Dinner parties or banquets occur frequently in China among those who can afford to eat well. When the guests are ushered into the dinning room, four or six cold dishes will already be on the table waiting.
Before the dinner actually begins, the host goes around with a pot of warmed wine and drinks to the health of his guests. If the gathering is less formal, he simply waves chopsticks to the guests on his left and right to indicate “Let’s get started“.
When the cold dishes are over, you move on to the cooked dishes. The first four ate usually called Chiu Ts’ai or wine-accompanying dishes, for wine is drunk along with these dishes and between courses. These dishes are usually quick-fried rather than soup dishes, and may be quite dry and crisp, and particularly suitable with wine.
After the wine-accompanying dishes comes soup followed by four heavy dishes called Ta Ts’aL Most of these will be soup type, such as Shark’s Fin, Bird’s Nests and should be served in very large bowls.
With the arrival of the Fan Ts’ai—four rice-accompanying dishes, drinking which is carried on between and during all the previous courses, comes to an end. Among these plain rice-accompanying dishes, there should be a soup, vegetable dishes, and some plain meat dishes. Duck soup is one of the classics of a banquet.
Typical Chinese Dinner Parties
Cold dishes four or six, already on the table waiting
Toast warmed wine with which to drink the (46) of the guests
Chiu Ts’al four wine-accompanying dishes; quick-fried rather than soup dishes, quite (47) , and suitable with wine
Ta Ts’ai four heavy dishes; most of these being soup type; served in very (48) .
Fan Ts’ ai four (49) dishes consisting of a soup, vegetable dishes, and some plain meat dishes
Drinking carried on between and during all the (50) ; coming to an end after the Fan Ts’ai arrive
