I promise you that you too can eat using chopsticks, no matter how hopelessly un-Asian you think you are, no matter how klutzy you are. You probably won’t lose an eye or any extremities during the course of this procedure, but if you want to be safe, you might want to go put on that pair of safety goggles in the garage.
Step 1: Take your first chopstick and hold it like you were going to write your name with it. The chopstick should wind up in your thumb and there should be approximately an inch of choptick out in front of your fingers. The part that would be the writing end.
Step 2: Introduce your other hand and push the chopstick out another inch, so there are two inches that would be the writing end. Next, really get the chopstick nestled in your thumb. Brace the chopstick with your middle finger and maintain a firm grip. Really push against it. Think of this chopstick as being completely stuck like this forever and ever. Okay, let’s not think about that. Let’s worry about the Sensitive Person In Your Family.
Step 3: This probably sounds really gross, but you’ll get used to it. You’ll be able to notice when someone sits down at a table with chopsticks and when they extend their chopsticks out, or reach to take something from a bowl.
Step 4: This is a really important point, so please pay attention to it. When Chinese people or other cultures chopsticks are left crossed and also this goes for Western style chopsticks. This is a very important difference and often influences the way you hold chopsticks.
Step 5: Now that you have mastered the above steps, you can practice this technique with some piece of food. Usually, when Chinese chopsticks are left crossed and also for other cultures, it is an informal and courteous way to do business. Please don’t think of it as a request, or an order. It is just a form of showing respect.
Chinese chopsticks are very short and also thin, which is why they are called short chopsticks. These chopsticks do not have the traditional “ankled” feel, and they are actually easier to use in comparison to Western chopsticks. This makes them a great choice for such items as noodle dishes. Compared to using a fork, using chopsticks requires less techniques, and the differences in length as well as thickness provide a better dining experience.
However, before you run out and buy these, here are a few suggestions to think about:
• Longer kitchen utensils: You will definitely need a larger kitchen utensil for cooking with chopsticks. Otherwise, you might end up cutting your finger.
• Wooden chopsticks: Although wooden chopsticks areoles are available in some department stores, none of them is double as good as the traditional wood variety.
• Bag: If you are going to use the chopsticks to bag food, sift the flour together and then put the powder on the bag with the chopsticks. This way, you will be less likely to have all the flour falling off your chopsticks.
• Tame your chopsticks: Only put them down when you are ready to eat, and you certainly do not want to leave the table during your meal.
• Don’t point at knives orasters: Anytime there is a chopstick in your hand, it is possible that you may make a small cut. Pointing at the chopstick is a no-no. In fact, you might as well not point at anything at all.
• Once you have mastered the above steps, you’ll find that picking up food is much smoother and much more comfortable.
Once you can handle chopsticks proficiently, it is much better for you to control the quantity of food that you are eating. Less is definitely better when it comes to eating food. However, you should not be saying that you will starve to death because you cannot handle chopsticks. If you want to be able to eat food using chopsticks, you might have to learn the finger joints. You might have to practice before you learn how to use chopsticks.
For things like selecting food and finding a nice spot to eat, you will want to practice walking up and down the rows of chopsticks. The chopsticks will make it very easy to select the food you want. Unlike with a fork and knife, the shape of chopsticks makes it very easy to select the food. As you makeuations, you will have to remember that the starting point of your chopsticks is always towards you. So, you may want to have the food in front of you before you pick it up.
