As promised, we’re giving you an entire chapter dedicated to learning all about chopsticks – how to use them and how not to embarrass yourself with them. With this chapter alone, you can avoid those awkward date moments in Japanese restaurants or even more awkward experiences when visiting friends in Tokyo. But first, let’s learn a little bit about the history of chopsticks.
A long time ago during the ancient era of Asian lands, there were times when resources were slim and finding fuel for fire was difficult. The ancestors of Asian cooks solved this problem by cutting food into small, bite-sized pieces so that they would cook faster, needing less fuel and saving resources. Because the food was already cut into convenient pieces, the knife was never really needed for eating which eventually paved the way for chopsticks.
There’s a lot of lore about chopsticks including an old Chinese belief that silver chopsticks would change color when it touched poison, but the role of these eating utensils is even more important in Japan. You might be surprised to know that in Japan, chopsticks were originally used strictly for religious ceremonies like honouring the dead. They have also been used in Japan since the 8th century which is a very, very long time ago. You can see why chopsticks are more than just the eating utensils that they are; they are also deeply rooted in tradition and the Japanese culture.
Japanese children start to learn how to use chopsticks when they’re very young until it becomes second nature to them, but that doesn’t mean that it’s difficult to learn how to handle chopsticks. Here’s how you get started on handling a pair of chopsticks like a pro.
Once you’ve got the basics down, what you need to do is practice, practice, practice. Try using chopsticks for home meals every now and then. You can get a whole packet of wooden chopsticks for a couple of dollars. You’ll find that it’s a lot of fun once you get the hang of it, and you’ll definitely look great on your next date at a Japanese restaurant.
But before you march your way over to the nearby sushi bar, you’ll also need to know what chopsticks rules you just can’t break, ever. We’ve covered some in the earlier chapters but we’re giving you a more comprehensive list in this chapter so that you can avoid the ultimate faux pas or mistakes in Japanese dining.
Do not:
1. Stick your chopsticks in your bowl in a vertical position.
2. Stir your soup with your chopsticks looking for that last piece of meat or tofu.
3. Spear your food with your chopsticks.
4. Sucking off the sauce or the bits of grain from your chopsticks. Also, do not lick your chopsticks.
5. Grabbing something else like a glass or a soy sauce dispenser while still holding the chopsticks in your hand.
6. Point with your chopsticks.
7. Wash your chopsticks in soup.
8. Allowing drops of soup to drip from your chopsticks.
9. Pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks.
10. Strike dishes and make sounds with your chopsticks. Remember, they’re not drum sticks.
These are the top ten things you should absolutely avoid when handling chopsticks in a Japanese restaurant or in the company of Japanese friends. Other lesser evils include rubbing two chopsticks together to get rid of splinters because you’re implying that your host has provided chopsticks of low quality. This isn’t really a hard fast rule because some of my Japanese friends pointed out that sometimes the chopsticks do have splinters and rubbing them together is called for.
So there you have it; a background of the proper use and the possible misuse of chopsticks. There may be a lot more rules and regulations than you expected but at the end of the day, learning how to use chopsticks is just plain fun. And you can impress your friends the next time someone craves sushi, donburi (rice bowls), or tempura (deep-fried prawns in a special batter) for dinner.
This is an excerpt from the book: How to Use Chopsticks
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