Staples like rice, noodles and dumplings are usually not served at a formal banquet

During the stage of the meal to soak up the juices and gravy from the 烧菜shāo cài, which are the fried and stewed dishes with a denser and stronger flavour

At the start of the meal to eat together with the cold dishes

In the final stage of the meal as staples are generally seen as fillers after the main dishes have been eaten