In this episode, Mindy and Joeru dive into Taiwanese dining etiquette — from waiting for elders to start eating, to using public chopsticks, to why you should never stick your chopsticks straight into your rice. They also compare how dining culture in Taiwan differs from Western table manners — where everyone has their own plate and sticking to utensil order matters!

In this episode, we cover:
– Common do’s and don’ts at a Taiwanese dinner table (like waiting for elders and not making chewing sounds)
– Why sharing dishes (合菜) reflects Taiwan’s community values
– Key differences between Western “individual dining” and Taiwan’s “shared dining”
– How the idea of not wasting food leads to Taiwan’s strong “打包 culture”
– Personal stories and cross-cultural surprises from both hosts

🗣 Listener Challenge:
Next time you eat with Taiwanese friends, try noticing one table manner that feels different from your culture. Share your experience or sentence in Mandarin and tag us @bitesize.chinese — we’d love to hear your thoughts!

🎙️ The Bitesize Chinese Podcast helps you bridge the gap between classroom Mandarin and how people actually speak — with all the quirks, slang, and culture that come with it. Each bi-weekly episode is a bite-sized challenge designed to stretch your skills and bring you from intermediate to almost advanced — one conversation at a time. Tune in, take a bite, and keep growing with us! 🎧💬

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