When you are invited to a meal in Thailand(泰国), the words of the invitation mean "come and eat rice". In fact, nearly all Thai dishes are1 with rice, which grows there very easily2the climate is warm and there is much rain.

    The food that is served is3cut into pieces, so there is no need to use knives or forks, but instead, special spoons and forks are used. The Thais4to eat with their hands and now there are still some people who eat this way. There is a special 5of doing it. First they wash their6hands in a bowl of water they only eat with their right hands. They are careful not to let the food 7the palms of their hands. After the meal, the 8are again carefully washed.

     The meal usually has several different dishes. They are all hot. They are served in bowls which everyone shares,9each person has their own bowl of 10. As Thailand has a long coastline, it is not surprising that fish and shellfish play an important part in Thai cooking.

Manners in Different Countries

1: Don't lift your2to your mouth when drinking soup. Use a knife and fork while eating.

Japan: Don't worry about making a3when drinking soup.

Mexico: Keep your hands on the4 during the meal.

Arab countries: It is considered to be5that you eat with your left hand.

    There are many TV programs on Chinese cuisines(烹饪)now.  A Bite of China(舌尖上的中国)is a new program and it's very popular．The CCTV Channel One show began to play on May 14th，2012．It was held by the award-winning documentary maker Chen Xiaoqing．The program tries to bring something new by presenting more cultural elements related to dishes，such as eating habits and the ethics(道德)of eating．It also offers insights into the geographical，historical and cultural dimensions of what Chinese eat．It can teach us how to make the food．So the program is sure to attract both food buffs and ordinary audiences．

    A Bite of China has seven episodes(片段)．Each episode lasts 50 minutes．Themes range from ingredients to preserved food．

    Food is always connected with people．To get enough good stories，the  production team spent three months doing research and interviews in about 60 cities before they started shooting．Filming lasted about nine months．

    A Bite of China captures social changes while presenting food cultures，such as，many families leave old people in their hometowns while other members work outside，the food of their hometown can remind them of happy times．

     Chen says the seven episodes might not be enough to capture the glory of Chinese food culture．