Austrian food

Dear Mandy,

Thanks for your e-mail. Let me give you some informations about food and table manners in Austria and also in my family

Some typical table manners in Austria are:

• Remain Standing until you are invited to sit down. You may be shown to a seat.
• Table manners are continental - the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
• Put your napkin on your lap as soon as you sit down.
• Do not begin eating until the host or hostess says "Mahlzeit" or "Guten Appetit".
• Cut as much of your food with you fork as possible, because this compliments the cook by saying the food is very tender.
• Don't talk or slurp and don't make some other strange noises while eating
• Finish everything on your pate because that says that the food is very tasty.
• Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate.
• When you go to a restaurant you don't have to give a tip but it would be polite to give one.

In my family we eat very healthy food, but of course also the typical Austrian food which is not so healthy like "Wienerschnitzel" and "Schweinsbraten".

In my family we eat breakfast at about 6 o'clock during the week, there we drink a cup of coffee and eat a slice of bread with butter and honey.
My mother cooks our lunch which is mostly healthy like, salad with pork and things like that.
And in the evening when we have dinner we like to eat cooked vegetables.

I hope now you know a little bit more about the eating habits in Austria.
Yours,
Anna