Looks like Egyptians get offended easily. So, if you are invited over for dinner and want to add more salt to your dish, dare not touch the saltshaker because Egyptians feel it is equivalent to insulting the host. Oops!
It’s a common habit to grab the salt and pepper and add a little extra flavor to your food. Salt is so ubiquitous that we think nothing of adding a dash here and there, and we certainly mean no insult by it.
In Egypt, it’s a completely different story. Salting your food in Egypt is considered a huge insult, and when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. The chef prepares your food to taste a certain way. When you add your own spices, it effectively changes the flavor, implying the dish was inadequate as presented. If there aren’t already salt and pepper shakers on your table at a restaurant, don’t ask for them. The same goes — perhaps even more so — for dining in someone’s home.
When tucking into a meal in Egypt, by-pass the saltshaker. It’s insulting to your host to sprinkle salt on your food. If you have to season your plate, it means that you find the meal’s taste repulsive. Egyptian follow customs such as bringing gifts when visiting somebody’s home, taking your shoes off before you enter the house, and using your right hand to eat and greet.
Old people are highly respected members of the community; people are always willing to help the elderly, as their respect has been earned. If there is a single vacant place to sit on public transportation, you will find that everyone invites others to sit rather than themselves, indicating respect for other people.
If you ask for salt or pepper in Egypt or Portugal, you may hurt people’s feelings. The thing is, it’s a message to the person who’s cooked a dish letting them know that it’s not tasty enough and that you need to “complete” their work.
