Chopstick Discussion

Chopsticks! Most westerners like myself have had a go with them at their local Chinese restaurant, but did you ever get the hang of it? Do you, perhaps, prefer them to silverware?

I've been endeavouring to learn to use them, since I love all kinds of oriental foods and it would be ideal for a full cultural experience to be able to master them.

This is my current technique. I'm not very good, my fingers slip a lot and I can barely execute enough pressure to lift anything. If anyone here is experienced with chopsticks, I'd love to hear what I'm doing wrong and what I can do to improve it.

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I can use chopsticks only with great focus and patience and determination. Usually I just skip the chop sticks though

I nail it , i do it in rather unusual way as I just press the bottom chopstick witht he top of my ring finger to keep it nice and firm.

I love eating ramen with chopstics ^^

I've used them, the round ones you get at Thai restaurants suck

I adore chopsticks. In fact I use them whenever I can, I'm quite skilled with them. I've eaten just about everything you can eat with chopsticks. I was reminded just how weeabo I had gotten the other day when I had gotten some Asian cuisine delivered and they forgot to put the chopsticks in the bag, and of course, I wasn't at home so I didn't have my chopsticks on me so I was forced to use a fork....

....so much dropped rice.

I honestly can't use chopsticks. I have partial paralysis in my hands so the position you need to hold them hurts my hand. Didn't use to be that way but time has caught up with my hands just enough to make it so. I haven't used them in so long, I've kind of forgotten how.

I taught myself how to use chopsticks. It's pretty easy and I use them every time I eat Chinese, Japanese, or Korean food. I use them to eat rice too. I don't remember when or how I learned, it just sort of happened. I can't remember a time I didn't know. Don't give up though, it's better than using a fork and knife imo. I can't really explain how to do it though, I just simply do it, like how there's no strategy or 'technique' for using a fork. But what I can tell you is very useful and I hope you will never forget it for your sake. If you are eating something that's, hmm, I guess slippery, do not use plastic chopsticks! or metal ones! stick with the wooden ones because it provides the friction you need to actually pick up the food, Haha

And not that I have ever done this, but if you happen to be using those Japanese stainless steel chopsticks people are selling nowadays, don't lay it on or really close to anything very hot unless you want scorching hot chopsticks.

June 24, 2017: I declared my inability to use chopsticks. 

That is no longer true! I can use them a bit comfortably now. And to some extent, I can use either hand  

On ‎7‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 10:05 PM, RepentantSky said:

I honestly can't use chopsticks. I have partial paralysis in my hands so the position you need to hold them hurts my hand. Didn't use to be that way but time has caught up with my hands just enough to make it so. I haven't used them in so long, I've kind of forgotten how.

I taught myself how to use them as a teenager and have used them to eat Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese foods ever since.  I don't remember it being especially difficult.  However, due to some work related repetitive injuries to my hands and wrists coupled with a bad disk in my neck, I now have extreme weakness (and oftentimes pain, like today, how I'm typing now is a testament to my desire to not just stare at the tv all day.  I refuse to give in without a fight!) in my wrist, hands, arms, and shoulders.  While I could still eat with chopsticks fairly easily (if not pain free) now, I imagine in a few more years, my condition will deteriorate to the point that I might have difficulty holding normal utensils, nevermind chopsticks.  I totally understand your precidament RSky.  I'm practically there myself.  I actually tried to squeeze my husband's hand to mush the other day and he just stared at me.  Not even mildly uncomfortable.  >_>  Really sad.

For rice dishes, I prefer using the scoop method with my chopsticks.  Very fast.  For everything else, I don't even think about how I move the chopsticks.  It just happens...sort of like how your hands just move on their own when typing out your thoughts or playing a familiar video game.  Didn't take long to learn at all.