by B.K. Davis

Part 2

Chopsticks are required table service in many Asian restaurants and where they are not, all you have to do is ask for a pair. With this in mind, here is a brief introduction in the use of chopsticks and some pointers on what is and is not good chopsticks behavior.

If you do not have a spare set of chopsticks with which to practice, you can use two pencils. The goal is to keep the lower chopstick stable and move the upper one to meet the lower one but not to cross it. Holding your right hand straight up in front of you with the palm facing you, place one chopstick in the crook between your thumb and forefinger, about two-thirds of the way (or more) up the chopstick. Stabilize the end against or on your ring finger. Fold your thumb in towards the forefinger to pinch the chopstick into place. With the left hand, place the second chopstick parallel to the first, about an inch apart. Take hold of the top between the side of the index finger and pad of the thumb (top of your "thumbprint" area). Keep your middle finger resting against the top chopstick so it does not get stuck between the two. Keep the ends of the chopsticks even. To pick things up, press the upper chopstick against the lower one with the middle and index fingers and keep the bottom chopstick steady. Practice and adapt this technique until you can comfortably pick things up.

The farther away from the tip of the chopsticks that you can manage to hold them, the better your leverage and manipulation will be. Do not hold them so tightly that your hand cramps up. Remember, they are very light and are actually easier to manipulate the more lightly you hold them.

The key to chopsticks prowess is practice. While you are learning to use them, play around. Try picking up pencils, earrings, pennies, Cheerios, peas, whatever is small and (hopefully) inanimate. The test of true chopsticks mastery is the ability to pick up a small square of tofu from a bowl of miso soup without dropping or breaking it.

For children who want to join in the fun, or starving novices who have to get something to eat before they master the traditional method, here is a chopsticks cheating method: Fold a piece of paper into a small half-inch thick wad about an inch long. Place it between the two chopsticks about one inch from the top and secure with rubber bands at both ends of the paper wad. Use them like a pair of tweezers to pinch up the food. This was the Japanese version of chopsticks for many years.

Once you are a proficient chopsticks user, you may want to celebrate by owning a pair of your own. You can buy a nice lacquered pair at Woo Chee Chong Oriental Foods, or a set of ten classic bamboo chopsticks at Pier One Imports. In these days of recycling consciousness, it is a good idea to take your own pair with you to restaurants and save a disposable pair. Wrap them in a handkerchief or slip them in a child's sock for transport.

Now that you have great chopsticks form, you also can have good Oriental dining manners.

Asian rice is usually rather sticky or glutinous, making it easier to eat with chopsticks. Always order your rice in a bowl so you can hold it closer to your mouth, since it is easier to eat that way. A plate of rice (steamed or fried) topped with an entree is a western invention; in most Asian countries rice is served in a separate bowl.

Most dishes consumed with chopsticks do not contain bones. If they do, the custom for dealing with bones in one's food is to hold your hand close to your mouth, open your mouth and let the bone fall into your hand, then place it on the tabletop. In restaurants, a plate is usually provided for the bones. Never put the bones in your rice bowl or on the dinner plate, and never remove the bones from your mouth with your fingers.

When eating with a group, do not finish your meal before anyone else. If you are full, take a few last morsels and pick at them until everyone is done. Otherwise it could appear that you did not appreciate the food. Watch the other people at the table and refill their glasses or teacups as they are emptied. It is considered impolite to refill your own glass but good manners to refill another person's glass. Also, use the reverse end of chopsticks to take food from a common plate and use the regular end only to eat. Never poke your chopsticks into your rice bowl during a meal. This is customarily done at funerals or as an offering to Buddha and is unwelcome at the meal table.

Dripping on the table is expected from a dining style where people serve themselves from common central dishes. If you have a lot of spots on the tablecloth at your place, it is a sign that you were enjoying the meal. Banging, tapping, or drumming your chopsticks on the plate or table shows dissatisfaction with the food and is insulting to the chef. However, in China, Japan, and Korea, a discreet post-meal belch is considered a compliment.

Japanese culture has made table manners an art form. Consider the ceremony followed for the proper Japanese method to remove the lid from a bowl of rice: You lift the rice bowl lid with your right hand, place it in your left hand, then set it down on the left side of your tray or table. This process is repeated with the soup bowl lid and the chopsticks before eating. The idea is to center attention on the meal to increase the pleasure it brings.

It is not surprising then, that there might be some special Japanese guidelines for proper dining. For instance, pouring soy sauce onto the rice bowl is very offensive as it despoils the symbolic purity of the essential white rice. One should never eat more than two bites from a dish without a mouthful of rice to clear the palate. This increases the ability to savor the flavors in the meal. A serious gaffe is to pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another. The food should be placed on a dish and the dish handed to the other person.

Now you should be prepared to dine in any of the local Asian restaurants with confidence. Have fun, and try not to drop anything in your lap!

If you have any easy, tasty Asian recipes to share, please send them to us at P.O. Box 23744, San Diego, CA 92193-3744. E-mail: editor@jadedragon.com. If we use your article, we will send you a Jade Dragon Online t-shirt.