Culture is commonly defined as a way of life a group of people live. This way of life is area specific and also different from place to place. Eating of food is one area most people lack the requisite knowledge.
Catherine Ahablame, Hospitality Manager for Ensign College of Public Health in an interview with the host of Rite FM’s Food Safety, Nutrition and Hygiene Show stressed that table manners are very important, because they are the behaviors necessary to portray when eating or at the dinner table.
She continued that Table manners are general practices that everyone eating at a table is expected to observe and every country has its own table manners, therefore table manners accepted in Africa may be different from table manners accepted in other countries.
Due to limited time, dinning periods turns to meeting grounds especially when families get home during supper time.
Madam Catherine disclosed that one important table manner is not to talk whilst eating’. “In the event that one is going to engage in a conversation, one is expected to swallow the food before he or she starts the conversation.
She stressed that one is not expected to stretch to get access to any item whilst eating at the table in the company of others. You must ask politely even if its salt or a toothpick and it would be given it to you.
Source: Nana Ama Sarfo/ritefmonline.org
