The Way We Eat by Matteo Russo, Italy

Hi! We often think our way of doing things is the only way! But people do things differently all over the world. Eating together is important in every culture, but what we eat and what we do at mealtimes depend on tradition. For example, in Italy we say ‘Buon Appetito’ before we eat, but my friends in the UK don’t usually say anything! It’s really strange for me.
What people eat
People eat a wide variety of food and some of it can seem strange to us. Japanese people eat a lot of raw fish and seaweed. Millions of people around the world eat insects and grubs—they are a good source of protein. And in Mexico, they eat them as snacks. In some countries, certain food isn’t allowed. For example, millions of Indians don’t eat meat at all.
How people eat
In the Middle East and India, many people eat with their hands, but it’s very rude to use your left hand. In China and Japan, people eat with a pair of chopsticks—it’s rude (and difficult) to just use one. Usually, people don’t make noise when they eat. But you can slurp when you eat noodles in Japan. It means you like them! In Germany, break up your potatoes with your fork, but don’t cut them. This shows that they’re tender.
How people serve food
In Thailand and China, don’t put too much on your plate because it looks greedy to take a lot. And at the end of your meal, leave a bit of food on your plate. This shows that you aren’t hungry any more. But in France and Denmark, it isn’t polite to leave food at the end of the meal because it looks like you didn’t enjoy it.