table manner of Indonesia and America

 

The Different of  Eating Habit Between Indonesian and American

The Different Fish Different Pool, this quatation is suitable for this topic. We know that every country or nation has different culture, language, and etc. For those differences We can learn a lot of knowledge which can help us when we have to study in abroad. Not only help us for our study and built our background knowledge but also it can help us to overcome shock culture problems. It is not so difficult to learn about another culture, we can study it from cross cultural understanding.

Cross cultural understanding simply refers to the basic ability of people within business to recognise, interpret and correctly react to people, incidences or situations that are open to misunderstanding due to cultural differences. The fundamental intention of cross cultural training is to equip the learner(s) with the appropriate skills to attain cross cultural understanding.

One of the following aspects that can be analyzed for cross cultural understanding is how they eating habitual are. As we  know that every people or ethnics has different kinds of diet and table manner, we can infern that it is easy to identify or analyze the different of eating habit between American and Indonesian.  Actually, there are some equivalen in nutrition management to fulfil their needs, but they have differences in diet and table manner.

            Firstly, in this article I’d like to explain about the different between American and Indonesians diet.

a.       Americans diet

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are jointly issued and updated every 5 years by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They provide authoritative advice for Americans ages 2 and older about consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices, and being physically active to attain and maintain a healthy weight, reduce risk of chronic disease, and promote overall health.

What is a "Healthy Diet"?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describe a healthy diet as one that:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products;
• Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and
• Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/dietary-guidelines.html

            In America there are some specific food that will be served in resturant or party. Each food has different characteristic and different way to eat them. Here they are some Americans food :

Appetizers, Hors d'oeuvres, Canapés: Food that is served at a cocktail party or during a pre-meal cocktail hour is intended to be eaten with the fingers. This includes olives, pickles, nuts, canapés, deviled eggs, and chips.
Artichokes: It is both proper and polite to pluck the leaves with your fingers, leaving fork and knife aside for now.  Pull off a leaf, holding it by the pointed end. Put the other end in your mouth and pull it between your teeth, scraping the length of the leaf (the edible portion of the leaves becomes greater as you get closer to the center of the artichoke).
Asparagus: Most etiquette books say that you can eat whole asparagus spears, without a sauce, by picking up with your hand. However, if you do this at a restaurant or dinner party, you will draw strange glances. Be safe and use your knife and fork to cut and eat them. Only pick asparagus up with your hands if the hostess does.
Avocado:  If the avocado is served in its shell, it is eaten with a spoon. If it is sliced on a plate or in a salad, eat it with a fork.
Bacon:  Bacon can be consider finger food if it is dry, crisp, and served whole. If bacon is broken into pieces, served in thick slices, or cooked but still limp, it should be eaten with a knife and fork. The rule is simply that bacon with any fat on it should be eaten with a knife and fork.
Berries: Generally, eat berries with a spoon, whether they have cream on them or not.
Bread: Use your fingers to remove bread from the serving plate. When a bread and butter plate is on the table, use it appropriately. Break slices of bread, rolls and muffins in half or in small pieces never larger than one bite. Butter each bite at a time. Small biscuits do not have to be broken. It is never appropriate to cut a roll with a knife.
Caviar:   To preserve the full flavor of caviar, scoop it out using mother-of-pearl utensils, and NEVER use a metallic spoon metal oxidizes the eggs), which will create an unwanted (and pretty horrid) metal bite. If necessary use a wood or plastic spoon.
Cheese:
Informal Meal: When sliced cheese is served as an accompaniment to a dish, such as apple pie, it is eaten with a fork.
Appetizer: If cheese is served as an appetizer, such as cubes on toothpicks, it is eaten with fingers. If served a wedges of cheese, such as on a cheese plate, a slice of cheese is cut from a wedge, placed on a cracker, and brought to the mouth with the fingers.
Chicken:  It once was acceptable to pick up food on a bone, such as chicken, if it could be held with two fingers. I don't recommend that you do this in a public setting. When dining at the restaurant or in a public place, chicken should always be eaten with a fork and knife.
Chips and Dips:  If you really like the dip served, and need every part of your chip covered in it, use a spoon and place some dip on your plate. Do not double dip!

Clams and oysters in the half shell: Hold the shell with the left hand and lift the clam out using your oyster fork.
Corn on the Cob: Corn on the Cob is usually not served in a formal setting, but if it is, it is perfectly acceptable to pick it up and eat it.
Crab, shrimp and lobster cocktails: These are always eaten with a cocktail fork.
Crab/lobster claws: Crack them with a nutcracker and the meat taken out with an miniature or oyster fork.
French Fries:  In a fine dining restaurant, use your knife and forks. When dining at a dinner party and the setting is very formal, you should use a fork. The best tactic is to watch what your host or hostess does, then do the same.
Olives: Generally, olives are considered a finger food. It is perfectly acceptable to pick up and eat an olive with your fingers. Remove pit with your fingers. If you prefer not to use the finger method, use a small fork to stab olive and remove olive from your mouth.
Pasta or Spaghetti: The perfect method for eating spaghetti or other long stringy pasta is to twirl it around your fork. Use a spoon to help if needed.  It is also acceptable to cut pasta with a knife and fork. You can get some leverage by turning the pasta while holding the tines of your fork against the edge of your plate. It's even correct to neatly cut the pasta if twirling is too hard.  What is undeniably bad manners is slurping in a mouthful of trailing pasta without benefit of twirl or knife. It's often loud, and it's never pretty. If possible, serve warm pasta in warm, shallow bowls instead of on dinner plates. The sides of the bowl aids in turning pasta noodles on the fork. 
Potatoes: Baked potatoes are most often served already slit. If not, cut across the top with a knife, open the potato wider with your fork, and then add butter, sour cream, chives, salt, and pepper to taste.
Risotto:  Using a fork or a spoon, push the grains of cooked rice out slightly toward the edge of the bowl, eating only from the pulled out ring of rice.
Salad: If you are served large pieces or a whole wedge of lettuce, cut one bite at a time, using the knife provided.
Sandwich:
Small Sandwiches: Such as tea sandwiches or canapés, may be picked up and eaten with your fingers.
Large Sandwiches: If not cut in halve, should be cut with your knife before lifting and eating.
Hot Sandwiches: Any hot sandwich  or open-face sandwich that is served with a gravy requires a knife and fork.
Wraps: Such as burritos and other sandwiches in which the filling is wrapped in thin flat bread (usually tortillas or pita bread) are eaten with the hands. Any sandwich filling that falls from the sandwich to the plate is eaten with a fork.
Shish-kabob:
Appetizers: Shish kebab are eaten directly from the skewer only if they are served as an appetizer.
Dinner Entree: Hold the tip of the shish-kabob in one hand and use the dinner fork to remove the pieces with the other. When all the food has been removed from the stick, place the emptied skewer on the edge of your plate. Always eat the meat with your utensils.
Shrimp:
Shrimp Cocktail: If large shrimp are served in a stemmed glass, pick them up with an oyster fork or whatever fork is provided and bite off a mouthful at a time, dipping into the sauce before each bite.
Large Shrimp: If large shrimp are served on a platter with sauce and no fork, pick up with your fingers, dip into sauce and put to your mouth. When eating shrimp with the tail still on, hold the shrimp by the tail and dip it into the sauce once. Eat it in one bite if it is not too large. Otherwise, eat it in two bites. Do not dunk the second bite into the sauce! Then discard the tail as you would olive pits or toothpicks.
Soup: Dip the spoon into the soup, moving it away from the body, until it is about two-thirds full, then sip the liquid (without slurping) from the side of the spoon (without inserting the whole bowl of the spoon into the mouth).
Sushi: At most sushi bars, the waitress will offer a hot towel to wash your hands so you can pick up sushi with clean fingers. At home use hot washcloths. With your Sushi order, you will be served some pickled ginger, a small mound of wasabi, and soy sauce. Eat a slice of pickled ginger after each variety of sushi to cleanse your palate. It is not proper to mix the wasabi with the soy sauce.

b.      Indonesians diet

If we compare between Indonesians and Americans diet, there will be find a lot of the differences and the same both of them. Here they are some Indonesians diet:

Most Indonesians eat rice as the main dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact some Indonesians feel they don't eat a meal unless it is rice. There is a joke that says, even if you have eaten a loaf of bread, you are still hungry. It's gotta be rice! Other Indonesians are fine with bread or noodles. For those Indonesians who have been abroad, they got used having breakfast with bread.

Indonesians eat rice a lot. Lunch, for example, you'll see people with a plate full with rice and a piece of chicken, or fish, or eggs and "sambal" (chillie souce). Indonesians like to eat hot (as in spicy) food. I mean really really really HOT. I would say it is hotter than Mexican food. Even we put chillie in pizza!!! (It's wierd to me. But then again, I am the wierd one ... I cannot eat spicy/hot food!.) If you order food, make sure you say no chilly or no spicy. Otherwise, the default is HOT! There was a friend from Netherland who think that he can handle hot food. (The Dutch like spicy food too.) Boy, he was wrong. He spent two days in his hotel to recover the stomachache.
Each area in Indonesia has its own traditional food and custom. Here is a list of some of them.

• Sundanese ("orang Sunda") in West Java likes to eat fresh vegetables and sambal. There is a joke that says you can leave them in the garden and they will be fine. Sundanese like to drink tea without sugar. So don't be surprised when they offer you tea but not sweat. Ask for sugar.
• Javanese likes to eat sweet. Tea will be sweet.
• Padang (West Sumatra) likes to eat hot/spicy food. They are famous for their spicy food and fast delivery. The waiter can bring dozens of plates with various dishes with his two hands (like juggling) in one trip. You'll eat whatever you like and at the end of meal the waiter will calculate the price. You'll find "Rumah Makan Padang" (Padang restaurant) everywhere in Indonesia. We think that there must be a Padang restaurant on the moon.

Secondly, this article will explain about Indonesians and Americans table manner.

a.       Americans table manner

Table manners play an important part in making a favorable impression. They are visible signals of the state of our manners and therefore are essential to professional success. The point of etiquette rules is to make you feel comfortable - not uncomfortable.

 Making Restaurant Reservations: Restaurant reservations are like any other appointment. If you make a reservation, stick to it. Call ahead if you’re going to be more than 15 minutes late, and cancel as far in advance as possible if your plans change so that someone else can get a table. Some restaurants take credit card numbers to hold reservations and charge no-show fees.

 How to use napkins:  

In a restaurant:As soon as you are seated, remove the napkin from your place setting, unfold it, and put it in your lap. Do not shake it open. At some very formal restaurants, the waiter may do this for the diners, but it is not inappropriate to place your own napkin in your lap, even when this is the case.

At a private dinner party:  The meal begins when the host or hostess unfolds his or her napkin. This is your signal to do the same. Place your napkin on your lap, completely unfolded if it is a small luncheon napkin or in half, lengthwise, if it is a large dinner napkin. Do not shake it open.

When to start eating: 

In a restaurant:Wait until all are served at your table before beginning to eat.
 At a private dinner party:When your host or hostess picks up their fork to eat, then you may eat. Do not start before this unless the host or hostess insists that you start eating.

Use one of two methods when using the fork and knife:

American Style: Knife in right hand, fork in left hand holding food. After a few bite-sized pieces of food are cut, place knife on edge of plate with blades facing in. Eat food by switching fork to right hand (unless you are left handed). A left hand, arm or elbow on the table is bad manner.

General Social and Dining Etiquette Rules:

Dress Code: Follow whatever dress code is requested on the invitation or suggested by the host/hostess.
Arrival Arrive at least 10 minutes early unless otherwise specified. Never arrive late!
Hostess Gift: It is proper to bring a small hostess gift, one that the hostess is not obliged to use that very evening. Gifts such as flowers, candy, wine, or dessert, are not good hostess gifts, as the hostess will feel that it must put it out immediately. You must not never expect your gift to be served at the dinner party.
Seating: At a dinner party, wait for the host or hostess sits down before taking your seat. If the host/hostess asks you to sit, then do. At a very formal dinner party, if there are no name cards at the table, wait until the host indicates where you should sit. The seating will typically be man-woman-man-woman with the women seated to the right of the men.
Prayer: A prayer or 'blessing' may be customary in some households. The dinner guests may join in or be respectfully silent. Most prayers are made by the host before the meal is eaten.
Toast Sometimes a toast is offered instead of a prayer. Always join in with a toast. If the host stands up during the toast, also stand up.
End of Dinner: Serving tea or coffee signifies that the formal part of the evening is over. Guests may now feel free to leave, or linger if the host or hostess encourages them to do so.
Thank You Note: After a formal dinner party, a thank you note should be sent to the hostess. Depending on how well you know your hosts, a telephone call is also acceptable.


Eating:
Do NOT talk with food in your mouth! This is very rude and distasteful to watch! Wait until you have swallowed the food in your mouth.
Always taste your food before seasoning it. Usually the hostess has gone to a lot of work making sure the food served is delicious to her standards. It is very rude to add salt and pepper before tasting the food.
Don't blow on your food to cool it off. If it is too hot to eat, take the hint and wait until it cools.
Always scoop food, using the proper utensil, away from you.
Cut only enough food for the next mouthful (cut no more than two bites of food at a time). Eat in small bites and slowly.
Do eat a little of everything on your plate. If you do not like the food and feel unable to give a compliment, just keep silent. It is acceptable to leave some food on your plate if you are full and have eaten enough. If the food served is not to your liking, it is polite to at least attempt to eat a small amount of it. It is never acceptable to ask a person why they have not eaten all the food. Don't make an issue if you don't like something or can't eat it - keep silence.
Even if you have dietary restrictions, it is inappropriate to request food other than that which is being served by the host at a private function. If you have serious dietary restrictions or allergies, let your host know in advance of the dinner.
Do not "play with" your food or utensils. Never wave or point silverware. Do not hold food on the fork or spoon while talking, nor wave your silverware in the air or point with it.
Try to pace your eating so that you don’t finish before others are halfway through. If you are a slow eater, try to speed up a bit on this occasion so you don’t hold everyone up. Never continue to eat long after others have stopped.
Unfold your napkin and place it on your lap within 1 minute of sitting at the table to dine. When you are finished with your dinner, place it loosely on the table, not on the plate and never on your chair.
Keep elbows off the table. Keep your left hand in your lap unless you are using it.
Do not talk with your mouth full. Chew with your mouth closed.
Guests should do their best to mingle and make light conversation with everyone. Do not talk excessively loud. Give others equal opportunities for conversation. Talk about cheerful, pleasant things at the table.
Don't clean up spills with your own napkin and don't touch items that have dropped on the floor. You can use your napkin to protect yourself from spills. Then, simply and politely ask your server to clean up and to bring you a replacement for the soiled napkin or dirty utensil.
Loud eating noises such as slurping and burping are very impolite. The number one sin of dinner table etiquette!
Do not blow your nose at the dinner table. Excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room. If you cough, cover your mouth with your napkin to stop the spread of germs and muffle the noise. If your cough becomes unmanageable, excuse yourself to visit the restroom. Wash your hands before returning to the dining room.
Turn off your cell phone or switch it to silent or vibrate mode before sitting down to eat, and leave it in your pocket or purse. It is impolite to answer a phone during dinner. If you must make or take a call, excuse yourself from the table and step outside of the restaurant.
Do not use a toothpick or apply makeup at the table.
Say "Excuse me," or "I'll be right back," before leaving the table. Do not say that you are going to the restroom.
Whenever a woman leaves the table or returns to sit, all men seated with her should stand up.

b.      Indonesians tabble manner

Dining etiquette for utensils. In Indonesia, spoons and forks are used (never knives), or no utensils at all (mainly in more traditional Muslim restaurants). If you need to cut things, use the side of your spoon first, then move on to the fork, if necessary (most foods already come precut). Since the spoon is more important than the fork, if you are right-handed, keep the spoon in your right hand and put it down to switch to the fork if you need it. Dining etiquette for using your hands. Wash your hands before and after you eat. Use your right hand when picking up and eating food, never your left hand, Keep your left hand at your side. Do not place your left hand on the table, and do not pass food with your left hand. When eating "banana-leaf" food, reach into the rice, take some with your fingers, gently roll it between your index and middle fingers and thumb into a self-sticking ball, dip it into the sauce, and mix it with a vegetable or a piece of chicken, then pop the whole thing in your mouth.

Dining etiquette for seating. Men and women may be asked to dine separately. The most honored position is at the middle of the table, with the second most important person seated next. This means that the host will sit at the middle of the table on one side, and the honored guest in the middle on the other side, opposite the host. The honored guest sits on the side of the table farthest from the door. (This is the same at business meetings, with the key people sitting in the middle, flanked on either side in descending order by their aides, with the least important people sitting at the ends of the table farthest from the middle, and closest to the door; the arrangement is mirrored on the other side, because the rules of hierarchy demand that everyone must be able to speak with their opposite peers and those who rank below, but those below cannot speak with those above.)

Dining etiquette for beginning to eat. Do not begin to eat or drink until the oldest man at the table has been served and has begun.

Dining etiquette for restaurants. You may be required to share a table. If so, do not force conversation: act as if you are seated at a private table. Dining etiquette for discussing business. Take your cue from your Indonesian associates: if they bring up business, then it's okay to discuss it.

Dining etiquette in the home. Remove your shoes. Allow the more senior members of your party to enter rooms ahead of you.

Dining etiquette for paying the bill. Usually the one who does the inviting pays the bill.Dining etiquette for tipping. Tipping is not found in Indonesia.

That is all of the explanation about the differences of eating habit in America and Indonesia. By this article, we hope that if we are going to abroad we do not feel shock culture.

REFERENCES

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Menu/DiningEtiquetteGuide.htm

http://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table-etiquette/pacific_dinner_etiquette/indonesian.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=american+table+manners&client=firefox-

http://indonesia.elga.net.id/indoway/food.html

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/dietary-guidelines.html

http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/changing_american_diet_13.pdf

REPORT

ARTICLE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES

 BETWEEN AMERICANS AND INDONESIANS EATING HABIT

This Article is submitted to fulfil final project

For subject

Cross Culture Understanding

Lecturer: Mrs. Dr. Erna Eftanti, S.S., M. Pd

Tulungagung, December 10^th 2013

Presented by:

Khoirotin Ni’mah           2813123090

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT 3-C

STATE ISLAMIC COLLEGE OF TULUNGAGUNG

ACADEMIC YEARS 2013/2014