At Lunch in the World—How to Stay Out of the Soup
Places to eat, and people to meet. Do you know what’s taboo?
© eyegelb / iStock
10 Cultural Do’s & Taboos at the Table
When you travel the world, there’s much more to dining than tasting the food. In fact, it’s the cultural dimension of the dining table (or mat) that often makes or breaks the meal. Here are 10 cultural do’s and taboos to keep you out of the soup when you’re at lunch in the world.
#1 Chile: Respect the Mealtime
In many places in Latin America, the working lunch just doesn’t work. On a business trip to Santiago, Chile, a colleague suggested that we save time by continuing our meeting over lunch.
Much to her surprise, a Paraguayan man in the meeting stood up, puffed out his chest, and insisted that lunch was the time to socialize with his colleagues, to learn about their families and their health, and...
