All food should be served and everyone seated before food is eaten by anyone, with the host taking the first bite. If a host instructs guests 'not to wait' this rule is vetoed. When eating soup, you should hold your spoon in your right hand and tip the bowl away from you, scooping the soup in movements away from yourself. The soup spoon should never be put into the mouth, and soup should be sipped from the side of the spoon, not the end. Wine glasses should be held by the stem in the case of white wines, and by cupping the bowl in the case of red wines.Wines should be served in the sequence "white before red, light before heavy, young before old", and it is impolite to ask for, or to offer, "more" wine. It is accepted that you may place your elbows on the table as long as you do not rest weight upon them. Historically it had been rude to place your elbows on the table but this formally changed in the mid-nineties. A knife should never enter the mouth or be licked. Food should always be chewed with your mouth closed. It is impolite to reach over someone to pick up food or other items. Diners should always ask for items to be passed along the table to them.In the same vein, diners who are passing items along the table should not use it on the way, but pass it directly to the person who asked. Talking with food in your mouth is seen as very rude. Food should be tasted first before salt and pepper are added. Applying garnishes before the food is tasted is viewed as an insult to the cook, as it shows a lack of faith in their ability to prepare a meal. It is impolite to slurp your food or eat noisily.
