Vastly different from its culinary counterparts like the spoon, fork, or the spork, chopsticks enjoy the most amount of attention and awe. If there is such a thing as a unique piece of cutlery, it is this.
Much like the Asian cuisine, which is considered exotic in many parts of the world, chopsticks make their user a subject of admiration in no time. If the simple act of just eating with chopsticks wasn’t ‘not-simple’ enough, there are a number of chopstick-etiquettes that the Japanese take very seriously.
Needless to say, you are nowhere close to being a chopstick veteran if you overlook these details while sophisticatedly nibbling your Japanese food
Hold them right
A prime ordeal for most, holding chopsticks right is the first step to good chopstick-etiquette. It firstly demands a great deal of getting-used-to. You need to practice whenever you get the chance, be it at a restaurant or at home, and learn by observing others who excel at it. Persevere, and you’ll get the hang of it!
Besides, apart from the satisfaction of doing it right, you’ll find it way easier to eat your scrumptious Asian food order online Bangalore .
Eat from your own dish
Owing to the way Asian food is served in filled bowls or bite size pieces on a platter, it’s highly tempting to eat straight from the dish — but you’ve got to resist. It’s considered impolite and unhygienic to eat from common dishes with used chopsticks. This doesn’t mean you can’t take a second helping after you order food online marathahalli ; take food from shared dishes onto your own plate before digging in!
Sharing is not caring
So you really liked the Asian food you got through home delivery near Bellandur , and want your friends to have a bite. While passing food from your chopsticks to theirs seems like a noble thing to do, you are violating basic Japanese chopstick-rules. Offering food in this manner resembles a Japanese funeral ceremony, and mustn’t be practiced at homes. You can, however, serve food onto their plates with your chopsticks — but a separate pair of serving-chopsticks would be ideal .
Don’t hover them over the dish
While there’s much dilemma involved in picking your next bite amid the array of ingredients in any Asian dish, you must be careful not to browse with your chopsticks. Hovering them over the dish(es) while considering what to eat next, is considered sashi bashi or greedy, and is a no-no in Japanese households. Decide in advance and aim your chopsticks well!
Don’t hunt for treats
How often do you order food online Hebbal , and end up picking out just the parts you like best? Well, this is a liberty you won’t enjoy if you hope to diligently follow chopstick etiquette. Rummaging through a dish with your chopsticks can be seen as trying to look for something ‘worth eating’, which is considered an insult to food. Take morsels off the top of the dish, don’t be picky, and you’re good.
Don’t lick
In many cultures, it’s indecent to lick your cutlery, and the same goes for the Japanese and their chopsticks. This can be a fair struggle, considering you order delicious Asian food through home delivery near Bellandur , and are face to face with flavorful, lip-smacking cuisine. But etiquette demands that you hold yourself back.
Treat them right
Chopsticks are highly respected by the people who use them. You could easily offend someone if you do anything even remotely ‘disrespectful’ with them. This includes pointing with them while talking, or holding them for too long without eating. You must make sure you treat them with care and ensure you don’t repeatedly rub them against each other.
Don’t swirl them in the soup
However dense or undissolved your soup may be, and as uncomfortable as it my feel, remember to never stir or swirl it with your chopsticks. It gives the impression that you’re trying to clean the chopsticks, which is considered rude among the Japanese. Just dip and eat — you won’t raise any eyebrows.
Put them down the right way
Most restaurants in Japan will give you a chopstick holder to put down your chopsticks when you’re not using them. In case they don’t, you must still refrain from placing your chopsticks upright in your food — this resembles a funeral ritual in Japan and is looked down upon at dining tables. Another thing you must remember while laying them flat, is that they must never be crossed — this too resembles a funeral ceremony ritual.
As you’ve noticed, most ‘dont’s’ are tied to funeral ceremonies — proof that chopstick etiquette wasn’t created out of thin air. It is therefore paramount to be sensitive to these practices and customs while trying to adapt to the culture — when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Asian Means Online 