I've recently been trying to get used to chopsticks. I've been looking at instruction videos and following them but I still struggle to grasp food with them and not suffer hand pain after a while. I usually just use a fork for noodles and either hand or spoon for rice dishes so I've never actually had many of a chance to use them. However I've been wanting to pick up the skill for quite the while. How long did it take for people who didn't use it from young to pick up the skill? and if so what method did you use?
I still have a hard time using it but I also still can't use a pen properly so I'm not the best person to ask
I got the gist of it after eating with chopsticks on a Japanese restaurant 1-3 times. I still suffer from hand pain, but I can pick things up just fine~
You just try different ways I guess? I can pick stuff up just fine but my hand still hurts if I use it for too long. There are different types of grips and the like. If you have some cash to spare you can order the trainer chopsticks for kids for an easier experience.
chopsticks for rice is a nightmare if they aren't the sticky Japanese kind in my opinion. I didnt use it from childhood but I attribute my current skill to my Asian blood I started with criss cross chopsticks in whatever case I needed to use chopsticks, which isn't frequently (the way of holding that non-users use) eventually I watched anime and wanted to do it like the characters so I learnt the proper way which needed a year or so to get used to I say proper way but my hands still hurt after a while I think they have chopstick attachments to use for chopstick learners
Since I like anime way back, I use chopsticks when I want to roleplay being japanese It was certainly hard to do but once you get used to it, it's as easy as using the fork. It depends on the grip I guess? And yes, I still haven't got used to it
Practice makes perfect. I suggest you get a pair of bamboo chopsticks for better grip since metal, pastic, or painted ones are slippy.
Keep at it. Always remember that once you master the art of chopsticks, it can be put on your résumé. Sum Fatt Gai Chinese Restaurant (01/1616 - 01/1912) - Packing Food - Answering phone calls - Built the Great Wall - Picking out beans with chopsticks
It took me two weeks or so to learn to hold them. Then I kept using them. The meals I usually have doesn't allow me to use chopsticks. But I always use them to have noodles and now Tbh I can't have noodles with forks anymore, it feels awkward and uncomfortable.
I tend to eat way too fast, so I started using chop sticks to put some brakes and it worked. Now I'm pretty good at it, you just have to keep doing it. We all have our own way of handling it, so find your most comfortable grip instead of copying others. Most tutorials show you different ways, so you'll just get confused.
for 3 finger grip i was good after 2-3 meals, but using 4 fingers (I call that crab style) my hand get tired pretty quick
I watched a japanology episode a few years ago about chopsticks and it showed a way of using rubber bands as a way to practice holding it correctly. I now use chopsticks better than a fork
It can be a little hard. Especially when you did not grow up with it, but it does take practice. I hold it like I hold a pen. That I leave stationary. The second chopstick is what I use to pinch. I use my thumb and pointer fingers to pinch with. I could be wrong, but that’s how I use them. Some places I go and they don’t have spoons or forks. Only chopsticks. That’s when I lift up the bowl and use the chopsticks as a spoon. By pushing the food into my mouth. I wish you luck in this endeavor
I read the instructions on the chopsticks packaging at restuarants... then I went back to using forks lol
I learned using chopsticks when I was around uh 13? I don't know if that's still considered young but I still remember practicing picking up grains of rice or some peas with chopsticks like it's a sport The way I hold chopsticks is not really conventional(?) though lol but I can eat with it and nobody really cares about my chopstick holding technique. So maybe just find a comfortable way of holding it for you? Then just practice picking up grains of rice! Or catches falling leaves! You'll get used to it in no time~ Also, try using the non slippery ones (wooden ones) so it's easier to hold while you're still not used to it.
For slippery dishes like noodles, sometimes as a kid, I would just have my mom or dad put the food in my bowl since their chopstick skills are superior. Then, I would just bring the bowl to my mouth and use the chopsticks and gravity to shovel things into my mouth. Some chopsticks are easier to use than others. Compared to those Korean metal chopsticks, wooden chopsticks are 10x easier to use since they have a rougher surface. As a kid, I also used to stab things if I couldn't quite pick them up properly lol
I’ve been practicing using chop sticks at the neighboring Chinese place since I was two, but honestly my skills are just okay. I can’t cut anything in the slightest with chopsticks like a true expert.