Proper Pakistani Dining Etiquette and Its Unwritten Rules

Every culture has its own dining etiquette, including unspoken or unwritten rules. What is respectful in one culture may seem rude in another. Case in point: not slurping while eating ramen in Japan.

So it is important that you familiarize yourself with the dining etiquette of the country you’re visiting. Read on to learn the unspoken rules of Pakistani dining etiquette:

• Mealtime

When you’re invited to a Pakistani household, you should know that the honored is the first person to be served according to tradition. Then, they’re followed by the host, the men, the children, and then the women. Under strict religious situations, men and women are asked to dine separately. These etiquette rules have also been reinvented in modern times.

• Table Manners

All guests must wash their hands at the beginning of a meal to show respect to the cook. Moreover, the host sits at the head of the table. In most Pakistani households, food is eaten with the hands, but when cutlery is provided on the table, they should be used with the right hand.

• Drinks

Both respect and honor are essential in Pakistani etiquette. You should accept drinks from the host as it is customary in Pakistani culture, even if you only want to take a few sips. It’s also important that guests don’t pour their own drinks since it is the responsibility of the guest next to them. If you pour your own drink, the guest next to you might feel disrespected.

• Eating in a Home

You must remove your shoes as you enter a Pakistani home, but this is not customary for restaurants. Also, let the senior members of your party enter any room first before you do, which is an essential etiquette in Pakistani tradition.

If you get invited for a formal meal in a Pakistani home, you’ll be asked to sit anywhere you want at the table. However, don’t sit just yet. Wait until the host gives you instructions, which comes after they are seated. More often than not, you’ll be placed at the host’s side.

• Talking Business

In Pakistani etiquette, meals are not a good time to talk business or make any decisions concerning matters of business. Wait for your Pakistani colleagues to begin a discussion about business. That should be your clue that it’s okay to discuss it. You should also wait before you can take your lead in the conversation.

• Paying the Bill

Commonly, whoever invited you for the meal should pay the bill, but the guest is often expected to show an effort to pay. Additional circumstances might also determine who pays the bill, including rank.

On the other hand, it’s also okay to make payment arrangements before having the meal so that no exchange happens at the table. It is common and is often viewed as a classy way to host. Most Western businesspeople don’t have a problem paying the bill, but it’s still better to make payment arrangements ahead of time instead of waiting till the check arrives at the table.

Conclusion

These are the unwritten and unspoken rules in Pakistani dining etiquette. The next time you’re eating out with a colleague or are invited to a Pakistani home, be sure to brush up on your dining etiquette! That should help prevent you from making inappropriate gestures.

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