Thursday, April 28, 2011

Chop Chop!

Beautiful set of carved hardwood chopsticks
The Chinese were taught to use chopsticks long before spoons and forks were invented in Europe. The knife of course is older, but as a weapon, not a dining utensil. Chinese people living under Confucianism considered the knife and fork as weapons of violence, and chopsticks reflecting benevolence and gentleness; the main moral teaching of Confucianism. Therefore, instruments used for killing must be banned from the dining table, and that is why Chinese food is normally chopped into bite size portions before it reaches the table.


Eating Chinese food with a fork and knife just isn't as enjoyable as eating the bite sized morsels using chopsticks. Even rice can be consumed easily by a novice after a bit of practice. Also there is a bit of sense of accomplishment after clearing a rice bowl for the first time using a set of chopsticks. As the great Mr Miyagi says "Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything."

There is much more to using chopsticks than just picking up food and shoving it into your mouth however. There exists an etiquette of their use which in it's basic form spans across many different cultures from the Japanese to the Vietnamese.

  • Do not stick chopsticks into your food, especially not into rice. This is commonly done at funerals, or as an offering which is placed on the alter at an ancestral shrine.
  • Do not pass food directly from your set of chopsticks to another’s. This is also a funeral tradition which involves the bones of a cremated body.
  •  Hold your chopsticks towards their end, not in the middle or the front third.
  • It is very bad manners to spear food with your chopsticks, except as a last resort with larger items such as fishballs.
  • Do not point with your chopsticks.
  • Do not wave your chopsticks around in the air or play with them (you'll put someone's eye out, or something.)
  • Also always use the chopstick rest rather than setting your chopsticks on the top of the bowl, as doing so means you have completed your meal. If you are using disposable chopsticks you can fold the wrapper to create your own chopstick stand.
These are only a few etiquette guidelines, but don't let them stop you from enjoying this amazing tool the next time you're enjoying Asian cuisine. Once you've mastered the basics of using them you'll wonder why anyone would eat that type of food with a fork.

31 comments:

  1. I didn't know that. That's pretty cool.

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  2. So I shouldn't play with them but I should try to catch flies with them?

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  3. I never knew there so many rules about eating with chopsticks!

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  4. I used to hate using them, until i got good at it.

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  5. I find it easier to eat sticky rice with chopsticks.

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  6. Ive been using chopsticks for a long time, sometimes its useful and sometimes it isn't.

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  7. i have always thought how funny it is that we eat with shrunken down weapons

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  8. I love eating with chopsticks! Takes a little practice, but is worth it

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  9. I'm glad I found your blog! great stuff!

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  10. Ahh, I can't pick anything up with chopsticks so I always ask for a spoon or fork.

    I feel a little more confident knowing the etiquette for using chopsticks though. Thanks for this.

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  11. I fail so hard at chopsticks. I didn't know there was so much to the etiquette of it though.

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  12. I could never use chop-sticks - still can't! great read though, had never knew they were objects of benevolence and had meaning to them.

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  13. I could never use chop sticks. But I had no idea they had a deep meaning behind them. I just took them for granted

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  14. guess i piss off a lot of ppl at the buffet

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  15. that sounds very cool, i did not know.
    cant ever learn how to eat with them though
    followed
    please check my blog out

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  16. I never use chop sticks, but I didn't know chop sticks can be so technical!

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  17. hmm now i will use this on my chinease friends

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  18. See, I always hold them in the middle. Guess I need to relearn.

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  19. Ive tried to use them but Im rotten at it. great blog n Ill be back.

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  20. Chopsticks are stupid, I hate them

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  21. most people only use them to look ... cool.

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  22. I should learn to do this because the chinese will own us all in 20 years.

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  23. makes sense. I use chop sticks, but I hear I use them wrong, I'd probably offend someone.

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  24. i love using chopsticks. Prefer them to knives and forks anyday

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  25. These things are so frustrating to use!

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