Eating with your mouth closed

In Bon Ton, one of the pillars of good table manners is: eating with your mouth closed and without making noise. The one our grandparents taught our parents and they taught us; a practice that is handed down from father to son and that must never be forgotten.

Unfortunately, it is not so obvious. It should be almost natural, like breathing, but it doesn’t seem to be. And then, we are forced, and all too often, to be victims of annoying images of which our interlocutor in front of them is the main actor, who, not at all intimidated, continues to offer us the vision of the mechanics of his chewing.

If we were to do a survey, how many are those you know who, unfortunately, do not close their mouths while chewing? Probably more than you think; What if it were us too? So, if we are among these, first of all let’s put ourselves in the shoes of those who have to put up with us at breakfast, lunch and dinner and do not have the courage to express their discomfort and disappointment. And as we enjoy our lunch, let’s remember that the noises we make are certainly not in keeping with our ears. Seeing a mouth that turns into grimaces, causing unbearable noises and visions from the circle of hell, is certainly not something to be proud of.

It is vitally important, however, not to think that this rule should only be respected when you are in the company of others and that, therefore, when you are alone you are allowed to do what you want. Nothing more wrong. In fact, eating with your mouth open is a bad habit that comes from continually doing a wrong action and which, in the long run, we don’t even realize anymore. For this reason, when we are alone, even more so, we must practice this way, when we are in company, we will behave naturally and spontaneously in being perfect diners.

And then, if taken by the heat of our chatter we do not realize that we are eating with our mouth open and that therefore it could happen to smear our neighbor with parts of food that we project from the mouth, we think of the wise Commissioner Montalbano, who preferred to eat from just to enjoy the food and when he was in company, the chat was relegated to the end of the meal.

The noises made with the mouth also include blowing on hot dishes, sucking noisily, perhaps spaghetti, for fun, which would involve, in addition, various splashes of sauce; or, through its “suck”, remove food stuck between the teeth. Obviously, the use of the toothpick is NEVER allowed; better get up and go to the bathroom. And, last but not least, “belching” for which any justification such as “in Arab countries denotes good manners”, “if you don’t do it, it means that we have not appreciated the food!” Is not credible. Unless we are in international waters or in the country where that label applies, or we are sitting with Shrek who argues “better out than in”, any excuse is undoubtedly groundless. Keeping our mouths closed always equates to common sense and discipline, and in addition to making us refined and elegant at the table, it will also prevent us from being able to say nonsense for which we might regret it tomorrow.