Chopsticks – Your Guide to Choosing and Using

When most Westerners think of “eating utensils” they think of spoons, forks, knives, and, maybe, sporks. What if there was a better option?

Enter chop stick. These are a fantastic and healthy tool used by billions of people worldwide for eating. When used correctly, chopsticks are much neater than regular forks and knives. They also only require you to use one hand to eat, leaving the other free to read a book or browse your Instagram. There are even studies suggesting that eating with these can help you make healthier choices and lose weight. There really is no downside!

What are Chopsticks?

They look like two narrow sticks with a thicker end and a narrower end. They were traditionally made of bamboo or wood, but modern ones are also made of plastic and fiberglass.

You can eat with these by balancing one on the space between your thumb and index finger and your ring finger. You will then hold the second one with your forefinger and middle finger, keeping it in place with your thumb. You can then move the top stick to grab your food by pinching it.

Types and Styles

Each country and culture has its own traditional kinds. It would be impossible to detail every variation, but the two most common ones are Japanese and Chinese chopsticks, followed closely by Korean style chopsticks.

Japanese

Japanese type is usually round and very thin with a pointed end. They often have grooves near the pointed end to help grip food. The Japanese type tend to be shorter than Chinese chopsticks. Traditionally, a women’s pair is also shorter chopsticks than men.

Chinese

Traditional Chinese chopsticks are square instead of round, and they have blunter ends than Japanese chopsticks. They also do not have grip grooves because the rectangular shape helps to keep food in place. The extra length on Chinese chopsticks is useful because Chinese tables tend to be larger than ones from other parts of Asia.

Korean

Korean chopsticks are of a medium length. They taper on one end, but not as much as Japanese chopsticks. The thinner end is generally a somewhat flat, rectangular shape. This is also much more likely to be made of metal, most often used by cooks.

Best Overall High Quality

History

Like many eating utensils, chopsticks originated as cooking utensils. Traditional East Asian cooking often involves the use of deep pots and woks filled with hot water and oil. Long cooking sticks were perfect for reaching into these boiling liquids, oil and removing food.

Despite being a part of the etiquette and a long history that spans more than 3000 years, these have likely been used for eating meals for about the last 1600 years. Around 400 AD, many cooks began chopping food into smaller pieces to conserve oil and cook them more quickly. This rendered the previously preferred knife relatively useless during mealtime. Confucius also believed that knives conveyed a sense of violence that ruined the atmosphere of dinner, and the spread of his teachings consequently helped with the rise of mealtime chopsticks.

“The honorable and upright man
keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse and the kitchen.
And he allows no knives on his table.”
Confucius

The Shape

In general, chopsticks look like, well, sticks. The size guide is typically 7-9 inches in length and often have either a round, flat or square shape around. They tend to be thinner at the end used for eating, and this end may or may not have grooves to help grip food. These qualities often depend on which culture they are from and how they use it – whether for eating or cooking.

These can also be decorated in many ways. Although unadorned, inexpensive disposable wooden chopsticks from takeout restaurants are perhaps what most Westerners are familiar with, many reusable and decorative chopsticks feature elaborate designs and colors.

What are These Made Out Of

Disposable wooden ones are inexpensive, while sturdier, reusable chopsticks are made of more durable materials such as bamboo, fiberglass, plastic, and stainless steel. High-end or decorative types can be made of precious materials such as gold, silver, ivory, jade, or porcelain. Most people prefer materials such as fiberglass because they are eco-friendly, durable, and easy to clean.

Different Countries that Use These and Their Etiquette

China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Singapore all have traditionally preferred chopsticks over other utensils. Some began and combined the use of chopsticks and spoons at mealtimes depending on traditional foods and local customs – like the Japanese.

Every country and every region that uses chopsticks has its own etiquette, rules and customs, but, in general, always remember the following guide:

• Do not ever stick your chopsticks into your food. Spearing food instead of pinching it is considered rude, while leaving chopsticks stuck in a bowl of rice is a symbol of death.
• Keep chopsticks together and do not cross them over each other.
• Only use matching chopsticks.
• Do not hold chopsticks in your mouth when passing food plates, waving at passersby, etc.
• Do not rinse chopsticks off in a bowl or drinking glass.
• Do not use chopsticks as a shovel for food. Part of the etiquette is that you should pinch each bite of food in between the two sticks.
• Use serving chopsticks instead of your own when transferring food from a communal dish to your plate. Do not eat off of these serving chopsticks.
• Do not use your chopsticks to point at people or things.

If you are thinking that it would be impossible to use these neatly and with dexterity, remember that not all Western rules often apply when using chopsticks! For example, it is completely acceptable to lift a bowl of noodles to your mouth in most countries. Small amounts of noodle slurping are also acceptable.

What Meals Would You Use Chopsticks For

You can use chopsticks for any meal — breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
You don’t have to be eating a specifically Asian dish to use these either. They work perfectly well for things like scrambled eggs or rigatoni. Go grab some cookbooks in the kitchen for inspiration!

Meals that work best with these involve solid food that is cut into small, bite-sized pieces. It would not make sense to use for things like soup or things that do not hold together like thin oatmeal. It also doesn’t make sense to use these for hand-held foods like sandwiches and pizza. Most other foods, however, are fair game!

Chopsticks work especially well with cooked meats, vegetables, and sushi.

Benefits of Using Chopsticks, Especially if they are Reusable

There are a lot of benefits to using wooden and other types of chopsticks, including their ease of cleaning, single hand use, opportunity for learning about other foods and cultures, health, and coordination-enhancing ability.

How to Clean

For best results, treat reusable chopsticks like any high-quality cookware or utensil. You should wash them immediately after eating or cooking and use warm water. Even if they are dishwasher safe, they will last longer if you wash them by hand. Dry off the chopsticks and store them in a dry place. You will also want to keep your chopsticks together since it is considered rude in some cultures to use chopsticks away that do not match. A storage bag may help with that.

How to Hold and Use

Learning to use chopsticks might be daunting, but it is actually not that difficult! Follow these easy guide, as this will improve your dexterity with chopsticks while eating. You’ll be like a pro in no time!

1. Place one of the chopsticks in your dominant hand and let it rest horizontally on the space between your thumb and index finger and the top joint of your ring finger. The pointed tip should be pointing towards your other hand.
2. Rest the other chopstick so that the tip touches the tip of the first and it also goes between the tips of your index and middle fingers. Hold it in place on the side with your thumb.
3. Move the top chopstick up and down to grab food while keeping the bottom chopstick in place. You should be able to move the top chopstick up and down by moving your thumb.

You are now ready to start eating! Practice with small pieces of food or small objects to get the hang of the motion. You’ll be ready to show off yours skills in no time. If you are really struggling, you can practice with a pair of kid’s chopsticks first.

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For Kids

“Kids’ chopsticks” is a bit of a misnomer as these unique pairs of chopsticks can be used by anyone who is just learning how to use chopsticks. For this reason, “kids’ chopsticks” are sometimes called training chopsticks.

The most common type of children’s or training chopsticks consist of four parts — two chopsticks, a piece that holds them together, and a hand positioner. The piece that holds the chopsticks together prevents new learners from dropping the chopsticks and prevents kids from losing one half of their set. The hand positioner features knobs and loops that assist new learners in getting the muscle memory needed to hold and use chopsticks without thinking.

Kids’ chopsticks themselves are usually shorter and more colorful than regular chopsticks. The piece that holds the two chopsticks together may also feature an animal like a panda, a Japanese Anime character or a cartoon.

The hand positioner and the top piece that holds the chopsticks together can be removed as the person using the training chopsticks becomes more familiar with how to use them. In some cases, smaller adults may actually prefer to use shorter children’s chopsticks at regular meals.

Accessories

If you want to use chopsticks regularly, you should also consider investing a few high-quality accessories.

Chopstick Holders

Bag

Dishwasher Holder

Chopstick Bowl

Spoons

The Downside of Using Chopsticks

Using chopsticks can improve your hand-eye coordination and overall health. There are actually very few downsides to using chopsticks.
In general, the only cons are that:

• There are some foods that might be difficult to eat with chopsticks, especially very round or slippery foods like mac and cheese or soup. You may want to keep a spoon handy for these.
• If you set out chopsticks for use at a meal you are hosting, some of your guests may be unfamiliar with them.
• They are more difficult to use for people with arthritis or finger injuries who have not started rehabilitation.

Things You Didn’t Know About Chop Sticks

• Sticking two chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice is usually a symbol of death.
• Chopsticks are not hair ornaments. The hair sticks are called kanzashi and look a bit different.
• It was believed that poison would turn silver black, making silver the material of choice for ancient East Asian royalty.
• It is possible to have a fear of chopsticks! This is called “consecotoleophobia.”
• Approximately the same number of people use chopsticks as their default utensil as use forks and knives.

Where to Buy Chopsticks

Chopsticks are a fantastic and healthy way to enjoy your food. There are many different colors and styles on the market, so there is sure to be one to suit your taste! Once you learn how to use these, you will be never have to feel awkward at East Asian restaurants and be able to impress your friends!

Here at ComproGear, we read what people like and don’t like about other chopsticks, and we are using this information to design the best pair on the market. Check back regularly so you can get a pair as soon as they are available!

This page last updated July 26, 2022