I have a question for our American colleagues on the forum. Do you eat very little?
I've been working with Americans for the last 6 years and one thing I've noticed is that they eat very little. They will say the food is delicious, but they just nibble at it and leave most of it on the plate. I can't say all my American colleagues do this, but I've noticed it frequently enough that it sparked my curiosity.
So is this usually how you eat? Or maybe my colleagues just don't like our food, but are too kind to say so?
I second what TastyReuben said, sounds like picky eaters being overly polite.
Your story reminds me of a somewhat related incident that happened to me in Japan in 2019. I am
that guy who eats everything in sight and plenty of it, but on this trip I was on antibiotics for bronchitis and even though it didn't stop me from eating, it dulled my appetite. On the last couple days of the trip, we stayed at a fabulous Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) which includes a 14 course dinner
Some of the courses are small appetizers of raw seafood, which is not usually a problem. Somewhere around the 8th course, I had to stop eating. I spent the next 15 minutes trying to explain in my very limited knowledge of the Japanese language that I was full. The attendant, who had very limited knowledge of English, then conferred with the manager on duty, who asked if the food made me sick and if I needed them to call a doctor. They were not trying to be rude, they were genuinely concerned! After a few more bows and apologies on both sides, my wife finished the meal while I took pictures of the platings and kept her company. Maybe I had acquired some measure of Japanese manners, because I felt considerable shame over the incident.
So Lissa, I would rather do what your American coworkers did, than send food back to the kitchen again. However, I hate to see food waste and I would never intentionally order a large dish (or multiple dishes) if I knew I was not hungry.
