Chopsticks

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2003-09-01 01:35am

Forks > Chopsticks.

Chopsticks are for suckers.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-09-01 01:45am

HemlockGrey wrote:When eating Chinese or Japanese, or rice in general(including fried rice)

You must have patience. I spoon the stuff into my mouth a mile a minute.

Grand Moff Yenchin · Post by **Grand Moff Yenchin** » 2003-09-01 01:47am

All the time unless in a Western restaurant.

If I'm using a bowl or lunch container then fried rice is no problem. If it's served on a plate I could eat either very fast or very ugly or use a spoon to help.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-09-01 01:59am

Durran Korr wrote:As far as Chinese goes, I cannot eat fried rice with chopsticks. I'm not a patient enough eater. Steamed rice is no problem, though.

You're not supposed to pick up each grain of rice with the chopstick, just hold the little dish close to your mouth and push the stuff inside.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-09-01 02:08am

Slartibartfast wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:As far as Chinese goes, I cannot eat fried rice with chopsticks. I'm not a patient enough eater. Steamed rice is no problem, though.
You're not supposed to pick up each grain of rice with the chopstick, just hold the little dish close to your mouth and push the stuff inside.

Using chopsticks like a spoon is considered bad etiquette, I thought.

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-09-01 02:29am

Durran Korr wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:As far as Chinese goes, I cannot eat fried rice with chopsticks. I'm not a patient enough eater. Steamed rice is no problem, though.
You're not supposed to pick up each grain of rice with the chopstick, just hold the little dish close to your mouth and push the stuff inside.
Using chopsticks like a spoon is considered bad etiquette, I thought.

This is rice we're talking about. That's how THEY eat it, unless it's the really sticky one that you can always pick up in chunks. That's also the reason they serve in a cup-like thing, so eat them like you were drinking from a cup, but use the chopsticks to push them since they're not exactly liquid either.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-09-01 03:46am

stir frys and bachelors Supernoodles.

And in Chinese/Japanese restaurants.

So about 2-3 times a week

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-09-01 03:51am

Durran Korr wrote:
Slartibartfast wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:As far as Chinese goes, I cannot eat fried rice with chopsticks. I'm not a patient enough eater. Steamed rice is no problem, though.
You're not supposed to pick up each grain of rice with the chopstick, just hold the little dish close to your mouth and push the stuff inside.
Using chopsticks like a spoon is considered bad etiquette, I thought.

It's better than taking hours using chopsticks the other way.

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2003-09-01 04:18am

Slartibartfast wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:Using chopsticks like a spoon is considered bad etiquette, I thought.
This is rice we're talking about. That's how THEY eat it, unless it's the really sticky one that you can always pick up in chunks. That's also the reason they serve in a cup-like thing, so eat them like you were drinking from a cup, but use the chopsticks to push them since they're not exactly liquid either.

Yup. If I recall correctly, what is considered fairly bad etiquette is bending your face down to the bowl rather than lifting the bowl to your face, something to do with "eating like a pig" or something... [/tangent]

As for how often I use chopsticks, it depends on what is served with what it is served on. Usually once or twice a week... Chopsticks are pretty annoying to use when your dinner's on a plate.

... For a bit of fun, see how fast you can pick up a marble with a pair of chopsticks and then lift it to (standing) shoulder height.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-09-01 05:24am

Durran Korr wrote:For ramen noodles, they're better. For everything else, they really aren't, but I still prefer to eat most Asian foods with them (maybe it's a mental thing, but they just taste better that way to me).

They aren't better for ramen noodles. I mean, with a fork, you can get the ramen between the tines, and then twist, and presto, you have a bigass mouthful.

And yeah, that would be a mental thing, unless you have a theory as to the flavor-boosting properties of chopsticks.

Post by **Edi** » 2003-09-01 05:43am

I know how to use them, but I'm not very proficient at it. I rarely use them, because even in the Chinese restaurants here they give you forks and knives to begin with.

Edi

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2003-09-01 05:57am

Grand Moff Yenchin wrote:All the time unless in a Western restaurant.

If I'm using a bowl or lunch container then fried rice is no problem. If it's served on a plate I could eat either very fast or very ugly or use a spoon to help.

Same here, being Chinese. Chinese and other people of Chinese descent... Wait, isn't it bad manners not to use a spoon to help with your fried rice if you have it all to yourself? Mind you, using your chopsticks like a spoon is not something I do - I get a spoon if I need to. No shame in that.

Mind you, a Chinese resturant without chopsticks can't be authenic

I'd like to be proved wrong, but never have i been.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2003-09-01 05:59am

Robert Treder wrote: And yeah, that would be a mental thing, unless you have a theory as to the flavor-boosting properties of chopsticks.

Bah! Just use a wooden fork and spoon.

Grand Moff Yenchin · Post by **Grand Moff Yenchin** » 2003-09-01 06:12am

Ypoknons wrote:Wait, isn't it bad manners not to use a spoon to help with your fried rice if you have it all to yourself? Mind you, using your chopsticks like a spoon is not something I do - I get a spoon if I need to. No shame in that.

That's the reason why every time I buy fried rice, unless I'm gonna eat with friends in the restaurant I usually buy it in the containers

Mind you, a Chinese resturant without chopsticks can't be authenic I'd like to be proved wrong, but never have i been.

I know a few....oops, they sell desserts/snacks...

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2003-09-01 06:53am

When I eat Japanese or some Chinese I'll use chopsticks. I actually find eating sushi rolls easy with chopsticks, since it's slightly less of a hassle to pluck them up with chopsticks than it is to spear them. Of course, I'm really practiced with chopsticks, so it's pretty natural for me.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-09-01 06:57am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Robert Treder wrote: And yeah, that would be a mental thing, unless you have a theory as to the flavor-boosting properties of chopsticks.
Bah! Just use a wooden fork and spoon.

Yeah, or metal or plastic. I was just saying, since Durran seemed to think that food tasted better when ingested via the chopstick delivery method.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-09-01 01:06pm

Robert Treder wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:For ramen noodles, they're better. For everything else, they really aren't, but I still prefer to eat most Asian foods with them (maybe it's a mental thing, but they just taste better that way to me).
They aren't better for ramen noodles. I mean, with a fork, you can get the ramen between the tines, and then twist, and presto, you have a bigass mouthful.

You can do the same with chopsticks.