Chopsticks Or Not?

[Terence29]

This has been a hot topic in a Skype chat lately, and I'd like to hear your opinions. When it comes to Asian food, especially noodles, would you rather use chopsticks or a fork/spoon/both to eat it? Even if you don't have any chopsticks at home, would you eat your noodles with chopsticks if you had any? How about in an Asian restaurant?

Personally, I prefer to eat most Asian based food with chopsticks, if it is possible to eat it with chopsticks, of course (unlike a soup). When I was young, I always hated the idea of using chopsticks because it seemed silly and useless to me, but later my Japanese Grandmother convinced me and taught me how to use them. Since that point, I use chopsticks whenever it comes to some sort of Asian food: At home, in a restaurant, or at some noodle stand in the middle of London. I just think that it is much easier to pick up the food this way, it is quicker, and especially more fun.

What do you think? What do you use?

I have been debating for a long time with myself, whether or not I should post this thread.

 

[da_CamelQueen]

I didn't even think you would.. AWDKAJHWDHA

 

[Shoyru]

I use chopsticks when I feel like it. If they're offered at a restaurant, I'll use them, but at home, it's all dependent on my mood.
At home, I use them to eat rice or sushi.
Otherwise, I use a fork to eat most foods. Spoons for yoghurt and soup only.

 

[Rhuyne]

Chopchicks are for the weak. We use spears to eat our foodz.

 

[SacredTrout]

Chopsticks are for cultured swine.

 

[Oxoman]

Soup & Noodles. Go!

 

[Rip Shoul]

Whenever I eat highly Americanized chinese food, there is no better utensil than a pair of chopsticks (now if only I could use them fluidly).

 

[BulbousDevourer]

I find chopsticks pretty useless. Why would you rather grab noodles with two sticks instead of a fork?

 

[TheBatman1016]

The only reason I would use them is if I was in a fancy Asian restaurant, and it would be awkward if I asked for a fork. Otherwise Its much easier to eat all foods with a fork than with chopsticks (I know how to use them, still not easier though).

 

[da_CamelQueen]

Chopchicks are for the weak. We use spears to eat our foodz.

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Spears are for the Un-educated. I eat My food with orphan bones.

 

[Rhuyne]

Spears are for the Un-educated. I eat My food with orphan bones.

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Orphan bones? Pff. Pathetic.

 

[da_CamelQueen]

Orphan bones? Pff. Pathetic.

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Okay, You try making Cutlery out of the small bones. I dare you to.

 

[Rhuyne]

Okay, You try making Cutlery out of the small bones. I dare you to.

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I won't let you suffer from the amazingness when I actually create it, so no.

 

[da_CamelQueen]

I won't let you suffer from the amazingness when I actually create it, so no.

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Oh Please. WHen I make them, they look like they're made from Ivory.

 

[Macroreptilia]

I can use chopsticks, just prefer to use a fork/spoon/spork/other western dining utensil.

 

[leversandpulleys]

It really depends what I'm eating. Some things, like sushi, get hopelessly crushed when stabbing them with a fork. Sometimes I'll eat sushi with my hands, but usually I prefer chopsticks. Noodles or soup with noodles are also much easier to eat with chopsticks. There's less surface area so you can easily sink the sticks in and pull of a good cross-section of noodles and other good stuff. With a fork, you generally have to choose between skimming off some noodles or balancing some veggies or meat atop a pile of speared noodle.

levers

 

[babaMP3]

As a what I eloquently dub myself as a 'brown Asian', I come to eat my food with forks and spoons rather than chopsticks just for cultural practicality. Honestly, if I walked about eating food with chopsticks I would easily feel the need to have some sort of subtle racial slur tossed my way, or I would suffer accusation as a weaboo, which as a community I've come to absolutely hate (but that's for another mass-debate thread ).

All in all, as an American living on the glorious golden and totally not burnt coasts of west best coast, it is more practical to eat all food with forks or spoons or hands or whatever utensil is offered.

 

[dulcissima]

Let's just say that if I could use chopsticks.. I would.
My hands are too small.

 

[catbugthemango]

If I could use chopsticks more often, I would. I do in Asian restaurants, most of the time, but no where else. Sometimes they are a little bit time-consuming and fiddle-y though.

 

[ChairThief]

I have the capability, but unless it's a utensil that's offered, I generally prefer the ever mundane fork and spoon. It's all a matter of being practical.

That being said, they are pretty fun to use on occasion, and using them all the time would probably spoil that for me so I prefer to just use them every once and a while

 

[Mecharic]

​

 

[FCCarnilord]

I give up on chopsticks after 10 seconds and grab the nearest fork.
They're too advanced for me.

 

[CanteringCodfish]

View attachment 36814​

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This is a very legitimate question.

 

[Terence29]

This is a very legitimate question.

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The kind of rice that is being eaten with chopsticks is always rather sticky and thick, thus making it fairly easy to eat it with chopsticks. This does not count for how Europeans cook their rice, though.

 

[CanteringCodfish]

The kind of rice that is being eaten with chopsticks is always rather sticky and thick, thus making it fairly easy to eat it with chopsticks. This does not count for how Europeans cook their rice, though.

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Oh yeah, hadn't thought of that...

 

[favoured]

Every time I try to use a chopstick it ends up jumping out of my hand and onto the floor. I'm Chinese ;(

 

[Billy_Rage]

My preference goes to

1. Hands
2. Knife and fork
3. Spoon
4. Chopsticks

 

[DarkPonys]

I can't use chopsticks. At all. My hands refuse.

 

[Phon_Senajan]

I dual wield chopsticks and a spoon when having all kinds of noodle. Chopsticks for the noodle and spoon for everything else. And for chinese/japanese food too, I can say that I'm pretty damn fluent with using them.

Most other things are really situational, mostly I use conventional spoon/forks or hands.


p.s. Anyone who could use chopsticks should be proud, it takes some skill to properly handle the things.

 

[CanteringCodfish]

Basically, I found a comic showing how I eat

 

[Malocchio]

 

[Party_Penguin27]

I use the cheater ones that are attatched at the top and are more like tongs bc I literally cannot do chopsticks

 

[JarlJade]

Forks are honestly more practical but if you eat with chopsticks at an Asian restaurant you look all cultured and stuff. So I usually try and eat with chopsticks then give up half way through.

 

[Suzzie]

I stab my food with chopsticks.
Nuff' said.​

 

[Ben_2025]

For the sake of being respectful of the culture I use chopsticks when eating in "asian" restaurants, once you get the hang of them they are actually a marvellous utensil to use. When at home and eating sushi I would either go and find some chopsticks I have in the cutlery drawers somewhere or use my hands, generally I don't eat with a knife and fork if it is appropriate to use chopsticks. It could be just that I enjoy using chopsticks however! ​

 

[Phon_Senajan]

Now I feel like I should make a tutorial thread on how to use chopsticks, should I?