10 Mistakes You're Making When Using Chopsticks (2024)

Chopsticks are an incredibly popular utensil, specifically when eating food of Asian origin. But whether you’re planning on visiting those countries or are wanting to eat in authentic restaurants that specialise in Asian cuisine, it’s important that you know how to use your chopsticks correctly and respectfully. Here are ten mistakes that you should avoid making when using chopsticks:

1. Rubbing chopsticks together

You might be wondering why someone would choose to rub their chopsticks together in the first place. One of the main reasons is to rid the utensil of splinters that often occur as a result of pulling your chopsticks apart, because they have been manufactured and distributed in a way that causes them to fuse together.

This gives the user peace of mind that they haven’t been used before. Although it might be tempting to rub them both together to smooth off the splintered material, it’s something you should refrain from doing before using your chopsticks.

Culturally, rubbing your chopsticks together gives the restaurant the impression that you believe that they have provided you with chopsticks of an inferior quality. To avoid offending your host, don’t rub your chopsticks together, even if splinters have developed. We’ll talk about why splinters shouldn’t be an issue in a moment.

2. Holding chopsticks too far down

We’ve just discussed the importance of not rubbing your chopsticks together, so let’s now talk about how this won’t be a problem for you. Generally, chopsticks that come fused together will be joined right at the top of the utensil. You shouldn’t be holding your chopsticks that far up in the first place, which also means that you won’t become affected by the newly-developed splinters.

That being said, you shouldn’t hold the chopsticks too far down because there’s less room for movement at that point. This means that you’ll have a harder time picking up your food. If you hold the chopsticks further up, then you have more control and movement. You should make sure that the tips of your fingers are placed in the middle and that the crook of your index finger and thumb is placed towards the end of the chopstick. The main rule is to never hold the chopstick too close to the tapered ends, essentially.

3. Sticking chopsticks in food to stand them upright

This is more of an etiquette issue when it comes to chopsticks. Would you do the same thing with your knife and fork, for example? It’s also greatly frowned upon in some countries, including in Korea and Japan. This is because, in Japan, a special set of chopsticks are used to pick the bones of a deceased person from the ashes throughout a cremation ceremony, something that is true of many Asian countries, including China as well as Japan.

Those chopsticks are then presented to the family of the person who has passed away. However, the way in which they’re displayed resembles that of chopsticks that have been stuck into food in order for them to be stood up right. The family will receive the chopsticks in an urn that are stuck in a downwards position, so make sure you aren’t using rice or another piece of food to stick your chopsticks into.

4. Passing food from one set of chopsticks to another

Much like placing chopsticks in your food so that they stand upright, passing food from one set of chopsticks to another is also frowned upon for cultural reasons. In Japan in particular, their funerary practices dictate that the family of the person who has died will pass the bones of the person who has died from one set of chopsticks to another. In addition to this being frowned upon for cultural reasons, it’s also advised against for practical reasons. Not only is it unhygienic to pass food from one used utensil to another, it’s also messy.

5. Stabbing food with chopsticks

This is something that you shouldn’t do when using chopsticks. Although there aren’t any cultural objects to this, it’s considered to be rude and is a display of poor table manners. You must use both chopsticks at the same time to pick up your food, not to stab it. Imagine an invisible tether or link between them that keeps them attached at all times. Think of your chopsticks as a pair of tongs or tweezers and not as spears or skewers.

6. Stirring your food with your chopsticks

You mustn’t use your chopsticks to look through your bowl of food or for stirring your food. This is considered to be rude. Not only should you refrain from doing this in your own bowl of food, but you should also avoid doing that if you’re sharing your dishes among other diners. In addition to it being rude, it’s looked at as being greedy whilst also being insulting to the cook. If you’re wanting to move bowls around, stir your dish or need to find a specific food in your meal, then use the utensils provided or ask for some help. Don’t use your chopsticks.

7. Resting chopsticks on a dish pointing at others

Where it’s not frowned upon to rest your chopsticks on your bowl or plate, provided they’re placed together, it is considered to be rude if your chopsticks are pointing at another diner who is seated at the table. Culturally, it’s viewed as someone pointing arrows or swords at others.

In countries where chopsticks are regularly used, people will automatically know not to do this, much like how, in Western cultures, knife blades are set pointing inwards as opposed to outwards. This is something that you wouldn’t give a second thought to, so make an effort to not rest your chopsticks with the tips pointing at others.

8. Placing chopsticks in a crossed position on the dish

You should avoid placing your chopsticks in a crossed position when you’ve finished using them. This is because, in China especially, crossed chopsticks represent death. In Japan, however, this association isn’t made, but it is considered to be rude. It could be that you’re telling the chef that you no longer want the dish that they have made. If you haven’t finished your meal, then it’s looked at as bad table manners and the chef may find it to be an insult.

If you’re done with your meal and no longer need the chopsticks, then place them on the wrapper they came in, to the left of your dish or on a chopstick rest, if you’re given one. If you have a disposable set of chopsticks, then place them back in the wrapper they came in and leave them at the side of your bowl or plate, on the table.

9. Using your chopsticks to point at people

Pointing at people, generally, is considered to be a rude gesture in many different cultures around the world. This is no different if you have a pair of chopsticks in your hands. It’s considered to be equally as rude in many Asian cultures, so refrain from doing it when using chopsticks, as a general rule. Something you should do, to make sure you don’t use your chopsticks as pointers, is to put your chopsticks down at the side of your plate (side-by-side), with the tips pointing away from other people, before you start talking.

10. Using mismatched chopsticks

Not only is this a practice that makes you look chaotic, but it can asemble some funeral rites in certain cultures. Culturally, anything to do with funerals or death, no matter the country, is considered to be bad luck and in poor taste. Make sure you’re using chopsticks that match. Not only can this involve the colour or the pattern on them, but it also includes the length of the chopsticks.lso re

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10 Mistakes You're Making When Using Chopsticks (2024)

FAQs

10 Mistakes You're Making When Using Chopsticks? ›

Never suck or lick your chopsticks. Avoid sticking your chopsticks in your food or rice bowl. Don't use chopsticks to skewer food. Avoid stabbing food with the chopsticks; instead, use them to grasp food softly.

What are the dos and don'ts of using chopsticks? ›

Never suck or lick your chopsticks. Avoid sticking your chopsticks in your food or rice bowl. Don't use chopsticks to skewer food. Avoid stabbing food with the chopsticks; instead, use them to grasp food softly.

What is the golden rule of using chopsticks? ›

Some examples of chopstick rules include: don't stab your food with your chopsticks to pick it up (sashi-bashi), don't hold your chopsticks like a spoon (yoko-bashi), don't hold the chopsticks in your mouth (kuitsuki-bashi), don't tear or cut your food into smaller pieces with a chopstick in each hand (chigiri-bashi), ...

What are the 12 ways to use chopsticks? ›

English: This visual guide illustrates 12 common chopstick grips that have been recorded, analyzed, named and published. They are: finger pistol, righthand rule, chicken claws, dino claws, vulcan, standard grip, idling thumb, dangling stick, forsaken pinky, beetle mandibles, scissorhand, and muppet.

What happens if you go over 5 in chopsticks? ›

Meta: If a player's hands add up to over five, they can combine them, subtract five from the total, and then split up the remainder. For example, [44] adds up to 8, which becomes 3 after subtracting five; these can then be split into [12].

Is it rude to pass food from chopstick to chopstick? ›

3) Do not pass food to another pair of chopsticks

It can be seen as rude to pass food from your chopsticks to someone else's. Put the food down on a plate or bowl so the other person can pick it up.

What Cannot be eaten with chopsticks? ›

Some foods are impossible to eat with chopsticks due to their shape. Anything that's cut shaped like with a pyramid is a problem, and stabbing food with a chopstick is considered bad manners (sashi-bashi). Sticky rice is OK, but some fried rice where the individual grains don't adhere is a problem.

Why can't chopsticks cross? ›

You should avoid placing your chopsticks in a crossed position when you've finished using them. This is because, in China especially, crossed chopsticks represent death. In Japan, however, this association isn't made, but it is considered to be rude.

What is the Chinese chopstick rule? ›

Chopstick etiquette.

Chopsticks should only be used to grab food. Sticking food with a chopstick is frowned upon and so is 'digging down' in the dish for a preferred ingredient as it symbolises begging. Never play with them, point at someone with them or make clicking noises.

Who ate with chopsticks first? ›

Chopsticks are used by billions of people around the world—and they have a truly ancient past. The Chinese have been wielding them since at least 1200 B.C., and by A.D. 500 the slender batons had swept the Asian continent from Vietnam to Japan.

What are the do's and don'ts of chopsticks? ›

- It's okay to lift a bowl close to your mouth and push food into your mouth with chopsticks. - At the table setting, chopsticks should be placed above the plate, parallel to the table, with tips to the left. - It's rude to rub disposable sticks together. It implies the restaurant gave you cheap chopsticks.

What is the best strategy for chopsticks? ›

Make sure to touch your hands together to split your fingers before one of your hands “dies.” Continue doing this anytime you are close to a dead hand. Revive a dead hand by splitting. If one of your hands does happen to “die” you can "revive" a dead hand by splitting.

Is eating with chopsticks healthier? ›

By using chopsticks, you are forced to take smaller bites and chew your food more thoroughly, which can help prevent digestive issues. This can also aid in better nutrient absorption and help you feel fuller faster, which is great for weight management.

What is a disrespectful chopstick placement? ›

Chopsticks standing on end

This refers to sticking the chopsticks upright into the food, especially rice, which symbolizes disrespect.

What is the chopstick etiquette when finished eating? ›

After finishing the meal

Place the chopsticks horizontally on the table or tray on your side, with the tip to the left. In Japan, it is considered taboo to place chopsticks vertically, as it is impolite to leave the tip facing the other person.

What is Japanese etiquette for chopsticks? ›

Hold your chopsticks towards their end, not in the middle or the front third. When you are not using your chopsticks or have finished eating, lay them down in front of you with the tips to the left (to the right in case of left-handed people). Do not stick chopsticks into your food, especially not into rice.

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