Have you ever watched someone easily and naturally eat some food with a pair of Chinese chopsticks? You may have thought: “How cleverly he succeeds! If only I could learn how to eat with chopsticks in order to learn myself. ” To master this business is quite possible for everyone. Let's find out how to eat with chopsticks.
"Fast"
In the homeland of sticks in China they are called “kaizu”, which literally translates to the word “fast”. This is the most common thing in Southeast Asia, there are sticks in every home. They look approximately the same - they are long (20-25 cm) and thin. So that they do not roll around the table and for comfortable holding, in the upper part they have a square section, and the sticks are rounded at the bottom. In Japan, they use shorter and sharpened chopsticks than is customary in China.
In restaurants today, disposable interconnected wooden or bamboo sticks are served. However, there are more refined options for this tool for food: made of varnished and polished bamboo, plastic and stainless steel, ivory and even silver. Such sticks can be ornamented or engraved with verses.
How to use them?
If you are in the mood to understand how to eat chopsticks correctly, then tune in to the fact that at first they will not listen to you. But do not give up, training will give you the skill, and soon you will feel that the sticks have become part of your hand.
Disposable sticks should first be disconnected. Both sticks must be held in one hand. Fold the palm of your right hand in a handful, while moving your thumb slightly to the side. Take the first stick and place it on the base of the thumb and the ring finger area . This stick remains motionless while eating. The second movable stick will lie parallel to the first one as they usually hold a pencil - from the base of the index finger, fixing it between the index and middle fingers. Align the ends of the sticks with the surface of the table so that it is convenient to use them. Then, moving the middle and forefinger, train to bring the ends of the sticks and take various small objects. Do this until you feel that you understand how to eat with chopsticks correctly, and that making these movements is easy for you.
How to eat different dishes with chopsticks ?
If you understand how to eat with chopsticks, then any dishes of Chinese or Japanese cuisine you quickly learn to eat no worse than the locals. Usually the ingredients are finely chopped and picking the pieces is easy. But what if meat, chicken, duck or fish is served in large pieces? The meat is usually so soft that it is not difficult to separate the small fibers from the piece. Chopsticks are ideal for fish dishes - no fork and knife can separate the meat from the bones so well as a pair of “fast” ones.
How to eat rice with chopsticks? Take the bowl of rice in your left hand and bring it closer to your mouth, and grab the rice with chopsticks and eat. This option is suitable for a friendly or family environment. At the official reception, grab a little chopsticks with your chopsticks without raising the cup.
How to eat sushi with chopsticks? Grab each piece of sushi individually with chopsticks and dip in whole sauce or mustard. After that, send sushi to your mouth and enjoy.
It may happen that you will be served a traditional Chinese dish - soup. How to eat chopsticks Chinese soup? A small porcelain spoon is usually served with the soup. With this spoon, holding it in your left hand, you can support pieces of shrimp, noodles, dumplings, cubes of fish, meat or vegetables, which should be removed with chopsticks in your right hand.
Try to master the sticks - perhaps the food will seem to you much tastier!