Quiz: are you polite abroad?

Need to brush up on your etiquette?

Read on for an in-depth lesson. (Spoiler alert! The quiz answers are below)

1. Your meal out in Paris was parfait. How much should you tip?

Glance down your bill and you’ll more than likely see the words service compris as it’s mandatory for French restaurants to include a 15 per cent service charge. If your experience was exceptionally délicieux, feel free to leave a little extra in coins or small notes on the table when you leave (aka a pourboire).

2. On the London Underground, what should you always do?

Whether ascending or descending the escalator, stand on the right and walk on the left. If you want to scream ‘tourist in London’ – as well as make urban commuters tut with exasperation – then the best way to do it is to position yourself on the wrong side. (Nor do we recommend cracking into the pungent crisps.)

3. In Italy, which coffee order after lunch might raise eyebrows?

While you’ll hear the hiss of the coffee machine all day, every day in Italy, you won’t see anyone ordering a cappuccino after the clock strikes noon. Why? It’s milky, which Italians believe slows down the digestion. Instead, an espresso-based caffeine hit is the post-prandial preference (the stronger and shorter, the better).

4. In Middle Eastern culture, which hand should you avoid using for eating?

In the Middle East, different hands have specific purposes when it comes to consumption and cleansing. Always eat with your right hand – the left hand is historically reserved for personal hygiene and therefore considered unclean. Even if you’re naturally left-handed, it’s impolite to use it for dining or passing plates of food.

5. In Japan, what should you never do with your chopsticks?

Your Japanese hosts will take a very dim view if you stand your chopsticks upright in your bowl of rice. Known as tate-bashi, it symbolises death, resembling a traditional funeral ritual when food is offered to the deceased, and is believed to bring bad luck. Incidentally, the other three answers are acceptable, polite even.

6. When drinking in Germany, what’s the correct way to clink glasses?

Whether you’re getting cosy over a glühwein, sipping a Riesling or at the biergarten with a group of ale-drinking friends, making direct eye contact with every single person you’re toasting is a must. The tradition dates back to mediaeval times, when it was believed to avoid seven years of bad luck. Prost!

7. What’s the polite way to greet someone in Thailand?

The wai (pronounced why) – two palms touching, elbows tucked in, head slightly bowed – is the customary Thai greeting. It’s a practice believed to date back to the 12th century, when it was to show you came in peace and weren’t secretly holding a weapon. For added friendliness, accompany your wai with a “Sawasdee” – the word for ‘hello’.

8. How should you best eat noodles in Vietnam?

Slurping is the norm – the Vietnamese call it húp. Eating your noodles in this manner has many advantages. It helps cool them down, while the intake of oxygen as you slurp is said to amplify the flavours. Most importantly, it’s a ‘compliments to the chef’ sign that you’re loving every second of the dish.

9. You’re buying a gift for someone in China, what should you swerve?

Giving a clock to someone in China is a sign of bad luck as it symbolises a person’s time is running out. Indeed, it is a total gifting taboo. Just as an FYI: if you’re considering a fruit basket as a present, avoid pears – they also have negative connotations of saying goodbye (the word for pear sounds similar to ‘parting’ or ‘leaving’).

10. Your Portuguese host has cooked you a meal. Do not…

In Portugal, requesting salt and pepper is seen as downright rude – how your meal is served is how the chef intended to cook and flavour it, so asking to spice it up is essentially an insult to their culinary skills. It’s the equivalent to asking for extra cheese in Italy. A sprinkle more Parmigiano on your pizza? Think again.