Mar. 03, 2025
Agricultural
A couple of my Chinese friends have chided me for how I wield chopsticks: I cross them. I always have and can't change. Crossing the sticks to grab at my food is something I've done since the age of five or six. So when my dear friends told me the that crossing chopsticks was considered uncouth, I felt hurt. In fact, I asked my parents ' who are persnickety about etiquette, why they didn't correct me early on. I am too old to change. I was a victim of their negligence.
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My dad looked at me as if I'd spoken like a fool. Then he said there were other eating matters that were more important to them.
That is true. What my mom drilled into us when we were young was centered on getting at food in a considerate manner. For example, if you have to pick up food from a communal plate and there isn't a serving utensil around, turn your chopsticks around and use the clean ends. That way you are not tainting the plate. My ex-sister-in-law learned that quickly and earned points with my mom with her chopstick skills.
On the other hand, it was okay for us to use chopsticks like a knife to cross them and 'cut' food into small portions that we may share. One time at dim sum, my brother worked his set of plastic chopsticks too hard trying to divide up a dumpling. The chopsticks broke and went flying into the restaurant. We pretended that we didn't see it happen.
Do all Asians use chopsticks? No. Chopsticks are technically the major eating utensils for the four East Asian countries -- China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Many Southeast Asian cultures use spoon and fork for many dishes and may employ chopsticks for noodles. For a detailed low-down of Thai eating etiquette, check this post from the High Heel Gourmet. Hands are also a popular eating utensil in many parts of Asia.
Vietnamese culture and foodways are an amalgam of East and West so our table settings may include chopsticks, fork, knife, Chinese soup spoon, and regular soup spoon. Rice plates with pork chops, for example are eaten with fork and knife. A steak can be eaten with fork and knife or sliced up and enjoyed with chopsticks. We also eat with our hands (lettuce wrapped foods).
As an adult, what I focus on with chopstick usage is more practical. You're trying to get at the food, to get it into your mouth. When guests come over and they're unfamiliar with using chopsticks, I tell them to eat with the rice bowl. In particular, pick up the rice bowl and hold it in the air. A rice bowl on the table makes it hard to eat. Worse yet is if you try to use chopsticks to pick up rice from a plate. Everyone will finish eating before you!
I shovel food from my rice bowl in casual, family situations. With guests, I try to be graceful with the shoveling and the chopsticks. At the end of the day, I'm more concerned about whether or not people are enjoying the food and hospitality.
I've also learned to have fun with chopsticks. For example, my family measures chopstick skills by who can pick up a roasted peanut with a chopstick. If you can do that ' and it doesn't matter how you hold your chopsticks, you're considered golden.
My husband passed that challenge on our first date so I knew he was a keeper. He also held his chopsticks properly. No crossing. And, he's left handed. How did Rory learn? From studying the diagrams on the disposable chopstick sleeves. Seriously.
What are your chopstick rules or parameters?
A whistle-stop tour of these delightfully precise and elegant oriental utensils.
Chopsticks are not an uncommon sight wherever you're dining around the world. Traditionally associated with Asian cuisine; whether Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai or Korean; they're now a mainstay in the cutlery drawers of many homes and even in pubs and restaurants serving multicultural dishes.
But did you know there are several different styles, materials and functions of chopsticks and that they date back over three millennia? Let's first look at the origins of these charming dining tools.
Chopsticks are elegant tapered sticks held in the dominant hand and used to grasp food. They're a very neat and precise instrument, favoured by some over the knife and fork for the fact they can't be overloaded or used to eat too quickly. In fact, they are often seen as an aid for healthier dining, as you take small mouthfuls which gives the brain time to process how much food is being eaten. Some cultures use chopsticks for the whole meal from start to finish, whereas others, like in Korea, combine chopsticks with a rice spoon, or use them for a certain course.
Chopsticks were first used in China as far back as BC with the most primitive of these tools uncovered from the ruins of Yin, the historic Chinese capital. They were cast in bronze and are believed to have been cooking tools ' used to stoke fires, stir deep pots and transfer food from pot to plate.
Chopsticks had evolved into eating utensils by the time of the Chinese Han Dynasty, from 206 BC to 22 AD, and within 500 years, their influence had spread throughout Asia, from Japan across to Vietnam.
Before we delve into the cultural differences that have evolved as chopsticks crossed the continent, let's go back to basics.
What chopsticks are made of traditionally comes down to the country you are in or the cuisine you're eating, but they're found in wood, bamboo, plastic, metal, fibreglass, and even bone. Some styles are easier to grip, others conduct less heat, and there are different lengths of chopsticks, some are pointed, others blunt and some styles and materials are more durable than others.
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Wood or bamboo chopsticks tend to have a rougher texture which makes them easier to grip. The wood means they can withstand high temperatures without altering the taste of the food and they are inexpensive, but they can warp and deteriorate over time.
Metal chopsticks are harder wearing than wood making them resistant to warping and breakage. Chopsticks made of metal are also easy to clean and can be sanitised in the dishwasher. But they conduct heat easily, meaning they're not ideal for cooking. An exception to this is grilling meat as they don't char like wood. They can also be difficult to grip if not engraved at the hand and or food ends and are more expensive than wood.
Plastic chopsticks are great for sticky dishes like rice, but harder to use with more slippery food like noodles. They are generally disposable and inexpensive, and they don't wear easily and don't transfer heat. However, chopsticks made from plastic can melt if used too close to a naked flame and aren't very environmentally friendly if only single use.
Japanese chopsticks are much shorter than Chinese, at around 20cm for men's and 18cm for women's and children's. There's less of a tradition of sharing food in Japan and people tend to keep their own personal set, so the shorter length makes them more portable.
Because fish is a staple of Japanese dining, their chopsticks are pointed for the removal of fish bones and scales, and they're ideally shaped for delicate manoeuvres to pick up small beans and finely chopped foods. Often made of metal like titanium, or wood with a lacquer finish, Japanese chopsticks tend to have circumferential grooves near the tip to help grip the food.
Occupying a middle ground between the Chinese and Japanese tools, Korean chopsticks are made from metal ' either stainless steel or silver ' and are on average 23-25cm in length. They are often paired with a spoon, which is used to eat the rice. The chopsticks have tapered ends, but they are not as pointed as Japanese chopsticks, and they're flat rather than cylindrical so they stay still on a flat surface for barbecuing.
Chopsticks are comfortable and easy to use, but mastering them is an art, much like the humble knife and fork. Here's a basic guide:
1 ' Hold the first chopstick: Rest it between your thumb and index finger, supporting it with your middle finger.
2 ' Hold the second chopstick: Hold it like a pencil between your thumb, index, and middle fingers.
3 ' Practice: Start with simple foods like rice or noodles to build confidence.
If you're struggling, some beginner chopsticks have a helper hinge to hold the two sticks together, ideal for younger or less dextrous diners. It can be useful to start with this type of chopstick before trying others. And remember, the key is to relax your hand and let your fingers move naturally.
Regardless of the cuisine, it's advisable to be mindful of the basic etiquette around dining with chopsticks. Again, this will vary according to the culture in question, but here is a quick rundown of some of the biggest faux pas around the world.
In Japan, it's rude to cross your chopsticks at the table or even put them down on the table; you'll find chopstick rests in Japanese restaurants to stop them from actually touching the table surface. Also remember not to lick your chopsticks, or rub them together as this indicates you think the chopsticks are cheap.
In Korea, it's seen as rude to hold up your bowl and use chopsticks to scoop food into your mouth. Other things to remember while using chopsticks in Korea are to avoid making loud noises and refrain from playing with your chopsticks while eating.
While not as strict as in other cultures, in Vietnam, it's considered impolite to point chopsticks at people or leave them sticking out from a bowl.
In China, it's poor etiquette to set your chopsticks down to point at another person, or to point your chopsticks at anyone. Also, remember to not stick them vertically in rice or pass food with chopsticks as this is seen as rude. Finally, always make sure your elders are served and start eating first.
You may wonder where the term 'chopstick' originates and it doesn't seem to come from the native terms; kuaizi in Chinese (meaning quick), hashi in Japanese ( bridge) and sujeo in Korean (a blend of 'chopsticks' and 'spoon'). More likely, it's derived from the pidgin English 'chop-chop', meaning quickly.
Chopsticks were used for cooking long before they became commonplace at a dining table. Cooking chopsticks are highly versatile and are usually made of bamboo and much longer, at around 35-40cm. They're ideal for:
So there you have it; precise dining instruments bringing elegance and flow to East Asian dining for three thousand years and counting.
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