Chopsticks

I can't even handle them - I tried to pick them up once, and they went everywhere. I'm a bit clumsy in that way.
 
Yorky said:
I spent two nights on an island offshore Shanghai (Daishan Island). You either ate with chopsticks or your fingers!
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Actually there's a story behind Daishan Island. A young engineer was seconded there by our client. Alone. He was fresh out of the box. The hotel that he stayed in (same hotel that I did) had no eating utensils except chopsticks and he could not in any way manage them. He drew a picture of a knife, fork and spoon, showed it to the manager who ordered a set and they were sent from the mainland.
 
Yorky said:
The hotel that he stayed in (same hotel that I did) had no eating utensils except chopsticks
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As US Americans, we're used to Chinese restaurants having knives and forks.

We spent a few days in Vancouver and went to a Chinese restaurant there, and it was very nice, and from what we could see, the clientele were overwhelmingly Asian, and looking at the menu, there weren't the standard General Tso's Chicken and Beef And Broccoli on the menu. There was, however, lots of ocean-sourced items.

We were a little worried, as page after page of their beautiful menu showed dish after dish that we wouldn't ever order.

Finally the waiter came over, and we asked about some more "user friendly" entrees, and he knowingly laughed and flipped over and over to the very last page, which had a few plainer choices.

After that, he didn't even ask, he just automatically took the chopsticks away and brought flatware. :laugh:
 
Yorky said:
At first I found them very difficult to master but back in '96 it was explained to me by a Chinaman in Taiwan that I should not try and emulate the Chinese way of holding them because they learn from birth and their fingers tend to be smaller and more supple. He suggested a different way of holding them and had me practicing with peanuts from a bowl at a bar. I cannot explain in words or pictures but I still use the same "hold" today.
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I didn't get any special training, except that as a child when we went to Chinese or Thai restaurants, we used the chopsticks, and I caught on.

About three years ago I was at a Korean restaurant, and the staff was amazed that I handled them like a pro. (They wanted to give me Western implements.) I LIKE using them. I even use them in home cooked Eastern Asian foods I may make here. Oh, Korean chopsticks can be a little harder to use than Chinese, since the Korean ones are metal and rounded at the bottoms. Thus, food can be more slippery. (I now own a set.)
 
asian-implements-of-consumption.jpg

My personal "Implements of Consumption".

The top items are a Korean spoon - frankly, I don't use it that much; and Korean metal chopsticks - which I DO use.

The bottom items are lacquered Chinese chopsticks, and a nice Chinese soup spoon.

I have a full set of six for the Korean implements, and I use the chopsticks when appropriate. I have a set of four for the Chinese chopsticks (those were my parents', but they are fine if you wash and clean immediately after use). I have a variety of the Chinese soup spoons, and TBH, I FAR prefer those spoons over any Western spoon I've ever found. I use them with ANY soup I make, no matter its cultural background.
 
Oh I'm terrible. I have a lovely set of Chinese soup spoons. But I don't like to use them. I'm afraid to put them in the dishwasher, and too lazy to wash them by hand. They are just nice to look at every time I open the utensil drawer. lol

I also have a very large collection of chopsticks, still in their plastic containers. Have no idea why we are still saving them. Same with plastic forks and knives. Can you tell we do a lot of delivery and take out? lol
 
Yorky said:
I've lived in Asia now for over 25 years and have become reasonably adept (although no expert) at eating with chopsticks. Only certain foods, predominantly noodle dishes, and I find them more efficient than other eating utensils. Do you eat with chopsticks regularly?

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No. My granddaughter’s other grandmother is Vietnamese. My granddaughter eats with chopsticks all the time and is very good with them
 
Herbie said:
My chinese friend who taught me Chinese cooking says chopsticks are much easier to use than a fork!
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Your friend is wrong. :thumbsdown::laugh:

I have tried and tried, and unless the food is something I can stab with a chopstick, it isn't going to make it to my mouth. So, I can use a fork to eat, or use my hand to pick the food off my lap.

CD
 
I always use chopsticks when I eat Asian food. Since I eat a lot of Asian food, I've gotten quite good at using them. No idea why it seems strange for me to eat something that's not Asian (like a plate of spaghetti carbonara) with chopsticks.

And, here are some special chopsticks for people who aren't comfortable with them:

e-chopsticks-transform-your-knife-into-a-chopstick.jpg
 
Craig's pretty good with using them. I've never managed to become accomplished at using them, which is odd, as I'm usually good at things that require dexterous use of the fingers. I can use them, but it's very obviously awkward and slow.
 
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