Chinese Party Tips World at Your Table : Episode FLWYT-101
- The host of a Chinese banquet offers the first toast. If you don't drink alcohol, it is acceptable to toast with a soft drink, glass of juice or mineral water.
- Two popular Chinese toasts are ganbei, "Bottoms up!"' and kai wei, "Starting the appetite!"
- Canned lychees can be found in most Asian specialty stores.
- Longevity buns are filled with either red bean or lotus seed paste.
- Avoid white flowers for celebratory dinners because they represent death in Chinese culture.
Resources
Wing Hop Fung, Chinese herbs and gifts
Los Angeles
800-239-6888
Cost: Bamboo stalks, 98 cents each; Budda, $29; 8-sided mirror, $5
www.winghopfung.com
Phoenix Bakery
Los Angeles
213-628-4642
Cost: Laughing Mouth cookies, $13/dozen
Gilly Flowers and Events, Silverlake
3936 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-953-2910
Christian Tse, Chinese jewelry design
55 Waverly Dr # 108
Pasadena, CA 91105
626-577-9288
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