Hold Chinese chopsticks. How to hold Chinese chopsticks and how to eat them correctly

Chinese sticks are used not only in China, but in many eastern countries. And more recently, they have begun to be often used when eating food in the West. It's all the fault of Chinese exotic cuisine, which received in Lately wide use. And especially such a popular dish as sushi, which is difficult to use, I don’t use chopsticks. Often people for the first time and learn to use Chinese chopsticks, faced with rolls, well, or if they planned a trip to a Chinese restaurant (to feel more comfortable and confident in it).

There is nothing complicated in learning to use this cutlery. You just need to understand how to properly hold Chinese chopsticks and how to take food with them. Everything is really simple. It is no more difficult than learning how to use ordinary cutlery: a spoon and a fork. Even when using these familiar devices for the first time, many may experience little difficulty. This can even be seen in the child when he scoops food with a spoon a little ridiculously. It will also be with Chinese chopsticks. But gradually you will get used to it. And if you often eat Chinese food with them, then after 1000 times of using them you will become a real ace in this matter. In this article, in addition to the question of how to properly hold Chinese sticks, we will also look at their history, learn about what they are, what they are made of, and also get acquainted with some rules of etiquette.

The Chinese themselves begin to teach their children to hold chopsticks at the age of one, because such fine motor skills contribute to a better development of the child's mental abilities. And scientists even managed to deduce one formula, which says that if an inexperienced person is allowed to eat 1000 meals with Chinese chopsticks, then he will learn how to use them as well as with his own hands.

1. The hand in which you hold the sticks should not be tense. Otherwise, their use will become a real hard labor for you. Remember this and relax your hand. Next, straighten the index and middle fingers on the right hand, and slightly bend the little finger and ring finger.

2. Chinese sticks are placed parallel to each other in the hand. One is at the top (let's call it conditionally - the top), and the other is at the bottom (bottom).

3. We put the lower stick between the thumb and ring finger. Its thin edge should rest against the ring finger. The lower stick is fixed in this position. When taking food, it always remains static, that is, motionless.

4. But the upper stick, on the contrary, is movable. When capturing food, all movements are made to her. The top stick should be placed parallel to the bottom one and taken as we usually hold a pencil or pen. It is located between the thumb and forefinger.

5. With the help of small bends of the index finger, you can both bring the sticks together and pinch them with the food that you want to send to your mouth. And even if a piece of food is too large, it can be carefully divided with chopsticks.

Chinese chopsticks are a traditional Asian cutlery. They are used not only by the inhabitants of the East, but also by admirers of Asian cuisine. For all their popularity, not everyone knows how to properly hold Chinese sticks. Some ask the waiters for a more familiar European device - a fork. Most agree that other East Asian dishes should be eaten exclusively with Chinese chopsticks. It is for those who like to learn something new and interesting, we have prepared a step-by-step lesson, teaching the correct use of chopsticks.

Excursion to the centuries

According to an ancient oriental legend, the prototype of this cutlery was created in the XXIII-XXII century BC. An emperor named Yu the Great, who lived at that time, often traveled around the country. He checked the condition of the banks, which were washed away by the river every now and then. Once he was very hungry, and the broth in which the meat was boiled was unbearably hot. The emperor, without thinking twice, plucked a twig from the nearest tree, broke it into two parts, and with the help of the resulting wooden sticks took out his dinner from the cauldron.

It is difficult to say whether the ancient legend is true or not, but one thing is clear, this cutlery, unusual for a European, appeared a very long time ago. Even millennia have not found what to change in the appearance of Chinese sticks, thereby proving their perfection and versatility. In Asia, this device is used not only for eating, but also for cooking.

So the same, but so different

Chinese sticks are not only plastic and bamboo, but also metal, bone, and even silver and jade. The latter were used only by emperors and high-ranking nobles. Sticks in general for a long time were an instrument exclusively for the rich, but now it is part of the national culture of several countries. The Japanese teach their children to hold wooden sticks very early, literally from the age of one. Such training is useful for fine motor skills of the hands and stimulates brain activity.

In China, sticks are called kuaizi, which translates as bamboo. In Japan, this device has a different name - hashi. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire quickly mastered the sticks and brought its appearance to perfection, varnishing and decorating carved patterns. Japanese hashi are for the tea ceremony, for sweets, and even for the New Year. Koreans call sticks chokkorak and are most often made from of stainless steel and wood of different species.

We keep it right

1. The first step is to relax the hand with which you will hold the sticks. If this is not done, further attempts to learn how to master this Chinese cutlery as well as its inventors are meaningless.
2. Next, you should straighten the middle and index fingers, the little finger and ring finger should be slightly bent, but not pressed into the palm.
3. We take the first stick and position it in such a way that the upper part, slightly thickened, is pressed with the thumb to the palm. The thin side should lie on the ring finger. This wand will be in a stationary state, so we hold it firmly in this position.
4. We lay the second stick parallel to the previous one, holding it between the thumb and forefinger. To be more precise, it is necessary that the stick lies on the third phalanx of the index finger, and rests on the first phalanx of the middle one.
5. You need to adjust the length of the sticks by lightly tapping them on the plate.
6. The next step is practical exercises. The more often you eat with chopsticks for sushi, the faster you will master this skill.
7. This is the main way to properly hold the instruments, but not the only one. Everyone develops their own style of using chopsticks.

Rules of etiquette

Showing good manners and virtuoso use of chopsticks will only raise your authority in the eyes of Japanese diners and friends.

• Never knock with chopsticks on a plate and table, it's not decent.
• It is also not worth driving instruments around the table and pointing them at something.
• If you want to take food from a common bowl, in no case do not dig into it in search of a larger and prettier piece. You should take the first one that comes along. According to the rules of etiquette, the piece that the wand touched first should be eaten.
• What categorically should not be done is to chop food on sticks, including sushi, this is only eaten at funerals.
• Before ordering more food, put the appliance on the table, do not fiddle with it or wave it in anticipation of a meal.
• Do not hold your chopsticks in your fist, the Japanese will certainly perceive such a gesture as a manifestation of aggression.
• You can’t stick cutlery into food perpendicular to the table, unless you have a funeral.
• Licking the sticks, and even more so keeping them in your mouth, should not be done either.
• Putting cutlery across the bowl is not correct.
• If you are not using chopsticks, place them parallel to the edge of the table with the thin ends to the left.
• During the meal, you can not hold a bowl too close to your face, stuffing food into your mouth with chopsticks.
• At the end of the meal, the cutlery should be placed along the stand, but in no case across.

Now you should not be afraid that during a trip to a sushi bar or a trip to East Asia you will look ridiculous in an attempt to taste the local cuisine according to all the rules of the host country.

All lovers of Asian food claim that if you eat it with chopsticks, then you will taste the taste much better. But in order to be convinced of this from your own experience, of course, you need to learn how to use Chinese chopsticks. This skill will come in handy even for those who are not going to move to China, but are simply interested in culture.

Correct hand position

First you need to figure out how to properly hold this cutlery. If the sticks are not training, then they are not connected to each other. The first of them must be firmly fixed with two fingers: thumb and forefinger. The stick must not slip. In fact, this situation is reminiscent of how each of us was taught in childhood to write with a pen. Only the stick should be slightly lower than the handle. By the way, not everyone likes this method of fixation: some prefer to hold the wand between the ring and index. Try both options and decide which is more convenient for you.

The second stick, unlike the first, must move. It is due to this that it will be possible to pick up food with a cutlery. In order to make this easy, you need to place a second stick under your thumb. As a result, the thin edges of the sticks should be in contact with each other, and not intersect. If it is difficult to align the position of the cutlery, tap the chopsticks on the table. So they lie down in the hand.

Training and practice

Before you try to pick up food, you need to practice a little control of the chopsticks. Try closing and opening sticks. The ends must always converge normally. Choose the hand position that is most comfortable for you. You can lower your fingers closer to the bottom edge, or vice versa, keep them almost at the very base. But at the same time, remember that keeping your fingers closer to the thin edges of the sticks is uncivilized. The main reason is that with this position of the hands, they practically touch the food, and this is simply unhygienic.

After you have practiced a bit, you can learn to pick up food with chopsticks. Need to try to eat different types dishes. Just because eating rice, for example, is harder than sushi or noodles. Experiment with different sizes and types of food. You need to start with something simpler, such as chopped vegetables, fruits, or pieces of fish. Then you can move on to more complex products. However, some, on the contrary, advise starting their workouts with small items, arguing that if you learn the complex, then the simple will then be much easier to master. Aerobatics is to eat rice and noodles with chopsticks neatly and without much difficulty. But this will happen only after a couple of weeks, or even months of constant practice. So learn something simpler. And only when you learn how to properly handle different dishes, go to a Chinese restaurant.

By the way, beginners are advised to use either wooden or bamboo sticks. They are light, but due to the slightly rough texture, they are very easy to pick up and hold food. It is much more difficult to work with plastic and metal sticks. Therefore, it makes no sense to start your training on them. Another interesting fact that can help you: there are both disposable sticks and reusable ones. The latter must be handled with care. You can either buy them at home or find them in one of the Asian restaurants. Reusable sticks look very nice. Sometimes you can see real works of art, carefully polished and decorated with various patterns. Previously, they were often made from semi-precious and even precious metals. Now in everyday life such cutlery is practically not used. But the desire to decorate your cutlery and enjoy the little things in life remained.

Separately, it is worth discussing the issue of etiquette. Many, for example, may seem strange to the peculiarities of the division of food at the Chinese table. The traditional dining and festive table in Asia is filled with large dishes. Initially, no one divides food into portions, and everyone can get as much as they want. This must be done carefully. And it is important to remember that, after you have already eaten with your chopsticks, it is very ugly to climb them into a common plate. Therefore, you need to either use other edges of the stick, or find common sticks on the table that no one has eaten yet. They, too, can easily collect supplements for themselves and put spare cutlery aside. Also remember that if the common plate is filled with a variety of food, then choose what exactly you will impose on yourself before you reach into the dish with your chopsticks. You can not pick food, choosing the most tidbits.

Many aspiring connoisseurs of Asian culture do not know what to do with chopsticks at a time when they are not used for eating. The Chinese, as well as other Asians, have a lot of prejudice associated with feasts. So, for example, if you stick chopsticks in your food between meals, then this will be perceived negatively. The fact is that such a gesture is a bad omen, because such a design looks like incense at a traditional Asian funeral.

Also, do not pierce food with chopsticks or prick individual pieces on them. Remember, this is not a fork, and if you can’t pick up food with chopsticks, then it’s better to ask to change the cutlery. Trying to pierce food looks very uncultured when viewed through the eyes of an Asian. However, asking for a spoon or fork instead of chopsticks can also offend the feelings of your table neighbor. But the Chinese, nevertheless, are much more loyal to this than the Japanese who honor all traditions.

Also, you should not try to transfer food to someone by shifting it from one cutlery to another. This is also a funeral tradition, and such actions will be perceived negatively. The desire to point at someone with the sharp edges of sticks is also considered uncivilized. However, this should not be a culture shock for you, because such actions are considered ugly in any country. Actually, the most best option- just put the chopsticks next to the plate at a time when you are not picking up food with them. You need to put the cutlery on the left side, without crossing the sticks with each other.

Sushi sticks are an integral part of a traditional oriental meal. Without them, the national cuisine of Japan, China, Vietnam and Korea is inconceivable, since the history of their use has more than one millennium. In order to understand the full significance of the use of chopsticks in Japanese sushi etiquette, it is necessary to get acquainted with the origins of this centuries-old tradition.

Who came up with the idea of ​​using chopsticks?

Chinese archaeologists have reliably established that chopsticks in this country began to be used about three thousand years ago. There is a legend that attributes the idea of ​​using wands to a mythical emperor named Yu the Great. Taking meat out of a boiling cauldron, he broke off two small branches from a tree growing nearby and thereby saved his hands from burns. Today, one third of the world's population uses chopsticks. About the same number of people eat using spoons and forks. Everyone else prefers to eat with their hands.

Curious facts about the use of chopsticks in Japan

Traditional sushi sticks (hashi) appeared in Japan around 300 AD and were borrowed from the Chinese. Initially, they resembled tongs (made from a split bamboo trunk) with fastened halves.

• Two centuries later, separate wands appeared, which came into use exclusively by the highest nobility. Commoners at that time ate with their hands. The custom of using chopsticks during a meal has spread to all segments of the population of Japan since about 700 AD.
• Since chopstick virtuosity is an excellent fine motor training, directly related to the development of intelligence, Japanese children begin to be introduced to this art from the age of one. There is evidence that the development of babies who use hashi with meals is faster than the development of their peers who eat with spoons.

There is a version that the exceptional mental abilities of the Japanese nation are largely associated with the centuries-old experience of using hashi sticks.

• A true Japanese will never allow an outsider to use their own chopsticks, since this cutlery belongs to the category of purely personal items.
• According to ancient belief, khasi are able to bring longevity and prosperity to their owner, so they are a fairly common and desirable gift. Handing wands to newlyweds, they are accompanied by a wish to be as inseparable as a pair of these wands.
• When exactly one hundred days pass after the birth of a Japanese child, the obligatory First Sticks ceremony is held for him, during which he receives the first set of hashi sticks in his life and with their help tastes rice on his own.

What are sushi sticks?

• Nuribashi (as reusable chopsticks are called in Japan) amaze with a variety of sizes and shapes. Their cross section is most often square or round, and the tip is pyramidal or conical.
• They are plastic, metal, bone and wood. Maple, pine, cypress, bamboo, sandalwood and plum are used to make wooden sticks.
• Nuribashi sticks are often decorated with a beautiful ornament and mother-of-pearl inserts. Such products may be of a certain artistic value.

• V last years Many Japanese restaurants began to use varibashi - the so-called disposable chopsticks, packed in a sealed paper bag with the restaurant's logo. Particularly beautiful packages often become exhibits of collections. The sticks in such packages are fastened together: this is done so that the visitor is sure that no one has used this set before him.
• Asians are so good with sushi chopsticks that they serve them for more than just transporting food to their mouths. Using chopsticks, they easily chop and cut food into smaller pieces, and are also used to mix various sauces.

How to properly hold sushi chopsticks?

To use chopsticks correctly, you need to learn how to hold them correctly. To begin with, let's try to learn the very principle of their retention.

While eating, the lower chopstick maintains a passive position, and the capture of food is carried out with the help of manipulations performed by the upper chopstick. Straightening the index and middle fingers, the chopsticks move apart and clasp a piece of food with them. Bending the fingers, close the sticks, fix the captured piece in them and bring it to the mouth. You should hold the sticks without straining your hand. The hand should be relaxed, and the movements of the fingers should be plastic and relaxed.
Going to an oriental restaurant and wanting to impress as a connoisseur of exotic cuisine who knows how to skillfully use chopsticks for sushi, it will not be superfluous to practice at home. You can simply try to grab peas or corn kernels with chopsticks, or you can combine business with pleasure and eat some cherries or cherries with their help. If you don’t suffer from excessive ambition and don’t hide from others that you don’t know how to properly hold an insidious device, you can ask the waiter to bring training sticks for you, interconnected by a kind of spring. Thus, you will kill two birds with one stone: and eat without problems (it is much more convenient for a beginner to wield such chopsticks) and join the culture of the national Japanese meal.

Subtleties of etiquette

Over many centuries of using chopsticks for sushi, the ritual of eating has acquired a large number of customs and rules. Etiquette of different peoples has its own national characteristics, but there are also many common features. The fundamental principle is the special respect for this cutlery as a sacred symbol. That is why you can only take food with chopsticks, transferring it to your bowl or transporting it to your mouth. All other actions are considered an unacceptable breach of etiquette.

Indecent:

1. Attract the attention of the waiter by tapping with chopsticks on objects on the table.
2. Use sticks as a pencil, "drawing" them on the tablecloth.
3. Make movements resembling walking with chopsticks and allow them to “roam” inside the plate in this way.
4. Rummaging with chopsticks in a plate, looking for the best pieces. Food is always taken from above.

In all restaurants of oriental cuisine it is unacceptable:

• Take food, prick it on sticks.
• Put the bitten piece back on the plate: everything that you took with chopsticks must be immediately sent to your mouth.
• Cool food by vigorously waving varibashi sticks over it.
• Point with chopsticks at someone.
• Putting waribashi in your mouth and holding it there for no reason.
• Lick the waribashi and wave them around.
• Rearrange dishes using chopsticks. Any dishes and cutlery should be taken by hand.
• Place chopsticks in a vertical position by sticking them into food. The fact is that in the East incense sticks dedicated to the dead are installed in a similar way.

What not to do while in a Japanese restaurant

Thematic celebration in Japanese style is about to begin. Tables are bursting with exquisite oriental dishes. But instead of traditional forks, the table is served with wonderful chopsticks. This is an essential oriental eating utensil, which the Japanese call hashi, and the Chinese call it kuaizi.

Its centuries-old history, delicate etiquette and amazing design require certain skills to use. To feel comfortable in Japanese restaurants or visiting friends who are fond of sushi, you should learn how to use this cutlery correctly.

Khashi: history and traditions

Historical records and archaeological research have established that China is considered the birthplace of chopsticks. According to legend, such a cutlery appeared during the reign of Shang about 3 millennia ago. This way of eating was invented by the historical ancestor Yu, who showed considerable ingenuity and pulled a piece of meat from a boiling cauldron with two broken branches. Since this prevented him from scalding his fingers with boiling water, his experience was quickly passed on to other people.

Hashi entered Japanese culture during the Bronze Age. At first, they were used only at the imperial court, but over the centuries, hasi became available to the lower strata of society. They are so rooted in the Japanese mentality that over time they turned from cutlery into a sacred symbol.

What are sushi sticks?

Sushi sticks in their original form were made of wood and looked like a split bamboo trunk, which, on the one hand, had two points, and on the other, remained solid. The cross section of the hashi could be round or square, and the sharp end could be conical or pyramidal.

In the field Catering mostly disposable sticks (waribashi) are used. They resemble an incompletely sawn cylindrical piece of wood or plastic that needs to be broken before a meal. This is considered a sign that no one has eaten with chopsticks yet. They are served in restaurants and are packaged in a sterile package with the establishment's logo.

The modern variety of reusable sticks (nuribashi) allows you to choose sticks for every taste and color. They are made different forms and sizes, with colorful drawings or hieroglyphs, and sometimes they are even encrusted with precious stones. Such a device is served on a hasioki stand.

Chopsticks are made from the following materials:

• Wood species (bamboo, maple, sandalwood, cypress, plum).
• Precious metals (silver, gold, steel).
• Exotic raw materials (ivory, antlers, crystal).
• Plastic.

How should sushi chopsticks be held?

To learn how to deftly manipulate sushi chopsticks, you need to properly hold them between your fingers:

• It is necessary to make a basis for fixing the sticks. To do this, press the little finger and ring finger and bend them to the middle of the palm. The middle finger paired with the index finger should lean forward a little.

• The thick end of the lower hashi should be placed in the hole between the thumb and forefinger. The point of the hashi should rest on the nail phalanx of the middle finger.

• Now the thick end of the upper hishi must be laid on the index finger, and its position should be fixed with a bundle of the thumb. The pencil is about the same.

During the meal, the lower chopstick must remain fixed, and all manipulations must be carried out with the upper chopstick. To grab food, you need to straighten your little finger and ring finger, spread the chopsticks, grab a piece of food, and then bend your fingers again and bring the food to your mouth.

Advice! In the case of using special sticks with a holder (children's or clothespins), you need to manipulate them like tweezers, adjusting the clamping process with your middle finger.

It will take some time to achieve positive results, so you can practice a little at home catching small objects with chopsticks, such as beans or corn. Over time, the fingers will become dexterous, and the process of controlling the hashi will become automatic.

A few rules of etiquette

For a couple of millennia, the ritual of eating with chopsticks has acquired many traditions, rules and prohibitions. Of course, different nationalities have their own ethnic customs, but in general they have many similarities.

The main principle of using hashi is unquestioning respect for this sacred device.

Chopsticks are only allowed to take, impose or mix food, and all other manipulations are considered notes of bad tone. Therefore, if you plan to visit eastern countries or often visit elite Japanese restaurants, you need to know some of the features of the culture of using hashi sticks:

1. It is forbidden to prick food on the tip of chopsticks or stick them into a plate with a dish.
2. It is unacceptable to swarm with chopsticks in the dishes in search of a more appetizing piece.
3. To attract the attention of the attendants, it is forbidden to knock with chopsticks on the dishes.
4. If you took a portioned piece with chopsticks, it must definitely get into your mouth. Putting food back on the plate is indecent.
5. Don't wave your hashi, lick them, or point them in someone's direction.
6. Do not place sticks in a vertical position. This is reminiscent of the ritual of setting scented candles for the dead.
7. The most strict taboo is shifting food from one plate to another with chopsticks. In Japan, there is a ritual of shifting the bones of a cremated body with chopsticks into a burial urn.
8. A hashi clenched in a fist is considered a threat signal.

• One third of the population uses chopsticks as their main cutlery, another third prefers forks and spoons, and the rest eat with their hands.
• In Japan, hashi is considered the most the best gift for any celebration. They are given to newlyweds as a symbol of longevity, health and good luck.
• Babies on the hundredth day after birth are presented with his first sticks, with which he begins to eat from the age of one.
• Chopsticks are considered a purely personal item, so no one who respects traditions, the Japanese will not allow himself to eat with other people's chopsticks.
• The unique mental abilities of the Japanese and Chinese are attributed strongly to developed motor skills hands, which is improved through the use of hashi from an early age.
• For eating, only sushi sticks are used in four countries of the world: in China, Japan, as well as in Korea and Vietnam.
• The Chinese use about 40 billion pairs of varibashi every year.
• In the 17th century, silver sticks were made to detect poison in food. At that time, arsenic was used as a poison, upon contact with which silver changed color.
• In Korea, they use metal chopsticks for sushi.

Even if you are not a fan of sushi, learning how to eat with sushi chopsticks will still not be superfluous. It's pretty easy to do, it just takes a little practice. After all, you can be invited at any time for a Japanese-style dinner. In addition, in the process of learning a new culture, you will learn a lot of interesting things and have fun.