Oh, I was proven wrong in my attempt to eat with chopsticks. I know it sounds lame, I’m 23 and I’ve used chopsticks once or maybe twice…
My first attempt started off shaky.
I was all confidant, taking the sticks in one hand, gently placing them between my fingers and then digging in to my chicken chow mein…What happened next is rather embarrassing.
I picked up a bunch of noodles and as I was about to place it in my mouth, (at this point in time very proud for getting so far,) you guessed it, they fell in my lap, on my new, now stained, jeans…Arrrggghhh
So in order to help people who are left feeling like a chopstick when presented with these nifty sticks, here’s a guide on how to eat with chopsticks like a pro…
In my quest to find out more about the art of eating with chopsticks, I found out that the Japanese word for chopsticks is “hashi” which means “bridge,” makes sense…
The basic rule of eating with chopsticks: hold one chopstick in place while pivoting the other one to meet it.
Here’s two basic steps to follow:
Step 1
• Rest the chopstick so that the one side of the chopstick rests at the base of your thumb and the other on the lower side of your fingertip.
•Move your fingers in a way to secure the sticks.
•I call this the “pencil position”. Simply position the other chopstick so that you are holding the same way you do a pencil.
•Place the end of your sticks in your bowl or plate and allow them to meet up.
Step 2
•Allow one stick to pivot.
•Hold the sticks firmly and grasp some food.
•Place in mouth gently.
Well now you know, I’m off to order another round of chicken chow mein and some fortune cookies…This time, I think I’ll ditch the fork and go for the chopsticks.
楽しみます!!!! (That’s ‘have fun’ in Japanese)