Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Maneuvering with sticks
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Are you also fond of Asian food, but want to complete the experience by eating it as it should - with chopsticks? Some swear that it tastes better, and of course you want to try that yourself ... without being fooled. When others do it it looks so easy but when you try it you always end up asking for a fork. Here's how to ditch that fork and get into action with chopsticks!

To step

Method 1 of 2: Maneuvering with sticks

1. Grab the first stick with your middle finger and your thumb. This stick is your anchor -it must not move. Keep your hand stiff for a firm grip. Rest the wide end of the stick in the hollow of your hand, where your thumb and index finger meet. Rest the narrow part between the base of your thumb and the side of your index finger. It should be as good as rock solid. It's a bit like holding a pen, but a little lower.
   • Some prefer to hold the stick by the side of them ringfinger, holding it in place with the tip of the index finger.
2. When you eat rice you need to prepare to start scooping. If a bowl of rice is placed in front of you and you only have two thin bamboo sticks, you may feel like you are on a rowboat without paddles. But it is completely accepted (normally actually) to lift your bowl to your mouth and from here push the rice in with the chopsticks. That doesn't look bad at all, but it is very routine!
   • You may feel a little rude, but don't worry, this is really the way it should be. You don't have to throw it in like a caveman out of control, of course, but lift your bowl well so you don't spill rice.
     • Japan has slightly stricter rules. But if you are in China, Taiwan or Vietnam, for example, you can slide it inside.

Tips

• While it may seem easier at first to hold the sticks low at the tips, they are more parallel when you hold them higher up, making it easier to scoop things out of your bowl. You can also pick up large pieces of food more easily.
• Soft foods or sliced ​​foods such as cheese are good for practice. This is easier than eating small pieces and you still learn how to hold the sticks properly and how much pressure you have to apply.
• The difference between a beginner and an advanced can be seen in how someone holds the sticks. The farther your hands are from the food, the better. Do not poke the food, this is seen as rude and an insult to the cook.
• The correct way to hold your sticks is described above. But if you manage to get food to your mouth in your own way, it's fine too.
• Take your chopsticks home to practice. Follow the steps above and try to grab a peanut, pen or piece of fish. Try to eat your entire evening meal with it.
• Put firm, but gentle pressure on the food, just enough to keep it from falling out between your sticks. If you press too hard, your sticks will likely cross, unless they are perfectly aligned, causing your food to fly across the table.
• Wooden or bamboo sticks are the easiest to use, as their texture gives you a better grip. Plastic sticks are much more difficult to handle. Metal chopsticks, preferred by Koreans, are the hardest of all. Try to master one kind and then move on to the next practice. Next time you go to Chinese the owner will be impressed!
• Have patience, it will take you a while to get the hang of it. And it doesn't matter to ask for a knife and fork when you've had enough.

Warnings

• According to Chinese etiquette, you can hold your own rice bowl close to your mouth with one hand and push the rice into your mouth with the chopsticks in the other hand. But according to Korean etiquette, this is improper behavior! Pay attention to how the people you eat with and what the customs are doing.
• Do not use the chopsticks as a toothpick, even if you do not see it on the table.
• Decide what you want to eat in advance as it is seen as rude to pick things out of your dish.
• Do not pass food with chopsticks. As mentioned earlier, this is reminiscent of a Japanese funeral ritual, where the family members pass bones with chopsticks. If you want to pass on food, put it on a separate plate and pass it on.
• Do not hit a dish or plate with your chopsticks. That's what beggars did in ancient China.
• Eating with chopsticks isn't easy, so stick with it.

Necessities

• Chopsticks
• Food