When dining on pizza in New York City you should never use a knife and fork, while in Italy milky coffees like lattes and cappuccinos are only acceptable in the morning – and in Spain, don’t drink water with soup.
These are some of the drinking and dining do’s and don’ts revealed in a fascinating new map.
The insights were collected through Google search data of etiquette rules from over 180 countries around the world, as well as research on hundreds of cultural guides and local tips.
In Europe, it’s not just coffee etiquette travellers need to drink in.
In France, it’s a misstep to cut up salad with a knife, while in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, it’s illegal to be drunk in a pub, according to section 12 of the Licensing Act 1872. Though Remitly, which commissioned the study, points out that ‘this law is so outdated that it is rarely enforced’.
Drinking and dining do’s and don’ts have been revealed in a fascinating new map
The insights were collected through Google search data of etiquette rules from over 180 countries around the world, as well as research on hundreds of cultural guides and local tips
In Italy, milky coffees like lattes and cappuccinos are only acceptable in the morning and in Spain, don’t drink water with soup
In Scotland, you can be fined two beers if you wear underwear beneath your kilt and in Germany, one should wait for the host to say ‘guten appetit’ before tucking in, according to the research.
Across the pond, meanwhile, visitors will also need to brush up on toasting etiquette, and in Canada you should hold your glass at arm’s length when toasting, the map shows.
It also points out that Mexicans frown upon eating watermelon at night and in South America, Venezuelans will expect you to eat fruit with a knife and fork.
In Colombia, it’s a faux pas to eat with your hands, while in Bolivia married women should only ever have one glass of wine at a bar.
Moving back across the Atlantic, the map reveals several intriguing etiquette rules in Africa.
When dining on pizza in New York City you should never use a knife and fork
The map reveals several intriguing etiquette rules in Africa. In Angola, for instance, you must dress for dinner in office attire
In Malawi, it’s socially unacceptable for women to drink alcohol and in South Africa one should avoid pointing one’s feet towards food or fellow diners.
In Angola, it’s expected that you dress up for dinner as you would to work in the office, while in Kenya, visitors should expect to drink warm beer.
Journey south-west to Namibia and travellers can dine on cow stomach – it’s a delicacy there. In the DRC, it’s snake that’s considered a mealtime treat.
Middle Eastern etiquette rules unveiled by the study include liquor licences being needed in the UAE to consume alcohol at home and, in Saudi Arabia, diners not being able to start a meal until the oldest male has been served.
The study also reveals a variety of etiquette rules to observe in Asia.
In Uzbekistan, the dessert is served before the meal, it’s considered perfectly polite to burp at the table in China and in Singapore, chewing gum is banned unless one has a doctor’s note.
In Fiji, you should ask for your drink to be made ‘low tide’ if you don’t want it full to the brim, says the map
It’s considered perfectly polite to burp at the table in China and in Japan, never mix wasabi with soy sauce
Down in Australia, you can ‘eat the coat of arms’ at certain pubs – the Aussie Commonwealth sigil shows both an emu and a kangaroo and some restaurants serve them on the same plate in a quirky nod to the country’s emblem.
Over in Fiji, you should ask for your drink to be made ‘low tide’ if you don’t want it full to the brim while New Zealanders consider it perfectly acceptable to throw a barbecue without providing all the food and drinks.
Remitly, a financial services provider for immigrants, said it conducted the global study to help those moving or travelling to an unfamiliar country embrace new cultures and traditions.
Ryan Riley, VP of Marketing of EMEA APAC at Remitly, commented: ‘Visiting or moving to a new country means embracing new cultures and traditions, and it’s been great to dive deep into the research to find some of the world’s quirkier food and drink etiquette rules.
‘While some of these rules may not be strictly enforced, it’s still good to be mindful of the different expectations you may encounter on your travels.’
