Do You Know How To Use Chopsticks?

In many countries in Southeast Asia chopsticks are the most common utensil to eat food. For this reason most Asian restaurants in western countries offer their guests both chopsticks and silverware. So if you're planning your China Tours and you can't handle chopsticks yet it is about time that you learn how to use them. So get yourself a pair of chopsticks and start preparing for your china travel adventure! First of all it's not always easy to get western silverware in Chinese restaurants and not having to look for a knife and a fork will save you time and energy. And more than that, with a history of several thousand years chopsticks are an important part of Asian eating culture, so you should try your best to adapt to this way of eating food. You can show that you're open to the Chinese culture and win the local's respect by using chopsticks like a pro. Chopsticks are not only an eating utensil but are also used to prepare food, to pick it up, turn it in the pan, stir etc. Considering their long history it's only natural that they come in all different materials and designs. The most common materials are wood, bamboo, plastic or metal. The more expensive materials such as silver, gold, bones, jade or ivory were more common among wealthy families in earlier times but they are still used until today.   How to hold your chopsticks Pick up the first chopstick and place the broad end where your thumb and index finger connect. The narrow end should loosely rest between your ring and middle finger. This chopstick is the steady part. Then take the second chopstick and place the broad end above the first one and hold the narrow side with your thumb and index finger. The upper stick is the one you move towards the lower one. Try to hold both of them rather loose and make sure you don't cross the ends. Once you got this right you can just start picking up the food, it will need some practice though.   What to avoid when using chopsticks In western countries it is considered bad manners to play with the silverware, to point at people or objects, make noises, tab bowls and plates or dig in the food and these rules are just the same when you use chopsticks in China. Apart from that you should avoid in any case sticking them into a bowl of rice. This reminds of the ritual of incense-burning which are offerings to deceased family members. Moreover, try to avoid pointing the sticks towards other people sitting at the table when you put them down. Also, try to avoid spearing your food with the chopsticks. Anything that is too difficult to be picked up this way is usually eaten with a spoon, e. g. small slippery foods or those with a round shape such as cherry tomatoes or fish balls. And please don't hack your food into smaller pieces, just take several bites instead if the piece is too big. Noodles which are usually served in a soup might come as a challenge. Even though they are long and slippery don't roll them up with your chopsticks like spaghetti, just bring them to your mouth and then slurp them in. That's how Chinese people do it and slurping is not considered to be bad manners at all. But don't worry, there is also a lot of street food which you can eat without using chopsticks like skewered meat and seafood and lots of other tasty snacks. Have you already booked your China Flights? Then why don't you go to your favorite Chinese restaurant to get ready for your trip? from China Travel Blog http://blog.chinatraveldepot.com

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