All of us —and those who don’t are lying— have seen beautiful woman. Perhaps the archetypal film of a certain protocol in high restoration, the truth is that the film places Julia Roberts like an octopus in a garage before certain gestures when he accompanies Richard Gere to eat with his partners.
We are no longer just talking about the dance of chairs in which, every time a woman gets up from the table, the rest of the diners do the same, which may seem ridiculous even for the most obvious protocol standards.
The other gesture of protocol machismo in the restoration has to do with serving women before men. Instituted as deference in all protocol manuals at the table and kept in numerous restaurant around the worldThis educational element with preferential treatment for women by serving their food beforehand is really inconvenient for them.
It is not difficult to see why, especially if we are eating in unusually large ceremonies, banquets, or tables that require some degree of etiquette. Weddings, receptions or menus in restaurants with a Michelin star —or with claims to it— often lend themselves to, easily, serving women before (and also picking up before) dishes than men.
The truth is that this detail, if analyzed coldly, is precisely cold. Cold because by being served earlier, the risk that the dish being placed stays cold increases. On the other hand, if the men are served later, they will not have to wait to eat, since the entire table will already be served and, in addition, their dishes will not lose temperature between being served and being eaten because they will not have to wait for anyone.
Precisely the opposite of what happens when women are served first, who they have to wait until their tablemates are served —if we abide by the classic protocol of not eating before all diners have their plate— and, therefore, they risk their food staying cold or, at least, out of temper.
For this reason it is also convenient to remember that, in theory, it is not necessary to wait for the rest of the table to eat when the main dishes begin to be served, since there increases the risk of getting too cold.
Beneath that canopy of tradition, the evidence of the first courses is what urges that Let’s wait for all the diners to be served. For this reason, the first courses are usually cold —and there will be no temperature problems— or they are served very hot —like a soup— so that a slight cooling will hardly be appreciated.
Table etiquette and protocol manual (Manuals)
Curious or not, the truth is that yes we follow certain protocol rules to the letter, the reality is that a detail of apparent courtesy and deference towards women by serving them before men can end up being an obvious disadvantage at mealtime.
Beyond the detail and the gray scale of this event, in which we can cite the size of the table, the speed of the waiters or their professionalism, the truth is that having to wait for the rest of the diners to be served It doesn’t seem like a particularly detailed idea.
Images | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Carnival Film & Television
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