James Silverton wrote:
> The basic idea that makes
> them easy if explained is that the lower stick does not move and the
> control of the upper is like using a pencil. I have found that this idea
> has had people from Europe making a reasonable job within minutes.

That is just about exactly how my first boyfriend explained it to
me, and I picked it up quickly. People in Japan were always telling
me how well I used chopsticks -- they were used to having to go find
a fork for the non-Japanese persons.

Serene

Serene-y the Meanie > wrote:

>I would like using them for every meal, but to be honest, habit
>usually prevails, and I tend only to think of them when I make
>Chinese/Japanese/Thai/etc. foods. But usually when I do, I wonder
>why I don't use them all the time.

It is not traditional to use chopsticks for Thai food. I've
encountered Thai restaurants where they pretty much dislike
this.

Steve

On Apr 19, 6:37 pm, "kilikini" > wrote:
> Peter A wrote:
> > In article . com>,
> > says...
> >> Pondering the use of chopsticks in western society. Since forks,
> >> knives, spoons were invented, why do we still use chopsticks?
>
> >> Chopsticks are disposable, which impacts the environment and uses up
> >> trees.
>
> >> They're ancient.
>
> >> You can't cut up a piece of teriyaki chicken or a big piece of sushi
> >> with chopsticks. You can't scoop up the soup with a chopstick. You
> >> can't spear anything with a chopstick. It seems that modern utensils
> >> make more sense but we still use chopsticks.
>
> >> And, some of us aren't very good at using them, either. (me) Is
> >> considered that eating with chopsticks tidier than eating with a
> >> knife and fork? It seems less tidy to me and some slurping and
> >> splattering occurs in the course of using chopsticks.
>
> >> Why aren't chopsticks being phased out? Why do we use chopsticks for
> >> certain types of food?
>
> >> Do they make food taste better? Is the slender chopstick able to
> >> place the food on the tongue in a location that may enhance the
> >> flavor?
>
> >> Just wondering.
>
> >> Karen
>
> > It's traditional with certain types of food (Chinese, Japanese, etc).
> > When these foods are prepared correctly, they are in pieces that can
> > easily be eaten with chopsticks. There's no need to dispose of
> > chopsticks, they go thru the dishwasher fine and can be used dozens of
> > times. When soup is involved, there is a spoon provided (CHinese) or
> > it is considered OK to drink from the bowl (Japanese).
>
> I usually drink the broth from the bowl and fish out the rest of the
> ingredients with chopsticks. And that can be Chicken Noodle soup down to
> Wonton Soup.
>
> kili

Humm, do we want to take you out in public?

I prefer a spoon but maybe the mustache is a factor

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Steve Pope wrote:
> Serene-y the Meanie > wrote:
>
>> I would like using them for every meal, but to be honest, habit
>> usually prevails, and I tend only to think of them when I make
>> Chinese/Japanese/Thai/etc. foods. But usually when I do, I wonder
>> why I don't use them all the time.
>
> It is not traditional to use chopsticks for Thai food.

I didn't say it was. Just that it reminds me that I want to eat
with chopsticks.

Serene

On Apr 19, 5:46 pm, Karen > wrote:
> On Apr 19, 2:26 pm, Serene-y the Meanie >
> wrote:
>
> > So are hands. I'm not doing away with mine any time soon.
>
> Another good example. Utensils were invented so that people could stop
> eating with their hands, especially in western society.
>
> But, something are definitely still eaten with hands... like
> sandwiches, or French fries.
>
> > Maybe you can't. I can, and so can all the Japanese people I had the
> > good fortune to eat with in Tokyo for three weeks this past summer.
>
> Well, Tokyo is certainly an area where the trend is to keep the
> chopsticks. But, I am wondering why hasn't the fork, spoon and knife
> caught on in Japan?

Perhaps because they are not particularly useful for Japanese
cuisine? It is designed to be eaten with chopsticks just as a USA t-
bone steak requires a knife and fork. I use chopsticks all the time
but not for a steak off the grill.

>
> Aren't those utensils more efficient?

No. In fact I often find chopsticks more efficient. Certainly they are
much more flexible. I can beat an egg, turn bacon on the grill and
grab dumplings out of water all with chopsticks. I need three
implements in Western terms. On the other hand chopsticks will not
flip a fried egg. Depends on what you're doing.
>
> It must be so that chopsticks are more efficient than other utensils
> for some people. If that is so, are chopsticks used exclusively, for
> example, eating a baked potato in Japan?

I don't know but occasionally I have used chopsticks for a baked
potatoe here in Canada.
>
> > If you don't like them, no one's saying you should use them, but
> > personally, they seem really comfortable for me to use, and I like them.
>
> Keeping individual personalities aside, why do you like them and do
> you like them for only certain foods?

Certainly. They function well for most Chinese and South East Asian
cuisine and for such things as scrambled eggs. On the other hand baked
ham and scalloped potatoes call for a knife and fork

The wise workman uses the appropriate tool.

Oh, and when eating hummus, one does not use any utensils at all.
Pita bread and the hand is the preferred approach.
John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

>
> Karen

On Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:25:50 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

>Serene-y the Meanie > wrote:
>
>>I would like using them for every meal, but to be honest, habit
>>usually prevails, and I tend only to think of them when I make
>>Chinese/Japanese/Thai/etc. foods. But usually when I do, I wonder
>>why I don't use them all the time.
>
>It is not traditional to use chopsticks for Thai food. I've
>encountered Thai restaurants where they pretty much dislike
>this.
>
>Steve

Meh. It depends on where you are in Thailand and what you're eating.

Boron

"Karen" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Pondering the use of chopsticks in western society. Since forks,
> knives, spoons were invented, why do we still use chopsticks?
>
> Chopsticks are disposable, which impacts the environment and uses up
> trees.
>
> They're ancient.
>
> You can't cut up a piece of teriyaki chicken or a big piece of sushi
> with chopsticks. You can't scoop up the soup with a chopstick. You
> can't spear anything with a chopstick. It seems that modern utensils
> make more sense but we still use chopsticks.
>
> And, some of us aren't very good at using them, either. (me) Is
> considered that eating with chopsticks tidier than eating with a knife
> and fork? It seems less tidy to me and some slurping and splattering
> occurs in the course of using chopsticks.
>
> Why aren't chopsticks being phased out? Why do we use chopsticks for
> certain types of food?
>
> Do they make food taste better? Is the slender chopstick able to place
> the food on the tongue in a location that may enhance the flavor?
>
> Just wondering.
>
> Karen

For the same reason you/we Westerners use paper napkins instead of using a linen
napkin and napkin rings.
What a waste!
How about those stupid Paper and foam plates.
Are we too lazy to wash a few dishes?
Plastic cups - Plastic Champaign for the plastic Champaign glasses
Gimme a break!
Don't forget to use ever-loving plastic dinnerware
Serrated plastic knife anyone?


Well you know it's Tradition, youz can't eat tater salad wiffout a plastic fork!
Dimitri

On Apr 19, 5:16 pm, John Kane > wrote:
> Modern ? When, in heaven's name do you think knives and spoons were
> invented. At the opening of the first Macdonalds?

This is probably just my egocentricity speaking, but I *thought*
chopsticks were centuries older than fork/spoon/knife place setting...

Karen

"Karen" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Pondering the use of chopsticks in western society. Since forks,
> knives, spoons were invented, why do we still use chopsticks? (clipped)

Chopsticks are handy for plucking out pickles from the jar. That's my story
and I'm stickin to it.
Edrena, pickler. Or Pickled as the case my be.

Karen wrote:
>
> On Apr 19, 5:16 pm, John Kane > wrote:
> > Modern ? When, in heaven's name do you think knives and spoons were
> > invented. At the opening of the first Macdonalds?
>
> This is probably just my egocentricity speaking, but I *thought*
> chopsticks were centuries older than fork/spoon/knife place setting...
>

They are. The Greeks had kitchen forks to help carve meat, but forks as
eating utensils came along much later, making it to Italy and France in the
16th century and even later in England. Chopsticks date back to about 500
BC

John Kane wrote:

>> I have never used chopsticks. And I cook and eat of lot of Asian
>> food. Simply, forks are much more efficient.
>
> Not really It depends on what you're eating. And the food tastes
> better with chopsticks.

I'm thinking that your perception that food tastes better when eaten with
chopsticks has a large "self-fulfilling prophecy" component. Food tastes the
same to me regardless of whether I eat it with chopsticks or with a fork.

Bob

"kilikini" > wrote

> It is perfectly acceptable to slurp the noodles from the
> chopsticks. It's really the only way. It's everything your mother taught
> you NOT to do, which is partly why it's fun. :~)

Most of the times, chopsticks look graceful. I can live forever
not watching people slurping noodles out of a bowl, especially
using them. Ugh.

nancy

On Apr 19, 7:50 pm, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> I'm thinking that your perception that food tastes better when eaten with
> chopsticks has a large "self-fulfilling prophecy" component. Food tastes the
> same to me regardless of whether I eat it with chopsticks or with a fork.

maybe. I know eating with sterling tastes better than stainless
steel....

Karen

Goomba38 wrote:

> I would rather see someone work to use chopsticks than hold their fork
> like an entrenching tool and shoveling the food in their maw, lipsmacking,
> dribbling sauce onto their chest or belly and feeling smug over those
> heathen that use chopsticks.

I would rather see someone using a fork gracefully than someone struggling
with chopsticks to shovel food into his or her maw, lipsmacking, dribbling
sauce onto their chest or belly and feeling smug because of their "worldly"
use of chopsticks.

(But really, I'd prefer to see Christina Crawford eating with her fingers to
EITHER of those.)

If you're eating something laden with sauce, chopsticks are hardly an
improvement on a fork. They're equally prone to dribbling. I'd rather use a
spoon, and feel smug over those idiots (whether they're eating with a fork
or with chopsticks) with a sauce-trail leading from their plates to their
mouths.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> John Kane wrote:
>
>>> I have never used chopsticks. And I cook and eat of lot of Asian
>>> food. Simply, forks are much more efficient.
>> Not really It depends on what you're eating. And the food tastes
>> better with chopsticks.
>
> I'm thinking that your perception that food tastes better when eaten with
> chopsticks has a large "self-fulfilling prophecy" component. Food tastes the
> same to me regardless of whether I eat it with chopsticks or with a fork.

Same here, and it never would have even occurred to me that the
utensil would affect the flavor.

Serene

"Serene-y the Meanie" > wrote

> Bob Terwilliger wrote:

>> I'm thinking that your perception that food tastes better when eaten with
>> chopsticks has a large "self-fulfilling prophecy" component. Food tastes
>> the
>> same to me regardless of whether I eat it with chopsticks or with a fork.
>
> Same here, and it never would have even occurred to me that the utensil
> would affect the flavor.

It must have been in the Marilyn Vos Savant column where I
read that if you switch your fork hand, your food will taste
different. Explanation being your food will wind up on different
taste buds than usual, or something along those lines.

I didn't notice any change.

nancy

Karen wrote:
> Pondering the use of chopsticks in western society. Since forks,
> knives, spoons were invented, why do we still use chopsticks?
>
> Chopsticks are disposable, which impacts the environment and uses up
> trees.

Mine are not. I have a lovely black set with white flowers.

>
> They're ancient.

Part of the mystique.

>
> You can't cut up a piece of teriyaki chicken or a big piece of sushi
> with chopsticks.

You don't need to. You pick it up and bite.

You can't scoop up the soup with a chopstick.

Never seen a japanese person do that at a ramen shop, have you?

You
> can't spear anything with a chopstick.

You don't need to.

It seems that modern utensils
> make more sense but we still use chopsticks.
>
> And, some of us aren't very good at using them, either. (me)

Wow. I'm shocked. lol...;-)

Is
> considered that eating with chopsticks tidier than eating with a knife
> and fork? It seems less tidy to me and some slurping and splattering
> occurs in the course of using chopsticks.
>
> Why aren't chopsticks being phased out? Why do we use chopsticks for
> certain types of food?
>
> Do they make food taste better? Is the slender chopstick able to place
> the food on the tongue in a location that may enhance the flavor?

I like them because when I'm eating asian food, it adds to the ethnic
atmosphere.

>
> Just wondering.
>
> Karen
>


--
"I'm thinking that if this dilemma grows any more horns, I'm going to
shoot it and put it up on the wall."

- Harry Dresden

Boron Elgar > wrote:

>On Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:25:50 +0000 (UTC),
>(Steve Pope) wrote:

>>It is not traditional to use chopsticks for Thai food.
>
>Meh. It depends on where you are in Thailand and what you're eating.

Okay, I didn't know that. I have only encountered Thai
restaurants that prefer silverware, and have not been to
Thailand.

Steve

Karen wrote:
> On Apr 19, 1:34 pm, Cindy Hamilton >
> wrote:
>> Well, so am I; I'll pretend you said that with admiration.
>
> I'm not poking fun or trying to argue. Really. No offense!
>
> Ancient tools are updated to modern tools all over the board. But
> chopsticks remain on the table. I'm just wondering why. I suppose
> tradition is the answer?
>
>> You can't scoop up soup with a fork, either. If you
>> need to spear something when eating with chopsticks,
>> you're doing something wrong. I can handle a salmon
>> filet with chopsticks.
>
> Well, there's the invention of the spoon that one uses for soup. Of
> course, noodles slide right over the edges.
>
>> Well, don't use them, then. Ask for silverware.
>
> I could, but I don't. I really don't want to use silverware when
> everyone else is using chopsticks. So I struggle. But, then I wonder
> why many struggle?
>
>> I suppose you avoid the taste of metal (with wooden or
>> bamboo chopsticks, of course).
>
> Yeah, maybe.
>
> A fork does good things when eating ice cream but I always forget and
> use a spoon.
>
> Anyway, NOT trying to pick a fight. Just wondering why we cling to
> chopsticks when eating certain types of food. And, if those reasons
> are valid (like avoiding the taste of metal), why not use chopsticks
> exclusively, like for spaghetti, for example?
>
> Karen
>
> Karen
>

I think it's more about holding on to cultural customs than anything
else :-)

--
"I'm thinking that if this dilemma grows any more horns, I'm going to
shoot it and put it up on the wall."

- Harry Dresden

ravenlynne > wrote in
:

> Karen wrote:
>> Pondering the use of chopsticks in western society. Since forks,
>> knives, spoons were invented, why do we still use chopsticks?
>>
>> Chopsticks are disposable, which impacts the environment and uses up
>> trees.
>
> Mine are not. I have a lovely black set with white flowers.


Mine are a bone colour. With red Chinese characters on them. I also like
the ones with the pointier ends..... japanese style, I think.


>
>>
>> They're ancient.
>
> Part of the mystique.
>
>>
>> You can't cut up a piece of teriyaki chicken or a big piece of sushi
>> with chopsticks.
>
> You don't need to. You pick it up and bite.

I can pick up prawn cutlets with them, dip them in some sauce and bite
in half........ and I'll be doing that again tonight :-)


>
> You can't scoop up the soup with a chopstick.
>
> Never seen a japanese person do that at a ramen shop, have you?
>
> You
>> can't spear anything with a chopstick.
>
> You don't need to.
>
> It seems that modern utensils
>> make more sense but we still use chopsticks.
>>
>> And, some of us aren't very good at using them, either. (me)
>
> Wow. I'm shocked. lol...;-)

I'm not. There are a lot of people out there that can't get the hang of
them. having spent quite a deal of time in SEAsian countries helped me
to learn :-)

But for Karen...........

How to use Chopsticks

1. Hold one chopstick between your thumb and middle finger. Position the
chopstick so that it lies at the base of your thumb (on the joint) and
at the lower joint of the middle finger. This chopstick shouldn't touch
the forefinger.

2. Place the other chopstick between your thumb and forefinger. The side
of the chopstick should rest against the tip of your thumb; the top of
the chopstick should rest against the pad of your forefinger.

3. Be sure the tips of the chopsticks are parallel.

4. Keep the first chopstick stationary as you practice moving the second
chopstick toward the stationary one.

5. Use this technique to position the chopsticks around a piece of food.

6. Hold the food firmly as you lift it toward your mouth.


>
> Is
>> considered that eating with chopsticks tidier than eating with a
knife
>> and fork? It seems less tidy to me and some slurping and splattering
>> occurs in the course of using chopsticks.
>>
>> Why aren't chopsticks being phased out? Why do we use chopsticks for
>> certain types of food?
>>
>> Do they make food taste better? Is the slender chopstick able to
place
>> the food on the tongue in a location that may enhance the flavor?
>
> I like them because when I'm eating asian food, it adds to the ethnic
> atmosphere.
>


Same here. I'll be going Chinese with my Japanese chopsticks tonight :-)



--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

"People sleep safely in their beds because rough men stand ready in
the night to do violence to those who would do them harm"
-- George Orwell

(Steve Pope) wrote in news:f09hss$o4r$1
@blue.rahul.net:

> Boron Elgar > wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 20 Apr 2007 00:25:50 +0000 (UTC),
>>(Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>>>It is not traditional to use chopsticks for Thai food.
>>
>>Meh. It depends on where you are in Thailand and what you're eating.
>
> Okay, I didn't know that. I have only encountered Thai
> restaurants that prefer silverware, and have not been to
> Thailand.
>

A few of the traditional Thai places I went to up there actually had
*brass* cutlery.

Damn heavy spoons they were, too!!

--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

"People sleep safely in their beds because rough men stand ready in
the night to do violence to those who would do them harm"
-- George Orwell

In article >,
Serene-y the Meanie > wrote:

> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> > John Kane wrote:
> >
> >>> I have never used chopsticks. And I cook and eat of lot of Asian
> >>> food. Simply, forks are much more efficient.
> >> Not really It depends on what you're eating. And the food tastes
> >> better with chopsticks.
> >
> > I'm thinking that your perception that food tastes better when eaten with
> > chopsticks has a large "self-fulfilling prophecy" component. Food tastes the
> > same to me regardless of whether I eat it with chopsticks or with a fork.
>
> Same here, and it never would have even occurred to me that the
> utensil would affect the flavor.

I've found that soft drinks (and beer, for that matter) taste better
from glass than plastic. Makes sense to me that some kinds of food
taste better (or, more likely, "right") from chopsticks rather than
metal utensils.

Miche

--
In the monastery office --
Before enlightenment: fetch mail, shuffle paper
After enlightenment: fetch mail, shuffle paper

PeterLucas > wrote:

>A few of the traditional Thai places I went to up there actually had
>*brass* cutlery.
>
>Damn heavy spoons they were, too!!

Interesting. Certainly, Koreans use brass-colored (but not pure
brass, at least at the places I went to) cutlery.

I prefer heavy cutlery but I've had occasional dinner guests complain
the stuff is too heavy for them to hold.

Steve

Serene wrote:

>> I'm thinking that your perception that food tastes better when eaten with
>> chopsticks has a large "self-fulfilling prophecy" component. Food tastes
>> the same to me regardless of whether I eat it with chopsticks or with a
>> fork.
>
> Same here, and it never would have even occurred to me that the utensil
> would affect the flavor.


Well, I think there are *some* times when the utensil can enhance taste. Try
spooning wine out of a dish sometime, and then compare it to drinking wine
from a wineglass, for example. But I don't perceive any difference in flavor
between eating (for example) General Tso's chicken with a fork and eating it
with chopsticks.

I use chopsticks to eat those foods which I find conducive to chopstick use,
e.g., long/tangled noodles or some salads. I also enjoy using them with Far
Eastern food, but more because it's fun for me than because of any
difference in perceived taste.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Goomba38 wrote:
>
>> I would rather see someone work to use chopsticks than hold their fork
>> like an entrenching tool and shoveling the food in their maw, lipsmacking,
>> dribbling sauce onto their chest or belly and feeling smug over those
>> heathen that use chopsticks.
>
> I would rather see someone using a fork gracefully than someone struggling
> with chopsticks to shovel food into his or her maw, lipsmacking, dribbling
> sauce onto their chest or belly and feeling smug because of their "worldly"
> use of chopsticks.
>
> (But really, I'd prefer to see Christina Crawford eating with her fingers to
> EITHER of those.)

Right, the point I was trying to convey with my initial reply is that
one can't assume that the chopsticks user is any more messy or inelegant
than a slob using a fork. I manage to eat neatly with chopsticks and not
embarrass myself, and there are plenty of slobs who use forks and yet
still can't eat nicely.

Christina Crawford...? nahhhhh, does nuffin' for me. Now Anthony
Bourdain can use his chopstick with me anytime.

(Steve Pope) wrote in news:f09ink$p1h$1
@blue.rahul.net:

> PeterLucas > wrote:
>
>>A few of the traditional Thai places I went to up there actually had
>>*brass* cutlery.
>>
>>Damn heavy spoons they were, too!!
>
> Interesting. Certainly, Koreans use brass-colored (but not pure
> brass, at least at the places I went to) cutlery.

The Thais are rather big on *real* brass (or bronze) cutlery........ but it
seems the shops that are opening nowadays go with either ordinary
stainless, or chopsticks.


>
> I prefer heavy cutlery but I've had occasional dinner guests complain
> the stuff is too heavy for them to hold.
>


RSI issues spring to mind!! :-)



--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia

"People sleep safely in their beds because rough men stand ready in
the night to do violence to those who would do them harm"
-- George Orwell

On Apr 19, 5:20 pm, John Kane > wrote:
> On Apr 19, 6:01 pm, maxine in ri > wrote:> On Apr 19, 5:22 pm, Karen > wrote:
>
> > > Ancient tools are updated to modern tools all over the board. But
> > > chopsticks remain on the table. I'm just wondering why. I suppose
> > > tradition is the answer?
>
> > Tradition is nice. Traditional Asian foods are cut in the kitchen
> > or before serving so that they are bite sized when they arrive
>
> I> at the table. I forget which famous Chinese said that knives
>
>
>
>
>
> > were weapons and should not be brought to the table, so
> > the food is bite-sized when it arrives so one can eat it with
> > whichever utensil one wishes.
>
> > > > Well, don't use them, then. Ask for silverware.
>
> > > I could, but I don't. I really don't want to use silverware when
> > > everyone else is using chopsticks. So I struggle. But, then I wonder
> > > why many struggle?
>
> > Because unlike Asian children, we are not taught from early age
> > to use them properly. Unless you are dining in a traditional
> > Asian restaurant, (the kind with the roasted birds hanging in the
> > window, and food like you don't find in the majority of Asian
> > restaurants) ask for that silverware. Noone will take offense,
> > and you will enjoy your meal much more.
>
> But the food does not taste as good. Two or three days practice with
> chopsticks is all it takes to become 'acceptably' competent. A few
> more weeks are required to get a decent share of the food.
>
> My real gripe is that too many restaurants bring me knives and forks.
> I always have to ask for a bowl and chopsticks.
>
>
>
>
>
> > > Anyway, NOT trying to pick a fight. Just wondering why we cling to
> > > chopsticks when eating certain types of food. And, if those reasons
> > > are valid (like avoiding the taste of metal), why not use chopsticks
> > > exclusively, like for spaghetti, for example?
>
> > > Karen
>
> > My daughter will use chopsticks for everything. pasta, chicken,
> > asparagus, cookies and crackers. I picked up a few of the flat
> > shallow
> > spoons at the Asian market, and she uses those for all her soups.
> > Her dream is to live in Japan drawing graphic novels, so this sort of
> > makes sense. I picked up some nice chopsticks at the Japanese-Korean
> > store near my house, and we use them over and over. No waste.
>
> > It's a choice, they are traditional, and if you prefer cutlery to
> > them,
> > do not feel intimidated by your friends. Ask. Or else ask the wait-
> > staff for lessons. I cannot hold mine correctly and pick up
> > anything,
> > but the way I've learned to hold them works for me.
>
> > Whatever you do, enjoy the food and the company.
>
> > maxine in ri- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Using chopsticks is a knack. It just takes a littel practice to be
able to eat easily and neatly with them. I'm caucasion, so most of
the time I use westernn style cutlery. But when I eat Chinese or
Japanese food, I use chopsticks--I enjoy the food more. The food is
cut up before cooking and comes to the table in bite sized or at least
manageable sized pieces, and to me, it feels more authentic, that way.
I own a pair of wooden chopsticks that I've had for years and reused.
Even the disposable ones from restaurants can be washed, saved and
reused.

When I was in college in Oregon, my friends and I used to save up
money and go to Dragon Gate, the local Chinese restaurant every few
weeks. Raised in a town where Chinese and Japanese restaurants from
the fancy to the ordinary are plentiful, I found it very disconcerting
to have to ASK for chopsticks in a Chinese restaurant. The food there
was NOT great, but it was better than dorm food and cheap, so we kept
going. =o)

Melissa

Miche wrote:

> I've found that soft drinks (and beer, for that matter) taste better
> from glass than plastic. Makes sense to me that some kinds of food
> taste better (or, more likely, "right") from chopsticks rather than
> metal utensils.

I know I can't abide eating hot foods off styrofoam, paper or plastic
plates. If all that is available is hot tea out of styrofoam cups, I'd
rather go without. I do believe foods can be ruined (even if only
aesthetics)by using the wrong tool, so conversely things might be
improved by using the right one.... <shrug>

Steve Pope wrote:

> I prefer heavy cutlery but I've had occasional dinner guests complain
> the stuff is too heavy for them to hold.
>
> Steve

I also prefer heavier, larger and longer cutlery.
I recently replaced my flatware and sought this out. My silverware is
also the larger "continental" size. It just feels better in my hands.
I've eaten with some flatware that is so small, thin and awkward in your
hand it is distracting to the meal.

Goomba38 wrote:

> I also prefer heavier, larger and longer cutlery.


[beating Sheldon to the punch]

I had the feeling you'd like a nice long fork.

Bob

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> PeterLucas > wrote:
>
>>A few of the traditional Thai places I went to up there actually had
>>*brass* cutlery.
>>
>>Damn heavy spoons they were, too!!
>
> Interesting. Certainly, Koreans use brass-colored (but not pure
> brass, at least at the places I went to) cutlery.
>
> I prefer heavy cutlery but I've had occasional dinner guests complain
> the stuff is too heavy for them to hold.
>

Where did you go in Korea Steve to encounter Brass colored cutlery?

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Goomba38 wrote:
>
>> I also prefer heavier, larger and longer cutlery.
>
>
> [beating Sheldon to the punch]
>
> I had the feeling you'd like a nice long fork.
>
> Bob

LOL, I left myself wide open for that one, didn't I?

Back to the topic at hand (sort of but not really, lol) I had a friend
once who didn't like cooking. She just found it difficult. When I saw
her kitchen equipment for the first time I think I figured out the
problem. She barely had a functioning cooking utensils, and those she
did have were cheap plastic pieces. I find plastic utensils floppy,
small and ineffective for the most part. For cooking and mixing spoons
she was using the soup spoons from her flatware set.
Now I can see putting up with that nonsense in a pinch.. but to live
like that? I just don't get it? It seemed my friend was making the task
of cooking harder than it needed to be had she had the right tools for
the task.

"Karen" > wrote in message
ups.com...

> Pondering the use of chopsticks in western society. Since forks,
> knives, spoons were invented, why do we still use chopsticks?

Becasue we can. We also do it for tradition, fun, diplomacy and business
reasons . Certainly, you don't have to, but a few billion people in this
world do. I see someone here has alluded to the fact you do not have to try
to eat your soup with them and that most Asian foods that need to be eaten
with sticks are presented precut and/ or portion sized.

> Chopsticks are disposable, which impacts the environment and uses up
> trees.

Yes, this is the one very real issue you bring to the table, which BTW the
Chinese at least are addressing. I believe many of the other Asian
countries will follow suite on this. This use of Bamboo chopsticks talk
sounds Eco-friendly, but not it is factual. Most hygiene (disposable)
chopsticks are not Bamboo as you maybe lead to believe by reading here.
The issue is the logging of the 25+ million trees in China to make close to
50 Billion chopsticks annually. We are not talking bamboo here. China has
recently imposed a tax on disposable chopsticks in an effort slow logging in
their country.

Gunner wrote:
> "Karen" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>
>> Pondering the use of chopsticks in western society. Since forks,
>> knives, spoons were invented, why do we still use chopsticks?
>
> Becasue we can. We also do it for tradition, fun, diplomacy and business
> reasons . Certainly, you don't have to, but a few billion people in this
> world do. I see someone here has alluded to the fact you do not have to try
> to eat your soup with them and that most Asian foods that need to be eaten
> with sticks are presented precut and/ or portion sized.

It has nothing to do with westerners using chopsticks, but Asians eat
from a common dish and are adept at picking up bits off that dish and
placing them onto the rice in their bowls. Watch some Asians eating at
a traditional restaurant sometime. Watch a PBS film made in Asian
homes. They do not spoon food from a serving dish onto a plate.

That said, I can't imagine why permanent chopsticks aren't as washable
as forks. I'd think they'd get cleaner with no small spaces like
between the tines of a fork.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Nancy Young wrote on 19 Apr 2007 in rec.food.cooking

>
> "kilikini" > wrote
>
> > It is perfectly acceptable to slurp the noodles from the
> > chopsticks. It's really the only way. It's everything your mother
> > taught you NOT to do, which is partly why it's fun. :~)
>
> Most of the times, chopsticks look graceful. I can live forever
> not watching people slurping noodles out of a bowl, especially
> using them. Ugh.
>
> nancy
>
>
>

If you watch me eating with chop sticks...you better wear a rain coat.

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Serene wrote:
>
>>> I'm thinking that your perception that food tastes better when eaten with
>>> chopsticks has a large "self-fulfilling prophecy" component. Food tastes
>>> the same to me regardless of whether I eat it with chopsticks or with a
>>> fork.
>> Same here, and it never would have even occurred to me that the utensil
>> would affect the flavor.
>
>
> Well, I think there are *some* times when the utensil can enhance taste. Try
> spooning wine out of a dish sometime, and then compare it to drinking wine
> from a wineglass, for example. But I don't perceive any difference in flavor
> between eating (for example) General Tso's chicken with a fork and eating it
> with chopsticks.
>
> I use chopsticks to eat those foods which I find conducive to chopstick use,
> e.g., long/tangled noodles or some salads. I also enjoy using them with Far
> Eastern food, but more because it's fun for me than because of any
> difference in perceived taste.
>
> Bob
>
>


Think of the difference between drinking wine in a wine glass or out
of a metal cup. Some things react with metal. Acidic things clash with
metal. Eating with chopsticks is a subtle thing, a gentler way of doing
things, not a hurried shoveling into the mouth that can take place with
forks and spoons. I've noticed that I take more time to savor my meal
and appreciate each bite when using chopsticks.

I also appreciate it when all the food is already the right size to
place in my mouth. I don't need to cut or whittle out a piece that will
fit. It's all been done for me (or by me if I cooked it earlier) I have
to admit, though, that I have a habit of being a very fast eater, always
the first one finished. Using chopsticks has really helped be to 'stop
and taste the chicken". I've gotten pretty good at using them but I just
like using them for all sorts of things. I do use spoons because I think
they are indispensable for some things, but chopsticks are just seem so
much more refined and thoughtful for the meal.

And then there is the noise factor. With chopsticks, either wood or
bamboo usually, there is no clacking against the dishes. Mealtime is
only conversation, background and some well-placed slurping :-)

Melondy

Steve Pope wrote:
> Serene-y the Meanie > wrote:
>
>> I would like using them for every meal, but to be honest, habit
>> usually prevails, and I tend only to think of them when I make
>> Chinese/Japanese/Thai/etc. foods. But usually when I do, I wonder
>> why I don't use them all the time.
>
> It is not traditional to use chopsticks for Thai food. I've
> encountered Thai restaurants where they pretty much dislike
> this.
>
> Steve

Traditionally Thais use spoons for most foods. They use chopsticks for
noodles, in or out of soup. They left off using chopsticks when they
were introduced to Western utensils in the 18th or 19th century. Think
King and I. But they really don't like the crudeness of forks and
stabbing food, and letting sauce dribble between the tines. So Spoons it is.

Melondy

kilikini wrote:
> Melondy wrote:
>> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>>> Serene wrote:
>>>
>> Think of the difference between drinking wine in a wine glass or out
>> of a metal cup. Some things react with metal. Acidic things clash with
>> metal. Eating with chopsticks is a subtle thing, a gentler way of
>> doing things, not a hurried shoveling into the mouth that can take
>> place with forks and spoons. I've noticed that I take more time to
>> savor my meal and appreciate each bite when using chopsticks.
>>
>> I also appreciate it when all the food is already the right size to
>> place in my mouth. I don't need to cut or whittle out a piece that
>> will fit. It's all been done for me (or by me if I cooked it earlier)
>> I have to admit, though, that I have a habit of being a very fast
>> eater, always the first one finished. Using chopsticks has really
>> helped be to 'stop and taste the chicken". I've gotten pretty good at
>> using them but I just like using them for all sorts of things. I do
>> use spoons because I think they are indispensable for some things,
>> but chopsticks are just seem so much more refined and thoughtful for
>> the meal.
>>
>> And then there is the noise factor. With chopsticks, either wood or
>> bamboo usually, there is no clacking against the dishes. Mealtime is
>> only conversation, background and some well-placed slurping :-)
>>
>> Melondy
>
> Very well put, Melondy. :~)
>
> kili
>
>


Thanks kili.

It has been really nice through this subject, to find out just how
many people like and use chopsticks. I think it's terrific. I've alwasy
felt like a weirdo or something (well, maybe deserved for other things
LOL!!) because I have and use chopsticks at home. Glad to find others
that think their worth the time it takes to learn.

Melondy

Melondy wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>> Serene wrote:
>>
>
> Think of the difference between drinking wine in a wine glass or out
> of a metal cup. Some things react with metal. Acidic things clash with
> metal. Eating with chopsticks is a subtle thing, a gentler way of
> doing things, not a hurried shoveling into the mouth that can take
> place with forks and spoons. I've noticed that I take more time to
> savor my meal and appreciate each bite when using chopsticks.
>
> I also appreciate it when all the food is already the right size to
> place in my mouth. I don't need to cut or whittle out a piece that
> will fit. It's all been done for me (or by me if I cooked it earlier)
> I have to admit, though, that I have a habit of being a very fast
> eater, always the first one finished. Using chopsticks has really
> helped be to 'stop and taste the chicken". I've gotten pretty good at
> using them but I just like using them for all sorts of things. I do
> use spoons because I think they are indispensable for some things,
> but chopsticks are just seem so much more refined and thoughtful for
> the meal.
>
> And then there is the noise factor. With chopsticks, either wood or
> bamboo usually, there is no clacking against the dishes. Mealtime is
> only conversation, background and some well-placed slurping :-)
>
> Melondy

Very well put, Melondy. :~)

kili

In article . com>,
says...
> > Modern ? When, in heaven's name do you think knives and spoons were
> > invented. At the opening of the first Macdonalds?
>
> This is probably just my egocentricity speaking, but I *thought*
> chopsticks were centuries older than fork/spoon/knife place setting...
>
> Karen
>

That's true, but so what?

To be frank, you are coming across in this thread as not really being
interested in other peoples' opinions but just wanting justification for
your own. If you don't like using chopsticks, then don't. Why should you
care what other people are using?


--
Peter Aitken