In general, I don't. I'm not sure why, it's just a personal thing...if I do share, I must make an agreement with the other person beforehand so I know what's expected.

Once I had a friend just reach over to my plate with his fork and in the course of this action he tells me he wants to try my meal. I instinctively grabbed his hand and asked "what the heck are you doing?"

I know it's a great idea to share food (so people get to taste things they may want in the future), but I really don't like it. I'm okay if we "make a deal," but people who think my plate is their plate...it bugs me.

I have a feeling that men and women will give different answers.

If I'm having dinner with a business colleague that I know well, I may comment that what he's having for dinner sounds good. Often, he will offer a bite. If he doesn't, I sneak a bite when he goes to the loo.

I was in a restaurant in Vancouver and a man did not finish his breakfast and asked another diner (who appeared to be a stranger) if he wanted to finish his meal,the guy said yes and was handed the plate he scrapped the hash browns off the plate and ate the toast.At first that appeared very strange to me but after thinking about it remembered that in the 50s and 60s that was not all that unusual.To offer someone (a stranger) an uneaten item off your plate.Or when flying perhaps offering the person next to you an uneaten item off your tray.

When I'm eating with friends I consider it perfectly normal to share food, and I enjoy being able to try different things. I especially like eating out family style, so you get lots of different choices, and if you have everyone order a dish of their choice. They get their favourite + variety.

As far as offering food to strangers/receiving food. I'm usually a little less willing to do, but frankly its not that big of a deal. I'll offer my food on an airplane if its sealed--like a yogurt, or a sealed snack etc. But I won't offer something uneaten off of my plate.

At a Flyertalk dinner at Masa's in San Francisco several years back, a few of us shared each others tastings dinner. We're family aren't we.

dh

Depends, if I'm with family/friends/coworkers (we're a tight knit bunch) at a restaurant, then yea I'll ask if they want a bit of mine in exchange for theirs.

On an airline next to someone I know??? NO WAY (unless it's a hot, young, single woman who's hungry) :-)

I agree...I would never "assume" I could take a taste of someone else's selection. If it sounded appealing to me, however, I wouldn't hesitate in asking if I can sample a small bit.

If someone shows any interest whatsoever in what I'm about to eat I offer them a sample, even if I've never met them before. If they take a portion I'm much happier about accepting a taste of theirs.

I prefer this to happen as quickly as possible after being served so that any germs from people's cutlery are not included (I'll never use anything that's been in my mouth to aportion portions).

With my husband and immediate family, 'mi plato es tu plato'. My husband does take much more stuff from my plate than I do from his. The only things I can't stand sharing are especially prized morsels that I might have saved until last (so that I can fully savour them). Bugs me no end when these get filched from under my nose - thankfully not too often!

My SO and I always share and taste off each others plates. Frequently we will even just order one salad, one entree and one dessert just so we can share. I'll always offer a taste or ask for a taste if I'm interested when it's a friend or family. However at a business setting I would never contemplate sharing my food. Just seems a bit odd in that environment.

I think that when you're trying new foods that sharing is part of the fun, if everyone has ordered something different and there is an offer made. Just reaching over and taking food from a friends plate when they haven't invited it is just plain rude, and I wouldn't do that. I'd be very annoyed if a friend did it to me too.

I sometimes order sharer platters when eating out if it's food I haven't tried before. It's fun, and lets you try stuff without needing to order more than you can or want to eat.

I generaly will share if asked if I know the person well. It has to be at the start of the meal, and I WILL DECIDE what chunk/slice/whatever you will take.

In our family it is expected that no one will order the same dish at anytime so that we may try as many items as possible.

Most of my friends have adopted this attitude as well.

I would not dream of doing this in a business environment except with very close clients who I know VERY well and have dined with plenty of times and only then if it is just the two of us.

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among my close circle of friends, there will be detailed negotiations over the menu and the possibility of swapskis....if you get the veal, I'll get the lamb, and we'll switch..oftentimes these trades involve three or more people, so that the whole restaurant menu gets sampled. We also do this in my family, except for my father, who never shares; if you want something on his plate, you have to get there early and help yourself. I would not share, nor expected to share with, people I didn't know very well.

^ Luv it!! I always want to try everything on the menu, so I really enjoy "Menu Sampler" DOs!!!!

Always with friends and family. If someone else is looking at my food with those "hungry eyes" I invite them to have a little. My offer is almost always reciprocated. Then again my family has the tradition of getting desserts and passing them around the table so everyone gets to try everything.

I'm also currently in China where most food is on a lazy susan and everyone just digs in comunally with chopsticks.