Meal Etiquette: Id vs Super Ego
The primitive beast within vs the sensitive being with cultural awareness; which one wins? Let's talk a little about each.
If you enjoyed the meal and the food was so good that you just couldn't help yourself but to lick your plate clean, go ahead, let the Id run wild; you paid for it. In most places, that is completely acceptable, if not welcomed and appreciated. However, we should also consider geography in this question. Because where you are in the world definitely makes a difference.
If you are dining in India or Japan, let the Super Ego take over. It's important to finish the items on your plate in order to let the host know you enjoyed the meal. Yet, in China, it's considered rude and disrespectful to completely finish your meal. It suggests that you weren't fed enough.
Though this question is about food, we'd like to throw in an interesting beverage tradition. In Bedouin cultures (A grouping of nomadic Arab peoples who have historically lived in the desert regions in North Africa and the Middle East) hosts will keep serving you coffee if you finish your cup. How do you stop this never-ending loop? The guest must ceremoniously shake their cup before handing it back to the server to indicate they have had enough. If only that worked at Starbucks.
In the end, you make the ultimate call on your individual dining experience. Personally, however, we want to finish the food if it's good and we're hungry. Also, wasting food is not cool. Especially when there are so many people that don’t even know where their next meal is coming from. That's our take.
Bon Appetit!
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