Yam Seng - Foochow Style

Modern day drinking in Fujian calls for some clever rituals and speech making. Most adults have the language to propose a toast.

We from Nanyang have a lot to learn from them.

Our Mr. Deng Wang Chew was good at saying all the great phrases, wishing every one good health for example.

Mr. Tiong Yong Ching is also good.

So when one man starts standing up and his his glass, he would make a little speech and every one will stand up to thank him and bottoms up.

Yam seng. Gambei.

When someone remembers to say something, perhaps already intoxicated, he will stand up and raise his glass....gives a good toast, and every one will stand up  and they will have a round of gambei.

Many people think that this ritual is to show that one is trustworthy and upright.

10 Chinese drinking rules (from Google)

1. Drink at least one glass of wine with at least every person at a table
2. Never refuse to participate in a toast, it is considered extremely rude
3. Unlike Europeans or Americans, in China it is not necessary to look someone in the eye while toasting
4. Elderly people and superiors should always be toasted first
5. 干杯 ganbei in most cases still means “bottoms up”, if you don’t want to drink the whole cup just say suiyi随意, which means „as one pleases“
6. Do not toast before the boss or host.
7. There is no need for an elaborate toast before each drink, but when adressing someone for a toast you should say 敬你一杯 (jing ni yi bei); a repectful way of offering a toast
8. If someone proposes a toast and stands up, you should stand up as well. If you toast with a superior you should also stand up to show respect (in many cases they will make you sit down again)
9. The one who proposes a toast must drink more than the person toasted
10. When proposing a toast, one should raise the glass below the glass of the person toasted, unless one is the host or boss.

Traditional way of making foochow Red Wine -= store in jars, which are called TANG. My grandmother used to say that when she was young in Keh Tou Puoh, people used to buy a whole JAR or TANG of red wine for confinement.