According to the book I am reading, “A pair
of chopsticks is the only utensil used to wat Japanese food. Even in the case
of a multi-course meal, the same pair of chopsticks will be used throughout the
meal”.
Moreover, we can learn how to use
chopsticks in this book.
1.
Put one chopstick at the base
between the index finger and the thumb, using the ring finger to support the
lower part (skinner side) of the stick.
2.
Use the tips of the thumb,
index and middle fingers to hold the other stick like a pen. Now the tip of the
middle finger is between two sticks.
3.
Pivot the upper stick up and
down towards the stationary lower stick.
At first, it is difficult for some people to use chopsticks. However, I am sure that if you try again and again, you will be able to use them well.
There are some important points you should
keep your minds.
One is that never stick chopsticks upright
into rice. Chopsticks standing up in a bowl is bad luck related to death in
Japanese superstition. Two is that never transfer food from one pair of chopsticks to another. In Japanese funerals, surving relatives pick up and transfer bones after the cremation into the urn in this way.
Third is that not to use chopsticks to move bowls or plates and not to pierce food with chopsticks.
I hope chopsticks will be more and more prevailed. And I want more foreigners to try to use them.
