Chopsticks

The other day I was reading a post in an online magazine Better After 50, about learning new things, and in the comment section was a question about using chopsticks. There were also instructions, as well as a video about folding fitted sheets. No doubt you’ve seen one of them but just in case, here is one.  I will say that despite having watched this one, and a few others, I’m still not proficient (and frankly I don’t care that much). However, chopstick use is a much more important and practical skill than folding sheets properly. 

My father (not Asian) taught me to use chopsticks when I was so young I don’t remember not knowing. He served in Korea in the army, and had traveled to Japan, and knew his way around a chopstick. In culinary school in our “Oriental Kitchen” (I swear that was what it was called) we also were taught to use them, and even tested. I was happy to find that my instructor Shirley Cheng used the same technique I’d learned from my dad. I aced my test, moving a pile of dried lentils from one plate to another.

There are numerous videos on YouTube showing how to use chopsticks, but if you’re reading this perhaps you never looked, or you tried once and were unsuccessful and gave up. Keep in mind, it took you some practice to learn to use a fork and knife, so be patient with yourself and you will master this too. 

Once you get the principles of chopsticks it’s really very easy, but to start, you must put your chopsticks down!

1. Pick up chopstick #1* (it doesn’t matter which one that is) and using your dominant hand (my left-handed father taught right-handed me) lay that chopstick against the web of your hand where your thumb meets your palm. Now, using your middle finger (for good rather than evil) brace the chopstick. This chopstick should not move again, until you put it down. (Some people say you should lay the chopstick against your ring finger and let it rest there, but I find that more difficult)
2. Pick up chopstick #2 and place it between your thumb and index finger. You should be able to move it freely. This is the chopstick that will do all the work. 
3. If you’re having trouble put down #1, and just hold chopstick #2 between your thumb and index finger and try moving it around until you feel comfortable with it, then go back to step 1.
4. The higher up you hold your chopsticks the more leverage you’ll get. Find a spot that feels comfortable, then as you get more proficient slide your hand higher on the chopstick.

By now, if you’ve always struggled with chopsticks you will be laughing. You’ll be saying to yourself something like ‘Wow this isn’t that hard at all!’ I know this because I have taught many people how to use chopsticks, and this has been the response from every single one of them. You will want Chinese or any chopstick worthy food as soon as possible, maybe for lunch today. You will also want to get some chopsticks for home use (a good idea to keep in practice). 

If you live in a city, with any significant Asian population (and market) chopsticks will probably be easy to come by. I recommend wood rather than plastic. Wood is less slippery and it will be easier to grab food. You can wash them, but don’t put them in your dishwasher. I buy them in packs of 20, for under $1.00 and they last quite a while. Amazon has some nice bamboo ones in the $5.50 range.

*If you want to try this right now, and you don’t have chopsticks you can use two pencils