with the dishes which were first brought in. Going on from the meat cooked on the bones they will offer of all (the other dishes)[1]. 50. After they have eaten three times, the host will lead on the guests to take of the sliced meat, from which they will go on to all the other dishes. 51. A guest should not rinse his mouth with spirits till the host has gone over all the dishes.
11. 52. When (a youth) is in attendance on an elder at a meal, if the host give anything to him with his own hand, he should bow to him and eat it. If he do not so give him anything, he should eat without bowing.
12. 53. When eating with others from the same dishes, one should not try to eat (hastily) to satiety. When eating with them from the same dish of rice, one should not have to wash his hands[2].
13. 54. Do not roll the rice into a ball; do not bolt down the various dishes; do not swill down (the soup). 55. Do not make a noise in eating; do not crunch the bones with the teeth; do not put back fish you have been eating; do not throw the bones to the dogs; do not snatch (at what you want). 56. Do not spread out the rice (to cool);
do not use chopsticks in eating millet[3].
- ↑ This paragraph refers to a practice something like our "saying grace." According to Khung Ying-tâ, a little was taken from all the dishes, and placed on the ground about them as an offering to "the father of cookery."
- ↑ As all ate from the same dish of rice without chopsticks or spoons, it was necessary they should try to keep their hands clean. Some say the "washing" was only a rubbing of the hands with sand.
- ↑ A spoon was the proper implement in eating millet.
