be lonely during the Chuseok holiday, while all my Korean friends and acquaintances will spend time with their families. It feels really nice to be invited.

Jessie: I agree. It feels so good to be invited to a Korean household.

Su-hyeon: Do you guys know that the main Chuseok food is songpyeon (moon-shaped rice cake)? Let's make songpyeon during the Chuseok holiday.

Pedro: Yep, I do know about songpyeon. I heard a Korean superstition that if you make a pretty songpyeon, you'll have a pretty daughter.

Jessie: Really? Wow, you really DO know a lot.

Su-hyeon: Yep, Koreans have long said that dexterity leads to fortune. You guys can come over with no worries.

Written by Min Yea-Ji
Translated by Lee Jihae
Illustrated by Yuhaill
jesimin@korea.kr