How To Eat with Chopsticks

Image by Tomasz Mikołajczyk from Pixabay 

If you haven’t eaten with a pair of chopsticks, nothing is stopping you from learning how to during this pandemic lockdown period and you can go back to your favourite Asian restaurants when you can and show off this brand new skill to your friends and family. Chopsticks are widely used in many Asian cultures and countries including Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and many more. Without further ado, here is a step by step guide on how to eat with a pair of chopsticks.

Gather Your Supplies

Before you begin your practice sessions you should have a pair of chopsticks which can easily be found at any Asian supermarket or store. You can also find them in cup ramen packages in some cases. Once you have your chopsticks, gather together some different varieties of food which you can practice picking up. These could vary in size and shape so you get thorough training and should include a bowl of rice.

Hold the Chopsticks in Your Dominant Hand

Hold the chopsticks with your dominant hand. Allow the first chopstick to lean against your ring finger and wrap the top part of your middle finger over the chopstick, add your thumb for support. The hold should be sturdy but at the same time easy to move the chopstick.

How to Use Your Non-Dominant Hand

Place the second chopstick between your forefinger and thumb. See if you can move the chopsticks around.

How to Hold the Chopsticks

Hold the chopsticks between your thumb and forefinger, pinch the top stick while making sure that the ends are even. Wedge the bottom stick between your thumb and forefinger. First of all, practice moving your chopsticks up and down, pretending to pick up imaginary food.

Practice Moving the Chopsticks

When you are practising moving the chopsticks, hold the first chopstick in a stationary position, the second chopstick should be held the same way you would be holding a pencil. The important thing to remember is that the bottom chopstick should remain very still while the upper chopstick moves to pick up the food.

Practice Picking Food

Place your chopsticks around the food that you want to pick up, and practice wrapping around whatever you want to pick up and see if your chopsticks would move when you want them to. Start with something large and then make your way down to smaller things. Or if you’d prefer, try picking up something small like a bean with the chopsticks. What you need to know is to see if you can get a good grip on your food. Once you are sure, slowly lift the food off the plate.

Carry Food to Your Mouth

When you are slowly lifting the food, don’t try to put it immediately in your mouth. Keep your hand as steady as you can when you bring the food up to your mouth. Try not to squeeze the chopsticks together. They need to be sturdy but a soft touch at the same time. Be gentle or you will be launching food off your chopsticks at your fellow guests.

Eat!

Practice makes you perfect. Once you’ve got your practising done it is time to test it in the real world. There are many a boutique hotel in Bangkok where you will find restaurants that serve food that can be eaten with chopsticks. Head over to a hotel the likes of Maitria Rama 9 Hotel with your friends and family to celebrate Thailand coming out of the pandemic lockdown and show off your newly learned skills by eating off of chopsticks like a pro.