# Appropriateness of using chopsticks in an Asian restaurant **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029 "2012-08-10T01:19:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/101 "2012-08-10T20:05:38Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’m beginning to suspect that we’re not talking about a factual incident. Factual or not **greenslime1951** continues to make his point. Which I think is even a girl who cries over Oreo’s has high enough sense to avoid him. ---
**Author:** ![MikeSouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MikeSouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeSouth)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/102 "2012-08-10T20:15:43Z")
I actually use chopsticks because I prefer them. they are much more efficient than a fork and when the food is prepared in such a way that you dont need a knife and fork they work better. When in an asian restaurant I also drink from the bowl as is customary in asia. Im also much more fond of Buddhism as a philosophy than I am the sky God religions ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/103 "2012-08-10T20:16:27Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > Wow, you’re the _only_ one who understood what I was objecting to–even thought I stated it explicitly in a later post–that my date implying that I was using the “wrong” utensil was annoying I think it’s a reaction to being driven crazy recently by someone who insisted on always doing things the “right” way. And yeah they acted like it was insane to eat noodles with anything other than chopsticks. Now I think about it, they had no trouble eating spaghetti with a fork. It’s become more annoying to me than it really should be. > [@Bosstone](#): > > Actually there is. Ask any one of the people in this thread who’s proficient with chopsticks. Forks are not objectively better. It depends on the food. The reason I think that forks are objectively better is that it’s easier to eat a wider variety of foods with them. Chopsticks are useful for bite-size chunks, but then surely those dishes are made with chopsticks in mind. Personally I think if anyone who can use both chopsticks and a knife and fork equally well were doing a food tour of the world, a knife and fork would the better all-rounder choice. And the reason I said we can’t be sure is that it’s too subjective and too dependant on what you’re used to. I wonder how many people were brought up with a knife and fork but use chopsticks more frequently purely out of preference. I doubt it’s many. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/104 "2012-08-10T20:24:44Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > The reason I think that forks are objectively better is that it’s easier to eat a wider variety of foods with them. Chopsticks are useful for bite-size chunks, but then surely those dishes are made with chopsticks in mind. Personally I think if anyone who can use both chopsticks and a knife and fork equally well were doing a food tour of the world, a knife and fork would the better all-rounder choice. It’s more about how the food is _served_, though. It’s not like Americans pick up an entire slab of steak and just gulp it down in one swallow. We still use a knife and fork to cut it into bite-sized pieces. It’s perfectly possible to prepare steak and potatoes for chopstick use. The only difference is when the food gets cut: in the kitchen during preparation or at the table during consumption. Either way, there’s no need to rely on one utensil or set of utensils for all foods. The right utensil for the right dish isn’t an unfamiliar concept even in Western cooking; after all, nobody expects to be able to eat soup or stew with a fork. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/105 "2012-08-10T20:25:15Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’m beginning to suspect that we’re not talking about a factual incident. Mmhmm. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/106 "2012-08-10T20:34:58Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > There are no foods that chopsticks handle better than a fork Several were mentioned in this thread, such as sushi and udon noodle soup. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/107 "2012-08-10T20:45:19Z")
Korean metal chopsticks are my favorite kind! > [@](#): > > There are no foods that chopsticks handle better than a fork You can’t wrap a piece of laver seaweed around your rice with a fork. ---
**Author:** ![Chipacabra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Chipacabra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chipacabra)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/108 "2012-08-10T20:49:44Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > There are no foods that chopsticks handle better than a fork, and some that chopsticks fail miserably at, like non-sticky rice. . There have been a lot of examples _in this thread_ of foods that chopsticks handle better than a fork. Including most chinese food. And cheetos. 😃 And come to think of it, almost all pasta. Yes, I’d rather eat spaghetti with chopsticks than with a fork. It’s easier to just grab and lift than to stab and swirl. Look, the fork was invented for one purpose: Hold meat in place while you cut it with a knife. Every other use of the fork is just because you happen to have a fork handy, not because it’s the best tool for the job. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/109 "2012-08-10T20:53:19Z")
I just use whatever utensils are on the table. However, despite using chopsticks since childhood, I don’t think my hands are designed for them. I can’t hold the bottom stick the “proper” way (at the base of the thumb), I don’t have the strength to grip things very well, and the whole thing is slightly painful on my hand. Noodles are much too slippery for me to eat with chopsticks. Much easier to twist them round a fork. As for sushi, I just use my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/110 "2012-08-10T20:53:29Z")
Dark forks will not avail you, flame of udon! ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/111 "2012-08-10T21:28:54Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Dark forks will not avail you, flame of udon! 🙂 If any of these great ripostes appear on TBBT next season, I’ll know one of the writers started this thread for ideas for dialogue. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/112 "2012-08-10T21:41:58Z")
1. Being able to use chopsticks is great if you can. 2. Not being able to do so, I have never had a “how the fuck can I eat this without chopsticks?” moment. 3. Acting like somebody who isn’t using chopsticks for chopsticky food is a uncouth person is major douchbag territory. 4. “Dragon Laxative Pork” is funny. I don’t care who you are. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/113 "2012-08-10T21:53:04Z")
> [@Tanbarkie](#): > > Speaking as an actual Chinese person, if my date took me to a Chinese restaurant (how nice!) but then had the temerity to suggest that chopsticks are “technologically inferior to forks,” I’d be out of there so fast he/she wouldn’t even have a chance to say “dui bu qi, wo shi baichi.” > [@bengangmo](#): > > Forgive me some rather bad Chinese, but I think he’d be more likely to say > wo shi da bin dan Wǒ kàn nǐ men zuòle shénme. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/114 "2012-08-10T22:00:54Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Wǒ kàn nǐ men zuòle shénme. 😉 Ai nowa gal nehm diddhi wa diddhi. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/115 "2012-08-10T22:03:28Z")
Bawitdaba da bang a dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogy said up jump the boogy. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/116 "2012-08-10T22:14:28Z")
> [@greenslime1951](#): > > There are no foods that chopsticks handle better than a fork Well, this is patently false, as many here have already described to you. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/117 "2012-08-10T22:16:13Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Bawitdaba da bang a dang diggy diggy diggy said the boogy said up jump the boogy. Lulz… ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/118 "2012-08-10T23:14:30Z")
I can use chopsticks with ease if they are wooden or plastic but these flat steel Korean style things are too difficult for my fingers. I was really surprised as to how difficult they were ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/119 "2012-08-10T23:15:21Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I’m beginning to suspect that we’re not talking about a factual incident. I think that was obvious from the OP. Rather, it’s just a sad attempt at tendentiousness. > [@cher3](#): > > This seems like a good place to ask about Thai etiquette. How are you supposed to use the big spoon? Is it just a serving implement or are you supposed to eat with it, too. The spoon, in fact, is your main utensil. So if you’re right-handed, you keep the spoon in your right hand, and use the fork as a auxiliary device to help put food on it. > [@Helena](#): > > Korean metal chopsticks are my favorite kind! I do consulting at an international student program for Korean high school girls, and whenever I’m there at dinner time–which is at least twice a week–I join them in their dining room, for the full Korean dinner. I, too, prefer the metal chopsticks they use, because _ **you know that those are easiest to completely clean** _! Somehow I imagine wooden chopsticks eventual get dry-rot. As far as I can recall, I don’t think they even have forks at in the dining room at dinner time–I can’t really remember at the moment. But I know they use forks for breakfast, because I’ve shown them how to make Belgium waffles, and they certainly didn’t eat those with chopsticks. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029/120 "2012-08-11T00:25:38Z")
I find the original question quite strange. I don’t see the use of chopsticks has having anything to do with ANYTHING. Using them or not isn’t a political statement, or a cultural statement, or an etiquette statement. They’re just utensils. For me they have no other meaning than that. Am I shallow? \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriateness-of-using-chopsticks-in-an-asian-restaurant/631029.md?page=7)