People think using chopsticks is difficult, but it is not as hard as you think. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect! Read our tips below and practice regularly and you will soon master the art of eating with chopsticks.

Chinese food is often prepared and served in small bite size pieces, making it easier to eat with chopsticks.

Picking up food

1. Take one chopstick and hold it between your ring and middle fingers. This chopstick will stay stationary as it does not move. Your thumb will help keep this chopstick in place.
2. With the second chopstick, slide this between your index finger and thumb. This chopstick moves by moving the index finger up and down. This motion will open and close the chopsticks. This is how you will pick up the food.
3. When it comes to rice, the rules are a little different. Rice is eaten from the bowl directly by lifting the bowl to your mouth and then scooping the rice into your mouth with the chopsticks.
Regular practice will help you develop your own technique of using chopsticks and you will know what works for you. When it comes to using these there is no right or wrong way. Compare it to holding a pencil. Most people will hold it differently but the end goal is to write. With the chopsticks the end goal is to eat and get food in your mouth.

However, there are some do's and don'ts when it comes to using chopsticks:

€ Never cross your chopsticks as in China this is a symbol of death.
€ Never stab your food with the sticks as this is seen as a sign of bad manners.
€ Never point the sticks at people as this is considered rude
€ Always use the utensil to cut your food into smaller manageable pieces. You don't have a knife so it is acceptable to use the sticks to cut up the food.
€ When learning to use them always use bamboo ones first as these are easier to master than plastic or metal chopsticks.

Chopsticks originate in China during the Shang Dynasty over 3,000 years ago. There are superstitions as to why they were invented and preferred over knives and other eating utensils. Here are some theories:

€ Confucius firmly believed knives were associated with acts of anger and violence and he felt they did not belong at the dinner table.
€ When preparing food for Chinese New Year, the Chinese believe the food should be prepared ahead of time. All knives are put away during this period as the Chinese believe the good luck for the new year will be cut away.

Whatever the origins are, the use of this wonderful utensil eventually spread outside Asian countries and arrived in the West.