Q&A for How to Eat with Chopsticks

No, I really wouldn't worry about that. I hold my chopsticks a little funny too, and I've been eating noodles for years!

You can! If chopsticks are going to keep you from enjoying your food, then just ask for a fork. There's nothing wrong with that. But honestly, I'd say you should just go for it with the chopsticks. Don't be nervous. Nobody is going to expect you to be a chopstick pro if you didn't grow up with them!

Depending on where you are, you can take a small bit of paper and a rubber band to create a kind of joint. These are typically given to kids, but they're great if you're brand new to chopsticks. They really let you get a feel for them in your hand.

You're probably not holding it correctly. One chopstick should be stabilized between the web of your hand and your ring finger and the other one will be controlled by your other fingers.

Koreans will typically eat boiled rice with a spoon. In Korea, it is also considered bad behavior to hold a spoon and chopsticks together. Lastly, you should always wait until the elder starts eating before you start eating.

This is a quotation from Method 1: "Some may prefer to hold the chopstick on the side of their ring finger, with the tip of their ring finger holding it in place. This frees the middle finger to hold the other chopstick more securely and provides that one with more control. It is a more formal approach."

No. You may use whatever utensil that makes you comfortable. It is impolite to hold chopsticks and a spoon or fork together.

You can follow the instructions, but use your left hand instead of your right hand.

You can get them at the supermarket or a kitchen store. You can also get them from Chinese and Japanese restaurants.

Bamboo or wooden are the easiest chopsticks to use because of the gripping texture at the top.

This really depends on the type of noodles you are eating and on local etiquette. Japanese Ramen usually involves a lot of slurping. Mix in condiments with your chopsticks, pick up some noodles with the chopsticks (some people twist them slightly as they grip the noodles in order to prevent the noodles from sliding off) and slurp away! Eating ramen, it is completely okay (and expected!) to bring your face close to the bowl and slurp loudly. When you finish the noodles (assuming there is some broth left) you can ask for kaedama: a noodle refill which you mix into the left-over broth. Finish the broth with a spoon or drinking directly from the bowl.

Not only is it disrespectful to cross your chopsticks in some areas, but it is also not practical. If your chopsticks cross while you hold them, then your technique is wrong and it will be next to impossible to pick up food.

You can, but it is not mandatory. A riceball is like a cookie, so you can just use your hands.

The traditional way is the way you just read. We can't change etiquette easily. You are free to do it your own way or use a different utensil.

Yes, but you typically want the butt end of the chopsticks to be about an inch and a half away from the skin between your thumb and index finger.

Use or make smaller chopsticks.

You can practice using chopsticks on larger pieces of food, until you get more comfortable. The more you practice, the easier and less awkward it will be to eat smaller pieces of food with the chopsticks.

Yes, you can.

It's fine to eat with your left hand.

You don't have to say anything, just discreetly pick the sticks up. Let the "10 Second Rule" apply if you are comfortable doing so.

Practice makes perfect, as they say. Use chopsticks whenever you can, and you'll get the hang of it.

You can buy chopsticks from an Online Japanese restaurant retailer or eBay/Amazon.

There is no major difference between countries, but the structure of the chopstick around the world is different. The Chinese use chopsticks measuring about 11 inches whereas the Japanese use ones measuring about 9 inches. This can cause a slight difference in the way the chopsticks are held.

I suppose you could try pencils, but chopsticks are easy to come by. They're free at any Chinese takeout restaurant or sushi counter. You can always just ask.

Unfortunately, there are not really other methods other than this. This is the basic method to use chopsticks. You can try different ways yourself if you would like.

It's disrespectful to cross your chopsticks in an 'X' because it is a symbol of death.

Metal chopsticks are slippery and hard to control. Wooden chopsticks are more made of wood and they have some lines up at the top so they are easier to grip. Chopsticks probably originated in China.

It depends on what your "everything foods" are. If you want to eat cereal or oatmeal, for instance, then no. But if you have foods like eggs or salmon for breakfast, noodles or salad for lunch or stir fry, then yes, you can. You can also attempt to eat other foods with chopsticks, it just may be difficult depending on the type of food.