It’s my understanding that chopsticks are not actually used (or at least, haven’t been traditionally used) in all Asian cultures. So it’s authentic to use chopsticks at Chinese and Japanese restaurants, but not necessarily at other places, even if they offer chopsticks to diners.
It’s absolutely certain that I’m no kind of expert on chopstick use or history.
It was my understanding that Thai culture, at least, did not historically use chopsticks. When I went to a Thai place earlier this week, I used a fork, but my lunch companion requested chopsticks. I have no problem with that, but it made me wonder if that’s an Americanization – all Asian restaurants require chopsticks – or if chopsticks were historically part of eating Thai cuisine.
This led me to wondering about Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian restaurants.
My question: in which Asian restaurants is chopstick use authentic? By authentic, I mean “historically part of the consumption of that cuisine.”
When I was in Thailand, the locals ate using a fork and spoon. The spoon was the primary utensil, with the fork used just to push food on the plate onto the spoon. However, chopsticks were used for one dish: soup. Yes, you heard that right. Soup. Soup with lots of long noodles, which one winds up on the chopsticks. Then you just drink the broth (or use that spoon, if you want). I have no idea how this might compare to 50 or 100 or 500 years ago.
My experience in Thai restaurants, in Thailand and outside it, is that if the meal is a authentic Thai dish you will not get chopsticks unless you ask for them. If the dish was originally a Chinese dish but served in the Thai restaurants you get chopsticks.
You also have to understand that China is like the Rome of Asia-- few countries in that region were not influced in many ways by that dominant power. Vietnam, in particular was ruled by China for a long time-- the “nam” part of that name is Chinese for “south”. Cothing, art, language, writing-- China would be the 800 lb gorilla on all those things and more.
If it’s a faux pas to eat with chopsticks, then how would you get the chopsticks in the restaurant unless you brought them with you? Though I suppose it would still be a faux pas to go to a Turkish restaurant, see the knives and forks that they supply, and ask the waiter where the chopsticks were.
50 years ago they would have eaten with a spoon and fork. 500 years ago either hands or maybe chopsticks. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, ruled from 1868-1910) was the first Thai monarch to travel abroad. He had two trips to Europe, and found western utensils intriguing and brought them back to Thailand, where they quickly came into style.
