How to hold bamboo sticks. How to hold Chinese chopsticks

The incredible popularization of Asian cuisine is increasingly making our compatriots think about how to properly hold Chinese chopsticks in their hands so as not to cause bewilderment among others. After all, what the people of Asia are instilled with early years for Europeans sometimes worse than Chinese letters.

A bit of history

The history of the emergence of sticks, as well as the entire history of the Middle Kingdom, is rooted in hoary antiquity. The first mention of such a simple cutlery is found in manuscripts dated to the 3rd millennium BC. Legends say that wands owe their appearance to human intolerance.

The unwillingness to wait until the tidbit cools down made the smart Chinese grab it with the first object that came to hand. This object turned out to be a sprout of ordinary bamboo. Of course, the historical prototype, only remotely resembled a modern counterpart. It was a fragment of a bamboo branch, split in the center and bent in half - a kind of tongs that ancient culinary specialists used for cooking.

Then the bamboo branch bent in half was transformed into 2 separate fragments. Several millennia passed before they migrated from the kitchens to the tables of the local aristocracy. In past centuries, the use of cutlery was allowed to representatives of the privileged classes. And only at the turn of the 7th - 8th centuries AD, sticks, which are called kuaizi in the Celestial Empire, came to the people.

What are Chinese chopsticks made of?

But sticks are not only made from bamboo. Also apply:

ivory;
sandalwood;
plastics;
precious and semi-precious metals;
wood of noble tree species.

Decorative Chinese chopsticks combine functional and aesthetic components. This is not just a household item, it is a real work of art. Encrusted with precious stones or painted in the best traditions, they are the embodiment of the craftsmanship of the eastern people. Photo collection copies once again confirms this fact.

Restaurants usually serve disposable wooden utensils called weisheng kuaizi. They have no decorative value, since their design is very simple and uncomplicated. A feature of such sticks is the unfinished cut at the thickened base. Before starting a meal, weisheng kuaizi should be divided into 2 fragments and only then start eating rice, sushi or noodles.

Japanese sticks, which are called hashi, appeared in the Land of the Rising Sun much later than in China. Japan acquired cutlery only by 500 AD.

How to eat with Chinese chopsticks

In recent years, the irresistible desire of representatives of other nationalities to master such an unusual device is clearly visible all over the world. This is due to a greater extent with the incredible popularization of Asian cuisine. Sushi and rolls, which were considered exotic food a few decades ago, are now firmly established in the diet of a modern European.

Stick holding practice

Despite the fact that there are generally accepted rules that should be followed when learning to “manage” sticks, no one has canceled improvisation.

We can draw a simple analogy with writing. In first grade, we are all shown how to properly hold a ballpoint pen. And we, observing the correct slope, learn to display each letter. But very soon everyone develops their own individual style of writing. Pay attention to how your friends or colleagues hold a pencil and pen, and you will be surprised to note that in this position there is very little left of what we were taught in primary school.

It's the same with kuazzy. In order not to experience discomfort during a meal, before learning how to hold Chinese chopsticks, you must try to find the most comfortable position on your fingers.

To do this, take the lower stick in your right hand so that its thickened end is in the area of the articulation of the thumb and forefinger, protruding literally 2-3 cm, and hold it down. Place the free edge at the base of the nail phalanx. If done correctly, it will be securely fixed, and the index and ring fingers will be completely free.
At this stage of training, it does not hurt to rotate these fingers, making sure that the clamped stick remains motionless, and the little finger does not stick out.
After the first stage of training is successfully completed, you can proceed to the next. To do this, lay the second stick on top of the middle and index fingers, and press it with your thumb.
Adjust the position of the kuai chi relative to each other. The lower one should protrude literally 0.5 cm beyond the surface of the hand. This will allow you to perfectly align the pointed edges while grabbing food and securely hold even the smallest pieces with chopsticks. An indicator of virtuosity is the ability to lift rice grains with the tips.

Detailed instructions with a photo and a thematic video will help to sort out incomprehensible moments.

Proper use of chopsticks

Chinese traditions imply the presence on the table of common dishes with dishes, from which all participants in the meal themselves put food on their plates. And it seems that there is nothing unusual in this, but small details should be remembered. It is forbidden:

mix the common food, in search of an appetizing piece;
take food from a common plate with used chopsticks;
twist the chopstick over the plates, choosing where to start the meal;
having touched, to leave it on a common dish, it must be eaten;
move plates around with chopsticks.

You should also pay attention to the position of the arms and hands during the meal. Watch how you take food from a common dish. The fingers should be lowered, the sticks pointing vertically down, and the hands should be parallel to the surface of the table.

When you finish eating, do not put kuaizi across the plate. Such a gesture will be taken as a sign of disrespect. It is better to put on a special stand, the name of which is hasioki.

Choosing the Right Sticks

But the degree of comfort during a meal depends not only on the correct position of the chopsticks in the fingers. Their size also matters. In order to deftly manage pieces of food, the ratio of the length of the fingers and themselves, called kuaizi, should be in maximum correspondence.

In restaurants, all patrons are served sticks 23 cm long. This is the ideal size for men of average height, their palm size is very often proportional to this length. But it is worth taking into account that the Chinese are significantly inferior in size to the Europeans. Therefore, for a large representative of the stronger sex of the Slavic people, such sticks may turn out to be too small.
But for a small female palm, a length of 21 cm is quite suitable.
For children under 3 years old, the ideal size is 13 cm, by the age of 4 their length increases to 14 cm. By the age of 13, children may well resort to using twenty-centimeter devices.

To find out what size is needed for each specific case, you need:

measure the distance from the thumb to the index finger with a ruler;
Increase the resulting distance by one and a half times;
The result of the multiplication will correspond to the required length.

Etiquette and taboos related to chopsticks

Despite the fact that the Chinese are much more democratic than the conservative Japanese in matters relating to food intake, and willingly forgive foreigners for small mistakes and annoying misunderstandings, it does not hurt to remember the basic traditions and rules of conduct at the table, especially if you are planning a trip to such a remote country. .

It is categorically unacceptable to prick food fragments using a stick as a makeshift fork. It is better to ask for the usual cutlery.
It is unacceptable to stick chopsticks in rice. Usually such an action accompanies burial procedures and is unlikely to be appropriate at a secular dinner.
You should not knock them on a plate, hoping to attract the attention of the waiter. This gesture is inherent in street beggars, but not in any respectable person.
Even during heated discussions at the table, you should not gesticulate and use sticks as a pointer, much less point them in the direction of the person or object being discussed.
Some Chinese allow themselves to pass food fragments from “sticks to sticks”, but it is better to immediately eradicate such a habit in yourself. Japanese traditions allow such actions only at the funeral ceremony of burial.

How do the Chinese eat soup?

Asian cuisine is famous not only for second courses. A variety of soups, stews, noodles and even fish soup deserved no less popularity. First courses, often referred to as missito, are also eaten with kuaizi. For this:

a bowl of food is taken in hand and held on weight in the chest area;
first, the broth is drunk in slow sips;
the solid ingredients are then eaten with chopsticks.

Some soups are served with special porcelain spoons. In these cases, the process is greatly facilitated and becomes absolutely identical to our usual soup eating.

Conclusion

Learning how to use kuazzi is not difficult at all. In China, even small children eat nimbly with chopsticks, deftly fingering with their little fingers. All it takes is a little patience, regular practice, and a role model.

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. Chinese exotic cuisine, which has recently become widespread, is to blame. And especially such a popular dish as sushi, which is difficult to use, I don’t use chopsticks. Often, people learn to use Chinese chopsticks for the first time when they encounter rolls, or if they have 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 better development the child has 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.

How to hold Chinese chopsticks correctly?

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.

History of Chinese chopsticks

This cutlery began to be used in everyday life before our era - approximately 4000 years ago. Chinese chopsticks made of ivory were used by Emperor Zhou at that time. At that time, only the highest circles of society (the emperor and his entourage) used chopsticks when eating food, and in 700-800 AD they came into use and ordinary people.

There is also a version that says that earlier Chinese chopsticks were used not for a meal, but, on the contrary, for cooking food wrapped in leaves. Thanks to them, cooks deftly and quickly turned over pieces of vegetables, meat and fish, and also transferred hot stones. Later, sticks replaced the device, which was called "bi" (long-handled scoop). If the initially cooked food was removed from the dishes with the help of a “bi” scoop, then with the advent of chopsticks it was no longer used.

Well, on this moment Chinese chopsticks are a very fashionable cutlery that everyone knows exists.

Chinese sticks - their varieties and the material from which they are created

They call Chinese sticks the word "kuaizu", which translates as "bamboo". It was from this material that the first sticks were made. The bamboo trunk was split into two parts, and then these two halves were folded. Therefore, outwardly, the sticks looked like tweezers (tweezers). Later, kuaizu began to be divided. Separately, they are used in our time.

Chopsticks are made from a variety of materials: bone, plastic, metal (sometimes even silver and gold are used as such). But most often, wood is taken for their production: cypress, maple, plum, pine, willow, cedar, purple or black sandalwood.

There are Chinese chopsticks for single use, and there are reusable ones. Disposables are most often served in restaurants. And reusable ones are purchased for permanent use and are sometimes real works of art: they are painted, painted, varnished, decorated with stones and mother-of-pearl. It is a pleasure to eat such magnificent sticks. There are even cases when semi-precious and precious metals are taken for their manufacture.

There are sticks and appearance: flat, with thin or thick ends, pyramidal shape. Their cross section is square, oval, round, with rounded corners.

In the 12th century, the tradition of eating with chopsticks was adopted from the Chinese by Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese and other eastern peoples. Sticks in each of these countries look different.

In Japan, sticks are called the word "hashi" and wood is also more often used for their manufacture. They differ from Chinese kuaizu in their more pointed ends and shorter length. There is a variety of disposable "hashi" - these are broken sticks - "waribashi". During manufacture, such sticks are not completely separated from each other, but are distinguished only by a cut in the middle. The person must share them. For Japanese chopsticks, stands called the word "hashioki" were invented. The sticks are placed in this stand with their thin ends, slightly turning them to the left. Hashioki are made from wood, bamboo and ceramics, and most often they are of artistic value.

Most often, sticks are made from wood in Vietnam. But in Korea, some kind of metal is usually used for their manufacture and in appearance they are quite thin.

Rules of etiquette when using Chinese chopsticks

Observe these simple rules etiquette and you will not have to "blush" for your behavior in any Asian institution. Good, correct manners and you will look like a cultured person in such places.

1. How to eat sushi with chopsticks? To do this, grab the sushi with them, hold them with chopsticks and dip them in soy sauce. You need to put the taken piece of sushi in your mouth as a whole, and not bite off in pieces.

2. If the food is located in a common bowl, then you can’t dig there, looking for the best piece of food, with your chopsticks. You need to choose a piece and take it. If the stick touches a piece of food, then it should be eaten.

3. It is forbidden to place food on chopsticks, stick them into food or prick pieces on them. Only at funerals do they chop food on chopsticks.

4. Clenching sticks in a fist is perceived by the Japanese as a gesture of threat.

5. Do not knock kuaizu on a plate, table or other objects so that a waiter approaches you.

6. Don't use chopsticks as pointers, wave them around, or drive them around the table.

7. Do not shake Chinese chopsticks, hoping to cool a piece of food.

8. Do not lick kuaizu and just keep it in your mouth.

9. Don't pass food to another person with chopsticks.

10. Do not pull the plate towards you with chopsticks, for this it is enough to take it in your hands.

11. Before asking for more food, first put the Chinese chopsticks on the table.

12. Never stick sticks into rice in a column. This is prohibited. This is done just before the funeral.

13. Kuaizi do not put across the cup.

14. You can not bring a bowl very close to your mouth or lower your face into it, and then, using kuaizu, stuff food into your mouth.

15. If you do not use chopsticks, then put them with their thin ends to the left.

16. After finishing the meal, put the kuyazi on the hasioka (stand) along, but not across.

Now you know all sorts of nuances in using Chinese chopsticks, which will surely come in handy if you often use this cutlery.

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 used to be a device 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 by varnishing and decorating with 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 of stainless steel and wood of different species.

We keep it right

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.
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.
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.
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.
You need to adjust the length of the sticks by lightly tapping them on the plate.
The next step is practical exercises. The more often you eat with chopsticks for sushi, the faster you will master this skill.
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 do not have to 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.

A long-awaited date with a loved one, promising plans for the evening, and then they bring you a dish that you have to eat with Chinese chopsticks, but you have never held them in your hands? No panic! We will tell you how to properly hold sushi chopsticks, what they are and what you need to know when using these cutlery.

Expanding horizons

There is a phrase - everything ingenious is simple. Indeed, well, could a Bronze Age man pulling a piece of meat with the help of two branches from a boiling cauldron think that his achievement would develop over the centuries?

It is known that chopsticks were originally used exclusively by representatives of the upper strata of society, but over time they became an integral part of the culture, and not just a necessary device for eating.

Types of chopsticks for sushi

The first sushi sticks were made of wood and looked like a split trunk with two points. Later, for greater convenience, sections began to be made at the endings. They could be round, conical or pyramidal.

It seems to the uninitiated that all these devices are the same, but in fact there are quite a few types of them, and in order to understand how to properly hold chopsticks, you need to at least have a little understanding of the existing options. Let's consider the main ones.

Waribashi

These sticks are also called disposable. They are used in catering and are considered the most elementary. They can be compared to disposable plastic forks or spoons. Well, who will bother especially when decorating and decorating these penny products?

However, such sticks also have a right to exist, and, by the way, it is them, packed in a sterile package, that customers most often choose even in expensive and respectable restaurants, because they want to be sure that no one has used them before.

Nuribashi

The sticks are reusable, come in different shapes and sizes, they look very beautiful, they are decorated not only with logos and decorative paintings, but even with precious stones and accessories.

It is customary to serve nuribashi on a special stand (hashioki), which can be universal, or it can be a separate set with chopsticks.

For the manufacture of such reusable cutlery, wood of various species, plastic, plastic, precious and non-precious metals, as well as ivory, antlers, glass and even crystal are used.

Note! Some people are wondering how to properly hold roll chopsticks, but remember that this is the same sushi, just cooked a little differently, which means cutlery will be used in a similar way.

Hasi

It is unlikely that you will have to deal with this type of sushi chopsticks. these are unique cutlery, which are kept like the apple of an eye, passed down in Japanese families from generation to generation and are taken exclusively for big holidays once or twice a year to emphasize the solemnity of the event.

Given the prevalence of this cutlery in European countries, its adaptation for the convenience of our fellow citizens is fully justified. Clothespin-like Chinese chopsticks are easier to use, but are not used by true connoisseurs of Japanese cuisine. By the way, sticks are one of the most creative gifts for a celebration, and you can get acquainted with other equally original options.

How to hold Chinese chopsticks

Using chopsticks for sushi is not so difficult. The main thing is to make the basis for fixing them. Bend the little finger and ring finger, press them to the palm of your hand. The middle and index fingers should also be bent, but they are slightly forward.

The thickened part of the lower stick should be placed between the thumb and forefinger in the hole so that it lies on the nail phalanx of the ring finger. Now it remains to fix the end of the stick with your thumb.

The top stick is considered to be working, because. it is with its help that all manipulations are carried out, the lower one serves more as a stand and is almost always in the same position. The upper stick is taken with the middle and index fingers, and is held on top with the thumb. A bit like how we usually hold a regular ballpoint pen with which we write.

Try to keep the top and bottom sticks parallel to each other. In this case, your hand should be as relaxed as possible. If you get nervous and strain the hand in which you hold the chopsticks, then learning how to hold them correctly will be even more difficult. Relax and remember that for the first time holding Chinese sticks is extremely inconvenient and only over time they will begin to “obey” you by themselves.

If you use clothespin-like sticks, they must be manipulated in much the same way as tweezers.

In some ways, using chopsticks for sushi is similar to using a pencil or pen, so you can practice on them. Also, wooden skewers, or ordinary plastic straws for cocktails, are suitable for homework.

Note! The use of chopsticks requires well-developed fine motor skills of the fingers, so it is quite difficult to master the manipulations the first time. You can speed up the learning process with the help of finger gymnastics and self-massage.

How to properly hold sushi chopsticks

It is quite difficult to understand how to use this cutlery in words, but the photo instructions below will help you understand the issue.

It is important

Have you figured out how to use chopsticks for sushi? This is very good, but do not rush to show yourself in action. There are some rules of etiquette that you MUST follow!!! Here are the main ones:

And most importantly, when you decide to learn how to hold sticks correctly, remember that they are an integral part of the traditions of entire peoples, so treat them with respect.

And finally, some interesting facts:

a child is given sticks on the 100th day from his birth, and he starts eating them from a year old;
every self-respecting Japanese has his own sticks and even comes to visit with them;
the use of sticks develops fine motor skills, and this has a very positive effect on mental development.

Now you can safely go to a restaurant, but if you have a date, do not forget to take care of the little things, for example,.

Chinese sticks came to us from China. From sources Eastern culture, chopsticks in China began to be used even before our era. They took pieces of meat and fish to turn over when they were cooked. Chinese sticks are also made from different materials such as plastic, bone.

The most expensive sticks for the upper strata of society are made from metal - gold and silver. But the most popular and cheapest of wood are pine, plum, maple, willow, bamboo and others. They can be varnished, painted, applied with various patterns, decorated with stones. They can be a gift idea for birthdays, weddings and other occasions.

In Chinese restaurants, for eating sushi, they give disposable chopsticks, but there are also reusable ones. They are used at home and stored like spoons and forks.
Our task is to teach you how to use Chinese chopsticks correctly. Then you will not be shy and worry when you are invited to a restaurant to enjoy Chinese or Japanese cuisine.

At first glance, chopsticks are very difficult and inconvenient to use. But, if you try to eat them a couple of times, you will already have an idea about the location of the chopsticks in your hand.

So, take one stick in your hand, relax your hand. Keep the little finger and ring finger together, and extend the middle and index fingers slightly forward. Place the stick between the thumb and the hand, let the lower end of the stick rest on the ring finger.

With the first stick sorted out, and now take the second. Place it with the other hand so that it rests on the beginning of the index and middle of the middle fingers, and also holds the tip of the thumb. When you eat with chopsticks, the bottom chopstick will be motionless, as if the base. And the second will be movable, with which you will adjust the width of the sticks.

The first two or three times you may not be able to use chopsticks. Well, and then with confidence you will succeed. Practice at home on small items: peas, beans, corn. Then large pieces of food will be an easy task for you.

Chopsticks not only a device for eating, but also a small simulator for your hands. They develop fine motor skills and mental abilities. Therefore, invite your child to play with you - to take objects of various shapes with Chinese chopsticks.

How to hold bamboo sticks. How to hold Chinese chopsticks - the best tips