The Messy Side of Chinese Banquet

So here I am, getting ready for another trip to Asia with a bit of anxiety bubbling underneath. This time the destination is Shanghai! I have been there lots of times and it is a cool city. It has ultra futuristic architecture with traces of the older European influence. There are plenty of shopping options from the one time use Fauxlex to über-nice Rolex. Shanghai is also home to over 1 million foreigners so you never feel that out of place and Shanghai has the best food in China. Not just Chinese food but all kinds of cuisines. So why is a seasoned Shanghai vet like myself a bit nervous about his upcoming Shanghai stopover?

Well it is the formal banquet business dinners that get me on edge. The actual business part is fine; talking shop with my partners is easy-peasy. I also love the food, some of the best Chinese food I have had were at Chinese dinner banquets. It is the drinking and in particular the multiple gambeis that gets me nervous.

Back in my university days, one of claims to fame was my high tolerance for alcohol but that was with beer. That ability goes out the door when a China gambei (gum-bay) is calling. Gambei translated in Mandarin means “down the hatch”, and there are a few, but important guidelines about how this drinking celebration works.

• Everybody drinks. The banquet dinner is being held in your honor so it is imperative that you do not offend your hosts.
• No one drinks alone. If you want to have a sip of your drink, you must toast someone first.
• The drink of choice is Baijiu (bye-geo). It is an incredibly strong clear alcohol reminiscent of sake with an alcohol level 40-60%
• Baijiu is shot, not sipped.
• Every time you do a shot, you look into the eyes of the person you are toasting. Say or shout “gambei” and finish your shot. You then need to show your empty cup to your partner.
• You are only allowed to stop drinking when a) the host stops drinking b) you leave the banquet.

So now you are starting to see my predicament, as I was never good with peer pressure but never fear, here are a few tips/tricks I have picked up along the way if you ever find yourself behind the gambei 8-ball.

1. Don’t start the gambei game. It is best to opt out at the very beginning. Once you have committed to just one shot of baijiu, you are in for the long haul. It looks very bad if you quit halfway. If you are with a group of people from the same company, elect someone from your team to be the gambei delegate.
2. Lie. If you are uneasy about the festivities tell the host you are pregnant or are taking medication that cannot mix with alcohol.
3. Cheat. When no one is looking, dilute your baijiu with water.
4. Avoid eye contact with the gambei drinkers. If the baijiu is starting to take its toll on you, do not make eye contact with anyone at your table because if you do, you will find yourself receiving another gambei.
5. If you are a female, ask if you can have wine, beer or less baijiu. This is a common practice in China, however, ladies, you cannot flip-flop. Once you do a full shot of baijiu, it is expected of you to always do a full shot of baijiu.
6. Pace yourself. A Chinese banquet consists of 8 -10 dishes and will last at least two hours. There will be a lot of different foods swishing around in your stomach so make sure you do not go overboard. This is a business dinner after all.
7. At the end of the night drink lots of water and take some aspirin. Your body will thank you for it in the morning.

Gambei!

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations