Can someone pls teach me how to use chopsticks properly?
I love going out to eat sushi with friends, but I always feel so embarrassed fumbling around with my chopsticks. How are you even supposed to hold them? Any tips for a newbie like me?
Hold the chopsticks like you'd hold a pencil. Put one chopstick in the webbing between your index finger and thumb, and support it with your ring finger. Then, use the tips of your thumb, index finger, and middle finger to hold and move the second chopstick.
Practice using your chopsticks by moving them up and down repeatedly to tap the ends together.
Practice using your chopsticks by moving them up and down repeatedly to tap the ends together.
I think I really had a breakthrough when I read that the only chopstick you move is the top one. Somehow that helped things click: the bottom one should mostly stay in place so once you have your grip on it it should be (relatively) easy.
Use a pair of children's chopsticks that have the top pieces connected. They're easier to hold, and they'll help you learn how to properly use real chopsticks. These are especially helpful for slippery foods, like noodles.
I’m the exact same way. I find that it helps to hold the chopstick you put in the webbing of your thumb with your pinkie and ring finger so that there are two points of control. Then, just don’t even bother trying to move that chopstick independently. Let the chopstick on top do all of the complicated maneuvering and just use the bottom one to brace whatever you pick up.
I also recommend starting with really light and easy-to-pick-up foods, like marshmallows. Don't start out trying to pick up a single piece of rice, for instance, you'll just get discouraged.
If you’re like me and you could just never get used to chopsticks, ask the server at the restaurant for a rubber band. Roll the wrapping paper (or a napkin) up into a small cylinder and stick it between the chopsticks at their thickest point near the top. Tie the rubber band around the paper as tightly as you can and voila! You’ve got super easy chopsticks that don’t require special handling.
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If you don't have any chopsticks with you to practice with, but you REALLY want to practice, you can always use a pair of Grandma's knitting needles or a pair of pencils, and then practice with random objects of all kinds of shapes. This way, you can practice on and off the table and almost anywhere, too.
Also, avoid rubbing the chopsticks together, unless they’re particularly splintered. This might be interpreted as disrespect, or a way of saying that a restaurant isn’t upscale enough for good chopsticks.
Reader Tips from Holding Chopsticks Properly (With Asian Dining Etiquette Tips)
Eating bite-size snack foods, like Cheetos, with chopsticks is a good way to practice your technique and build your dexterity as well as keep your fingers clean.
If you're given disposable chopsticks at a restaurant, consider taking them home with you to practice more there.
Reader Tips from How to Properly Hold and Use Wooden Chopsticks
Sometimes metal chopsticks can be too slippery to grip your food if you're not good at holding chopsticks yet. While you're learning, use wooden chopsticks since the texture will help the sticks hold your food a little better.
Don't cross your chopsticks when you're done eating because it's impolite. Just put them down by the plate when you're done.
