Why do some people use chopsticks when eating Chinese takeout?
I’m referring to folks not necessarily of Chinese decent who use a fork and knife for every other meal, but insist on using chopsticks whenever eating (American) Chinese food.
It has always seemed a bit pretentious (am I spelling that right?) to me, but perhaps there is something I’m missing.
Chopsticks are a smart invention.
Chinese food tends to be mostly small, bitesize pieces, so there is little need for cutting. Because of the texture of a lot of Chinese food, it’s easier to pick up via squeezing than by stabbing. Ergo, chopsticks.
I could never figure them out though. Rice gets eaten with a spoon in my house!
Good question, Photog!
I once asked ‘Why Do People Use Chopsticks To Eat Chinese Food?’ here-
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=132133&highlight=chopsticks
Using a fork defeats the whole purpose. Part of the joy that is Chinese food is using chopsticks, and demonstrating your manual dexterity before the awed populace in general.
I find that chopsticks enhance the experience, but then, I use them all the time at home, because they are cheap, disposable, and save me having a sink full of dirty forks.
What Friedo said plus a cultural bit IIRC; in Chinese cooking, the chef strives to prepare a meal that is enjoyable to all the senses. Having to dissect your meal takes away from the aesthetic and is minimized. In simple terms, the chef does the work, you enjoy.
I used chopsticks yesterday to pick off the uncooked onions from my Philly cheesesteak sandwich, it was quick, clean and easy.
I’ve been using chopsticks for so long that when I do eat Chinese food with a fork, the taste of the metal is very noticeable and unpleasant. Weird, huh?
What Friedo said plus a cultural bit IIRC; in Chinese cooking, the chef strives to prepare a meal that is enjoyable to all the senses. Having to dissect your meal takes away from the aesthetic and is minimized. In simple terms, the chef does the work, you enjoy.
I used chopsticks yesterday to pick off the uncooked onions from my Philly cheesesteak sandwich, it was quick, clean and easy.
I’ve been using chopsticks for so long that when I do eat Chinese food with a fork, the taste of the metal is very noticeable and unpleasant. Weird, huh?
It could seem pretentious (am I spelling that right?) (me too?)
But I enjoy Chinese food more with chopsticks. Actually I enjoy
eating other Asian foods with chopsticks as well. Some “regular” foods seem to be more enjoyable with a spork. Some that I like, are meant to be eaten manually (hamburg sandwich , unshelled peanuts, wrapped Tootsie Rolls etc.)
My girlfriend is Vietnamese, so our cutlery drawer is full of non-disposable chopsticks, and also knives, forks, and spoons. I am at home with either, and far from finding it pretentious, I’ll eat with chopsticks when I’m alone and there’s nobody to impress but my cats.
There is a lot of crossover though. Some Vietnamese dishes are eaten with a fork and spoon, and I’ll often use chopsticks in cooking (not eating) western food. They are great for flipping stuff like bacon or sausages in a pan, giving much more control than an egg slice or spatula.
We have a pair of extra long cooking chopsticks which I used last week to assemble some IKEA furniture. 
There was a lazy susan mechanism which was bolted to the base board with four screws, then flipped over and bolted to the top part - from the inside. They had provided holes in the base board which you were supposed to drop the screws into, and miraculously hope they’d fall the two inches straight down and land perfectly in the tight hole at the bottom. Impossible of course, unless you can introduce them in the thin gap at the side with chopsticks. 
Chopsticks are cool.
why should it be pretentious? i wouldn’t expect someone brought up to use chopsticks to eat steaks with them.
My mom grew up in Hawaii so chopsticks were all around where I grew up.
I can use them but don’t really see the point.
I use them for cooking stir fry, but not for eating.
I’m from Hawaii, too. Eating with chopsticks there is no big deal-- you’re not going to impress anyone with your dexterity. In fact, it’s almost expected that you know how to use them well. Still, people don’t use chopsticks for everything. Chopsticks fit better with certain foods. You won’t see many people eat Jello with chopsticks, for example. A spoon would be the most appropriate, both psychologically and mechanics-wise.
Which is the reason I think the people like the ones in the OP use chopsticks when eating any Asian foods. Chopsticks fit the theme of the meal they’re eating, and they’re comfortable, if not accustomed, with using them for those kinds of meals. It feels appropriate and plain ol’ works better for them. Nothing more to it-- no airs being put on, no effort to impress being exercised.
I use chopsticks all the time–not just with Asian food. I find that it helps me enjoy the experience more. I take smaller bites and enjoy what has been prepared.
Since I am taking smaller bites, I am eating more slowly, enjoying the meal, and not eating as much. It helps keep me from overindulging.
YMMV