Nowadays, restaurants with oriental cuisine are becoming increasingly popular. Japanese restaurants offer a wide variety of types of rolls and sushi, serving them with traditional cutlery - chopsticks.

People are attracted to this cuisine for its fresh seafood combined with rice, vegetables, soy sauce and spicy wasabi. However, many people have difficulty using chopsticks.

From the outside it seems that it is very simple. But in practice it turns out to be quite difficult and sometimes absurd. Let's figure out how to use them. But first, a little history.

The history of chopsticks dates back to BC in China. There is a legend that they were invented by one of the rulers - Emperor Great Yu, who, with the help of two wooden sticks took the meat out of the fire. Later, chopsticks were used to pick up food from the dishes in which it was cooked. Then they began to use them for eating.

It is believed that the very first chopsticks were made of bamboo. Over time, a variety of materials began to be used to make them: various types of trees, metal, bones, ceramics, stone.

In the 6th century, they were sometimes made from silver, which could be used to detect poison in food if it was present. One of the common poisons then was arsenic, and silver sticks darkened when they came into contact with it. They were decorated with drawings, hieroglyphs, symbols, and engravings.

Around the 12th century, this custom spread to other Asian countries such as Japan, Vietnam, and Korea.

What types of sushi chopsticks are there?

IN different countries In Asia, there are differences in the purpose of use and the process of making chopsticks:

How to properly hold sushi chopsticks step by step

Your hand should hold the chopsticks firmly, but should not be too tight, otherwise it will be difficult for you to control the cutlery.

There are special chopsticks for children that make it easier for them to learn to use.

Their design varies, but they are usually held together with a rubber or silicone bright piece for easy use so they don't fall apart in the hand.

In addition, sometimes they have finger rings. In this case, the child’s hand is fixed and gets used to the correct position.

How to eat sushi correctly

A portion of sushi is traditionally small and is not divided into pieces with chopsticks. No certain rules about what kind of sushi to eat first.

However, they usually start with sushi wrapped in nori seaweed, as the rice quickly reacts with it, which can affect the taste. So, to taste sushi, you need to place it on its side with chopsticks.

Then carefully take and dip the fish in soy sauce. To make the sushi juicier, you can keep it in the sauce for a few seconds, but do not overdo it, otherwise the sushi may fall apart.

Take the sushi with chopsticks, wait until the excess sauce drips off, and put the whole thing in your mouth. top part on the tongue. To add spice to the dish, you can first dilute a small amount of wasabi in soy sauce, or put a very small amount of this spicy seasoning directly on the sushi.

Rules of etiquette

There are several rules for using chopsticks in an oriental restaurant:

What you should never do when in a Japanese restaurant

According to Eastern medical experts, using chopsticks as cutlery for eating is good for health. Thus, up to 40 thousand acupuncture points on the hand are massaged, which affects the health of many internal organs beneficial effect on the human body.

Also in Japan, it is believed that if a child of 1 year owns such eating utensils, this indicates his good mental development.

Before serving a dish, it is traditional for a Japanese restaurant to provide a wet hand towel. It is usually hot and has a pleasant menthol smell. This is necessary so that a person prepares and tunes in to eating, leaving extraneous thoughts for later.

If you go to an oriental restaurant in Asian countries, or to a traditional oriental restaurant in your country, out of respect for the customs and culture of food consumption, you should practice eating with these cutlery at home in advance.

Of course, you may be offered the usual cutlery. However, when planning a visit to such an establishment, it is worth remembering that for most Asians, eating is perceived as a ritual. For training, it is best to use a wooden set as it is easier to hold food.

If you really can’t eat with chopsticks and don’t want to look uncultured, order sushi - you can eat it with your hands.

Pickled ginger cleanses the taste buds well. Therefore, it is customary to eat it between meals.

The following video shows how to properly use sushi chopsticks.

The use of chopsticks while eating is typical for the peoples of East Asia. It is known that the greatest admirers are representatives of China and Japan, which led to the use of such a name as Chinese chopsticks.

Historical information about Chinese chopsticks

The popularity of Japanese and Chinese cuisine in Russia requires mastering the procedure for using Chinese chopsticks while eating. For Europeans, eating with Chinese chopsticks is something exotic, unusual and attractive.

There is no exact data about the appearance of Chinese chopsticks, but they were known about far before our era. It is believed that their appearance could have occurred both during the reign of the Shan-Yin dynasty and the Han dynasty. In any case, only noble representatives of the high classes were allowed to use chopsticks.

For the common people, permission to use chopsticks when eating food was legalized around the end of the 1st millennium AD. Among the versions, it is voiced that the chopsticks were needed only to be controlled during cooking, and only later they began to be used while eating.

Types of sticks and their indescribable variety

Before you learn how to use Chinese chopsticks, you should understand and understand how large the range of chopsticks is, differing in:

• belonging to the country of origin;
• material of manufacture;
• form;
• reusability.

The chopsticks that came to China from its eastern neighbors underwent some changes. At first they were made of bamboo, as evidenced by their original name kuaizu, and were similar to tweezers. And then they began to be produced from wood, which made it possible to offer consumers options with triangular, oval, square, round or even flat ends.

Disposable copies are indicative for restaurants and fast food establishments, but reusable ones are actually original masterpieces that are painted or varnished, and also inlaid or painted. There are methods of manufacturing from expensive semi-precious and precious metals.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, chopsticks are called hashi. Reusable products differ from traditional ones in their slightly elongated shape and sharper ends. Conventional models are shorter in length and can be round or square in cross-section. The type of hashi waribashi is a plank that is not completely sawn and needs to be broken.

The basis for production is cedar, willow, maple, plum, cypress, pine, and varieties of sandalwood. According to etiquette, a hasioki stand is placed with the chopsticks.

If in Vietnam the chopsticks are wooden, then in Korea they are usually made of metal and quite thin. Now production has been launched for the manufacture of original eating utensils made of plastic, deer antler, and ivory.

How many people know that making chopsticks from wood was recently banned in China? The ban is explained by the excessive consumption of wood, so it was decided that disposable plastic chopsticks would be more economical option.

Learning to use Chinese chopsticks

The process of mastering chopsticks must be taken more than responsibly. Education involves the development of fine motor skills, which at any age has a qualitative impact on the development of thinking abilities and mental flexibility.

They say that scientists specifically worked to create a formula that would help calculate the number of lunches after which a person will learn to master an instrument that is unusual for us. Happened ! You can calculate the number of years yourself, right?

Perfecting the movements:

• Stretch or rub your hands to warm up small muscles. Don't worry if they ache a little after the first few tries;
• first, just hold the chopsticks in your hands, and then begin to add individual movements with small objects (peas, raisins, etc.), pressing the ring finger to the little finger and extending the middle finger with the index finger;
• Place one stick with the thick end in the depression near the thumb, and the thin end on the ring finger. You should press it with your thumb. Take the second stick as you would a pen or pencil;

• Please note: the bottom stick remains fixed and motionless, so get used to holding it tightly. The upper stick will be movable with natural movements, as when using a pen or pencil;
• make several movements reminiscent of grasping with forceps. Try to relax the muscles when moving the forceps in different directions, as tension will inevitably occur;
• When bringing the sticks together to grab, you should not put excessive pressure on the selected object, as it will certainly jump out of the grip. Get used to holding the food without crushing it.

Compliance with etiquette

Starting to use Chinese chopsticks means unconditional acceptance of etiquette, in which the rules are familiar to many Eastern countries.

What not to do:

• Draw with chopsticks on the table, twirl them aimlessly around the food.
• Knock on the table, calling the waiter.
• Pricking food is the sashibashi rule.
• Touching and not taking a piece is the rule of saguribashi.
• Choose food with chopsticks. You should worry about this in advance - the mayoibashi rule.
• Compact food with chopsticks.
• Shake them to cool the piece you take.
• Lick it or just put it in your mouth.
• Waving in the air or pointing at something with chopsticks.
• Passing food with your chopsticks to someone is a futaribashi rule.
• Pulling the plate closer to you using chopsticks is the yosebashi rule.
• Sticking chopsticks into food is a tatebashi rule. Moreover, this Bad sign and means the death of someone close.
• Place across the cup.
• Clamp it in your fist. Such a gesture is perceived as a threat to the dining companion.

Training videos that teach you how to use Chinese chopsticks:

Learning to use and observing etiquette is not difficult at all. It is enough to show due patience, be calm and positive attitude to the upcoming process.

Good luck with your achievements and mastering the rules of other cultures!

Chinese chopsticks came to us from China. From the sources of Eastern culture, chopsticks began to be used in China even before our era. They used them to take pieces of meat and fish to turn them over when cooking. Chinese chopsticks are made from different materials such as plastic, bone.

The most expensive sticks for the upper classes are made from metal - gold and silver. But the most popular and cheapest wood is pine, plum, maple, willow, bamboo and others. They can be varnished, painted, various designs applied, and decorated with stones. They can be a gift idea for birthdays, weddings and other celebrations.

In Chinese restaurants, they provide disposable chopsticks for eating sushi, but there are also reusable ones. They are used at home and stored like spoons and forks.
Our task is to teach you how to use Chinese chopsticks correctly. Then you will not be embarrassed and worried when you are invited to a restaurant to enjoy Chinese or Japanese cuisine.

At first glance, using chopsticks is very difficult and inconvenient. But, if you try to eat with them a couple of times, you will already have an idea of ​​​​the location of the chopsticks in your hand.

So, take one stick in your hand, relax your hand. Keep your little finger and ring finger together, and extend your middle and index fingers slightly forward. Place the stick between your thumb and hand, letting the lower end of the stick rest on your ring finger.

We've dealt with the first stick, now take the second one. Place it with your other hand so that it rests on the beginning of the index and middle fingers, and is also supported by the tip of the thumb. When you eat with chopsticks, the bottom stick will be motionless, like a base. And the second will be movable, with which you will adjust the grip width of the sticks.

The first two or three times you may not be able to use chopsticks. Well, then you will succeed with confidence. Practice at home on small objects: peas, beans, corn. Then large pieces of food will be an easy task for you.

Chinese chopsticks not only a device for eating, but also a small exercise machine for your hands. They develop fine motor skills and mental abilities. Therefore, invite your child to play with you - pick up objects of different shapes with Chinese chopsticks.

Do you love Asian food but want to experience the full range of fun with chopsticks? Some people claim that the food tastes even better this way, and you want to see for yourself without looking stupid. From the outside it looks simple, but when you try to repeat the same thing, you end up asking for a fork. Here's how to say goodbye to that fork forever and start using chopsticks!

Steps

Maneuvering

1. Take the first stick with the middle and thumb. You must hold her tightly - the stick shouldn't move. The wide end of the stick should lie in the fold between the thumb and index finger. The stick itself should pass through the pad of the thumb and lie on the middle finger. It should be practically motionless. It's similar to how you hold a pen, but a little lower.

   • Some people prefer to hold the stick not on the middle finger, but on the ring finger, holding the end with the tip of the index finger.

2. Hold the second stick between your index finger and thumb. This stick must move. Place your thumb on the second stick so that it is higher than the first. Position your fingers so that you can comfortably grasp food. Make sure the thin ends of the chopsticks touch to prevent the chopsticks from crossing and to avoid poor grip on the food.

   • Try to align them, you can knock them on the table. It will be difficult to eat with unaligned chopsticks.

3. Practice opening and closing chopsticks. Make sure that the wide ends of the chopsticks do not form a cross, otherwise you will have difficulty gripping the food. Does only the top stick move? Great!

   • If it helps, try moving your hand down and up in the direction of the chopsticks, but keeping the same finger position. Some find it easier when their fingers are closer to the end of the sticks, some find it easier when they are at the base.

4. Try taking a piece of food. At first, it will be easiest to keep the angle at 45°. Once you get used to it, increase it. If you feel unstable, lower the sticks and try again.

   • When you learn to eat one type of food, move on to others. Try different sizes and types of products. Once you feel completely confident, practice with noodles!

   Etiquette

   Learn the rules for sharing food. Often Asian dinner table(at home or in a restaurant) consists of huge plates of food that people share among themselves. In this case there will be wrong Dip your individual chopsticks into a common plate of food after they have already been in your mouth. You have two options:

   • Use common chopsticks that no one eats with and that have never been on your or someone else’s plate of food before.
   • Take your chopsticks with the other ends. Serve food with wide ends that hopefully you don't chew!

5. Know what to do with chopsticks when you're not eating. The rules for using chopsticks, unfortunately, do not end when you start eating. Every society has its own rules, but in general:

   • Don't stick your chopsticks into your food. This looks like a bad omen, because it looks like incense at a funeral.
   • Do not pierce food with the ends of chopsticks. If nothing helps you catch food, you may feel like it's good idea. But this looks very uncivilized.
   • Do not pass food from chopsticks to chopsticks. It is also a funeral tradition, and is considered bad (or even terrible) table manners.
   • Don't cross your chopsticks. When you're done eating, simply place them next to your plate on the left side.
   • Don't point at people with your chopsticks. Pointing at someone in general is indecent in Asia, and even more so with chopsticks.
     • This page would be endlessly long if all the rules of table manners were presented here. However, these are the basic rules you need to know.

6. If you eat rice, be prepared for a lot of work. If you have a bowl of rice in front of you, you probably feel like a rower without an oar. But it is completely normal (and even acceptable) if you take the bowl and bring it closer to your face and start eating from that position. You won't look stupid, you will look experienced!

   • Start holding the sticks in the middle or towards the ends. This way you will learn to hold the sticks straight. Once you get a little more experienced, try keeping them closer to the base.
   • Although you may find it easier to hold the chopsticks at the thin ends, holding them closer to the wide ends will allow you to increase your grip angle on the food. The chopsticks will be parallel to each other and you will be able to scoop food (such as rice) from below. You will also be able to handle larger pieces of food.
   • Take the sticks home and practice. Using the previous tips, try picking up a nut, a pen, or a piece of fish. Try eating your dinner with chopsticks.
   • The difference between an untrained person and a cultured person can be seen when you hold the chopsticks. Don't hold the chopsticks at the very end. Your hands should be kept as far away from food as possible. Do not poke food with chopsticks; it is uncivilized, rude and may offend the cook.
   • Flexible and/or sliced ​​food pieces such as cheese or sausage are great for training. They work better than diced food while you learn to hold the chopsticks straight and try to figure out how much force to use them with.
   • This The right way hold chopsticks. Ultimately, if you are able to easily take food from your plate and bring it to your mouth, you are using chopsticks effectively.
   • Clamp the chopsticks firmly, but gently, so that the food does not fall out of the chopsticks onto the table or plate. If you press too hard, the thin ends of the chopsticks may cross unless they are perfectly aligned, causing the food to fly all over the table.
   • Be patient as it takes some time to learn how to hold the chopsticks correctly. It's perfectly acceptable to ask for a fork or spoon when you're too upset about your failure.
   • Wooden and bamboo sticks are the easiest to use because their texture allows them to hold food. Plastic chopsticks are more difficult to use. Metal chopsticks, favored by Koreans, are the most difficult to use. Improve your skill with one type of stick and move on to another. The next time you go out, people will be amazed!

   Warnings

   • Chinese etiquette states that it is completely normal to eat rice by lifting the bowl closer to your mouth. However, in Korea it is considered indecent. Be aware of the culture and people you eat with.
   • Don't pick your teeth with chopsticks, even if there are no toothpicks on the table.
   • Choose what food you will eat before you even start eating it with chopsticks. Choosing food already on the plate is considered indecent.
   • Avoid passing food using chopsticks. As already mentioned, this is part of the Japanese funeral tradition, the relatives of the deceased pass the bones from one stick to another, and then put them in an urn. Instead, place the food you want to give to someone on a separate plate. Use new chopsticks or, if you don't have any, turn your chopsticks over with the other ends and use them, then pass the plate to another guest.
   • Do not hit the plate or bowl with chopsticks. This is what beggars did in ancient China.
   • Using chopsticks is not that easy, so don't lose your composure as you learn.

national etiquette > china, japan

How to learn to use chopsticks?

Chopsticks are a traditional cutlery for eastern countries such as China and Japan. With their help, Asians eat everything: sushi, rolls, rice and even liquid soups. At first glance, it may seem that learning to hold special chopsticks correctly is quite difficult, but basic movements with chopsticks can be quickly mastered even by little ones. The spread of Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisine beyond the borders of their countries simply obliges us to learn to follow the traditional ritual associated with eating oriental food. Sticks are not easy cutlery, they create an inimitable flavor at the table.

Most often, disposable chopsticks made of wood or bamboo, fastened at one end, are served at the table. To break them in two, lower them closer to your knees so as not to accidentally touch the dishes, and pull one of the sticks in a motion reminiscent of how you would open a fan.

How to hold Chinese (Japanese) chopsticks correctly

When eating with chopsticks, the fingers and small muscles of the hand are involved. Initially, you just need to learn how to hold the sticks, and only then gradually add movements. Only at the third stage of training, gradually try to grab small objects like peas with chopsticks. Ring finger and little finger working hand presses against each other, the middle and index fingers are extended. One of the sticks is placed on the hollow between the large and index fingers so that the thick end is on top of the palm. The lower (thin) part of the stick should be located in the area between the second and third phalanx of the ring finger. It is necessary to ensure that the upper edge of the stick protrudes only slightly, and the lower working end, on the contrary, should be long in order to avoid the possibility of staining the sleeves. The bottom stick should always remain motionless, so you need to learn how to fix it firmly from the very beginning. The second (upper) stick, placed on the third phalanx of the middle finger, must be held with the help of the index finger and thumb. This may feel similar to using a pencil, only your fingers will be more straightened. The protruding ends of the sticks should be the same length.

You can try to imitate the grip of the forceps with chopsticks, while not forgetting that the lower stick should always remain motionless. If you feel uncomfortable holding your ring finger and little finger closed, then when “opening” the forceps, try moving them away from each other. This will help relax the muscles of the arm, which will experience strong tension at first. When bringing the chopsticks together and grabbing food, do not press too hard, otherwise the food may slip out and fly to the side.

Where to put chopsticks during and after meals

When eating, chopsticks should be placed on a special stand; if there is none, fold the paper wrapper from the chopsticks several times, place it on the end and place the chopsticks on it. Under no circumstances should you stick chopsticks into food or place them across the bowl; in extreme cases, you can place them on the table with their tips resting on the edge of the plate. After eating, politeness requires that you put the used chopsticks and toothpicks back into the paper packaging in which they were brought.