Are you still fumbling your chopsticks? Don’t worry! Chopstick proficiency is not required at our Lynnwood Japanese restaurant. However, eating with chopsticks can be a valuable exercise in manual dexterity and cultural immersion, so, should you ever wish to master the chopsticks, try following these simple directions:
The first step is to hold your sticks correctly. The first chopstick should rest beneath your thumb, braced by your middle finger. Pick up the second stick on top of this one, holding it more or less like you would a pen. A beginner should start out gripping the sticks closer to the tips, and then hold them further back when he or she develops a proper gripping motion.
Pick up your food by holding the sticks at a forty-five degree angle with your dish. Practice applying proper pressure with your grip, strong enough to hold the food and yet not so strong as to cause the sticks to “scissor”. You may want to hold your food under your mouth for a while as you gain confidence in your technique.
Good chopstick use comes down to practice, so try it out the next time you come to Wild Wasabi. After a meal or two, you should be chop-sticking with the best of them!