It is the golden rule of serving food that has kept us all in good stead for many years. But in this day and age why on earth are the fellas getting served first?

Why do the women have to wait until the men get served? Even worse – the women have to cook the food and then serve the men and then eat later. The whole system is about putting the ‘Jannay’ (men) first.

At weddings the women would be ushered to the back of the hall as the men took their seats.

After 18 sittings, several arguments and rumours of the ‘rotee running out’ the men finally made their way out of the hall. Then, after a long wait the women were shepherded in like second-class citizens and told to take their seats.

The food was at best lukewarm and if the rotee had in fact run out then, tough.

If any woman complained or made an issue out of it - the unbearable shame would soon make her think twice of ever uttering such nonsense again.

Of course in recent years such weddings are a rarity, but serving women last is not a thing of the past. Family gatherings and small events are proving to be extremely testing for the ladies.

The wonderful thing about culture is that it really knows how to put people in their place. She could be a doctor, a high flying lawyer or a brain surgeon but here she is classed as nothing more than a ‘village woman’ who should put up and shut up.

The whole set-up is organised to ensure the fresh food is served to the men and the women get the leftovers. Let me repeat that – the women get the leftovers.

This is the last bastion of superiority where Asian men can finally feel they are slightly more important than the women. She will no longer just sit in the back seat. She may well choose to watch her own TV channel. She may have access to more money than her husband but when it comes to down to eating – she eats second.

There is that lovely moment when the men order a second helping of those tasty succulent lamb chops and the ‘senior’ woman of the house fill up the empty tray knowing full well there will be none left for the women.

The men must eat or they will talk and if they talk then the women will talk and we will go down in history as the family who couldn’t feed their guests the correct number of lamb chops.

The kick in the teeth comes at the end of the night as the payndu’s either wipe their hands on her new cream velvet sofas or urinate on the toilet seat.