How to Use Chop Sticks

Many Asian cultures serve their meals with chop sticks instead of knives and forks. Some, like the Koreans, also serve a wide porcelain spoon for soup dishes. If you are traveling in Asia, it is important to know how to use chop sticks and it is easy to learn how but it does take practice to become proficient. Luckily, most Asian dishes are made with bite-sized ingredients so you don't usually need to cut anything up. The most difficult part of eating with chopsticks is likely to be the rice or noodles but mostly the rice is full of gluten and sticks together in chunks unlike the separated grains in American and Middle Eastern dishes. Here's directions for how to use chopsticks via new pencils (if you don't have any chopsticks) and a bag of marshmallows.

Things You'll Need

• 2 chop sticks (or two new pencils)
• 1 bag large marshmallows
• 1 bag small marshmallows

Instructions

1. Position the hand you usually eat with the thumb up and the pointer finger pointing away from your body. The three other fingers should curl in towards but not actually touch the palm. This looks a bit like the gesture some children use to make point as if a gun using just the fingers. Do not squeeze or put any pressure on any of the fingers.

2. Place one chop stick into the space between the thumb and the pointer finger. The outer third of the chop stick should stick out behind the thumb. The chopstick should rest on top of the middle finger on the second section of the finger after the first knuckle. Press the thumb down but do not curl it. Now the thumb is separated from the pointer finger (which is still pointing) by the shaft of the chop stick. The pressure of the thumb against the chop stick will hold this stick in place. This chop stick does not move when you are picking up the food.

3. Place the second chop stick between the pointer finger and the thumb. Curl down the pointer finger so that the thumb and the pointer form a ring. Both fingers should touch this chop stick about a third of the distance from the bottom.

4. Move the pointer finger up and down to manipulate the top chop stick. Practice hitting the top chop stick against the bottom chop stick without moving anything except for the pointer finger up and down. The action should remind you of scissors or tweezers opening and shutting.

5. Turn the hand so that the chop sticks face down. Tap them on the table to make them even. The bottoms of both chop sticks should touch the table at the same time. Only move the chop stick that is touching the pointer finger. Move it against the one that rests on the middle finger. Use the pointer finger to grab a marshmallow between the shafts of the two chop sticks as in a pair of tweezers or tongs. Do not pierce the marshmallow with the chop sticks. That is cheating. Bring the marshmallow up to your mouth and enjoy the victory. Start by practicing with large marshmallows. Graduate to mini marshmallows. Then try different kinds of food.

Tips & Warnings

• It is polite in many Asian cultures to raise a soup bowl or plate close to the mouth.