Positioning and Holding Chopsticks

POSITIONING AND HOLDING CHOPSTICKS

Positioning and holding chopsticks. Chopsticks are a common sight for most people nowadays, whether they are having cup noodles at home or dining at their favorite Asian restaurant. There is more to learn about the distinctive ways that Japanese people use chopsticks, than you might have thought, regardless of how proficient you are.

Positioning and Holding Chopsticks

Although it can seem like there are too many rules to learn, you will be forgiven for whatever mistakes you make as long as you’re trying in fact. You’ll find that handling chopsticks is easy after you learn to hold them correctly in your hand and just move the top one.  Learn how to use chopsticks and to understand some of the subtleties of Asian table manners.

Positioning

1. Learning the fundamentals of chopsticks handling is crucial since it forms the basis for all other skills. Using your thumb base and your fourth finger, secure the bottom chopstick; the opposite pressure keeps it in place. With the thumb holding it loosely, hold the top chopstick between the second and third fingers; it moves. Though it may seem challenging at first, you’ll discover that with the right strategy, you can accomplish much more.

2. The tapering end of the first chopstick rests on the side of your ring finger, while the top rests in the crook of your thumb. If more than a third of the chopstick sticks out from the crook of your thumb, it will be hard to control while eating.

3. Holding it like a pen, place the second chopstick on top of the first. Make sure your grips are even by aligning your second chopstick with your first. Depending on your preference, the second chopstick is held on the side or pad of your middle finger.

4. The first chopstick should never move. The initial chopstick—the one at the bottom—never moves, which is one of the most crucial aspects of using chopsticks when eating. Your chopsticks can be opened and closed by moving the second, or top, chopstick up and down.

Holding

1. Open your chopsticks by bringing your middle and pointer fingers together. Imagine drawing a straight line with this chopstick as you’re holding it like you would a pen or pencil. To open and close your chopsticks, follow these steps.

2. Enclose one piece of food with your chopsticks. This is the exciting part! Draw an imagined line downward to close your chopsticks around the meal, and an imaginary line upward to open them over a piece of food.

3. Continue to apply light pressure to hold the food in place and bring it to your lips. Not so tight that you compress or crunch the food, but just enough to give you control.

Summary

Maintaining the peace of the dinner table and being considerate of other diners are the cornerstones of chopstick etiquette. These guidelines will help you in other circumstances as well because etiquette is crucial in all area of Japanese life, particularly when dining with coworkers and learning business manners.