topic Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚 in Community Chat

🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

sidsmom — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 00:36:26 GMT

I’m thinking of purchasing a set of nice chopsticks.

Any advice to a chopstick neophyte?

Stainless?

Is there a special length to choose?

What sort of price range?

TIA!

🥢🌼🥢🌼🥢🌼

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

Mz iMac — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:00:32 GMT

I have nice chop sticks. Some are wooden & others are some kind of shiny wood. A few has my first name in Mandarin.

All purchased from Chinatown. In my neck of the woods you can purchase really nice chop sticks from any Chinese grocery store, restaurant and/or take-out joint. If there is a Chinatown in your region, make that your first stop.

Never seen a Chinese eating w/stainless steel chop sticks. Are you planning on using them or just for decoration?

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

QueenDanceALot — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:02:50 GMT

I like very smooth wooden ones, but I don't have any specific recommendations.

No one even had to teach me how to use them. I was a natural!

I must've been Asian in a past life.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

Mz iMac — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:16:34 GMT

@QueenDanceALot You are so lucky.

I was forced to learn. Went to residential area in San Francisco (no tourist) at a Chinese family run restaurant in my early 20's. No silverware just chopsticks.

My cousins & I kept staring at the people sitting at the next table. I learned how to use them eating rice. Took an hour to get the hang of it before I became a "natural."

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

sidsmom — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:18:48 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
I have nice chop sticks. Some are wooden & others are some kind of shiny wood. A few has my first name in Mandarin.
All purchased from Chinatown. In my neck of the woods you can purchase really nice chop sticks from any Chinese grocery store, restaurant and/or take-out joint. If there is a Chinatown in your region, make that your first stop.

Never seen a Chinese eating w/stainless steel chop sticks. Are you planning on using them or just for decoration?

I just naturally thought they could be stainless...!

See...this is why I ask my peeps here!

Yes, I’m planning to use them.

If I’m a @QueenDanceALot natural, great;

if not, I’m determined to work on this eye/hand coordination.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

SilleeMee — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:21:36 GMT

I grew up using bamboo mostly. The length about 8 to 9 inches. My Japanese mom used different ones for cooking vs eating. Some were more decorative for entertaining. I would start with wooden ones if you haven't used them before. A note about the smoothness... I find that the very smooth wooden or lacquered ones tend to be slippery.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

QueenDanceALot — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:22:09 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
@QueenDanceALot You are so lucky.

I was forced to learn. Went to residential area in San Francisco (no tourist) at a Chinese family run restaurant in my early 20's. No silverware just chopsticks.
My cousins & I kept staring at the people sitting at the next table. I learned how to use them eating rice. Took an hour to get the hang of it before I became a "natural."

@Mz iMac

Do you watch "Criminal Minds"? You just reminded me of an episode where the agents were eating at an Asian restaurant and Spencer was just so frustrated because his food kept falling off his chopsticks.

I remember when I first started using them and a boyfriend told me to just watch Asian people eating, holding to bowl up close to their mouths and basically using the chopsticks as a "shovel". I lived in NYC at the time an we often ate in Chinatown.

The shovel thing was easy, but I liked the finesse of picking up one green bean or grain of rice.

I guess I'm a chopstick snob.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

Mz iMac — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:23:17 GMT

YouTube has excellent tutorials on how to use chopsticks. Most by young children. Very detailed instructions from someone so young.

It's how my GS & SIL learned to use chop sticks as both are left handers.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

QueenDanceALot — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:23:42 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
I grew up using bamboo mostly. The length about 8 to 9 inches. My Japanese mom used different ones for cooking vs eating. Some were more decorative for entertaining. I would start with wooden ones if you haven't used them before. A note about the smoothness... I find that the very smooth wooden or lacquered ones tend to be slippery.

@SilleeMee

Yes, Bamboo!!

I agree that the smooth ones can be very slippery.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

QueenDanceALot — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:41:04 GMT

@sidsmom

Lots of options on Amazon.

Pretty bamboo ones, stainless decorative ones, titanium ones!,

and even some that light up!

I loved a pretty set of bamboo that had a leafy design on them.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

sunshine45 — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:41:32 GMT

they DO make stainless steel chopsticks.....and they are not expensive. maybe you can experiment with a few pairs to decide what is best for you?

these are from sur la table.

fortessa dragonfly chopsticks

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

SilleeMee — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 02:09:14 GMT

I was going to mention this before. Some of the chopsticks have squared-off handles and some are rounded so they roll between your fingers easily. Some people like the square ones better because they seem to be easier to grab. @sidsmom

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

WenGirl42 — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 02:17:41 GMT

Bamboo chopsticks are probably perfectly safe if you won't be using them with animal products or oils.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

september — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 02:31:30 GMT

I have nice chopsticks, that were given to me by the owners of a restaurant where we used to eat quite often

I think they would be called coated wooden chopsticks? They are very substantial and I have a set of eight, all different colors. Love them!

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

WenGirl42 — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 02:39:40 GMT

@september wrote:
I have nice chopsticks, that were given to me by the owners of a restaurant where we used to eat quite often

I think they would be called coated wooden chopsticks? They are very substantial and I have a set of eight, all different colors. Love them!

@september I have a very nice coated wooden set too, that was a wedding gift.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

Hellcat64 — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 03:55:52 GMT

@SilleeMee wrote:
I grew up using bamboo mostly. The length about 8 to 9 inches. My Japanese mom used different ones for cooking vs eating. Some were more decorative for entertaining. I would start with wooden ones if you haven't used them before. A note about the smoothness... I find that the very smooth wooden or lacquered ones tend to be slippery.

I also grew up using bamboo and still do. I am Chinese and my husband is not. When we were first married I found him one morning eating a bowl of Rice Krispies with chopsticks. That’s how he practiced. Took him a long time to eat it. That was a long time ago. Now, whenever we go out for any Asian food, he always asks for chopsticks and I use a fork. I always think what is wrong with this picture lol!

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

shoekitty — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 04:58:53 GMT

@sidsmom

Dont do it. Sidsmom, no stainless chopsticks. Lol! Omg, the visual I have is making me laugh. Not for anyone with arthritis for sure!, they do have stainless chopsticks, I have tried them. No workey well. Lol

my husband is Japanese- american. He was raised with chopsticks , as well as cutlery. He likes to take the bamboo ones and rub the points together before using them each time. Roughs them up a bit. We usually buy a huge box of "take-out" sticks. We think the best are made from bamboo. we each have a pair of smooth bamboo ones., for certain things, otherwise we use take-out sticks a lot!! We toss the take out one each use. Bamboo ones, we do use several times, After a while they need to be tossed as they can get contaminated. Some like plastic ones, And stainless, are not my cup if tea. I like longer sticks as well. I even have a super long pair I use for cooking some things. I also think chop sticks are a great way of tasting your food, and chewing slowly, if you have a tendancy to bolt food down like I do

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

DiAnne — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 05:11:58 GMT

I buy the disposable wooden ones from Amazon.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

hennypenny — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 06:52:22 GMT

I love bamboo med legnth. I prefer the slightly squared ones. I use them forever. wash with soap and water and then rinse with a bit of lemon juice, then plain water.

I have long ones for cooking and fancy lacquer ones that I got as a wedding present. They are gorgeous but not as comfy to use.

You can get at any Asian market, maybe at World Mkt.

if not go to a local restaurant and ask if you can buy some of their disposable ones to learn on.

Re: 🥢Chopstick Advice! 🍜🍚

beach-mom — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 07:06:37 GMT

@sidsmom - I taught school in Japan for three years. I have all kinds, but I don't use the decorative ones. We eat out at oriental restaurants a lot. I will usually ask for the disposable ones, as the fancy Chinese restaurant ones are too slippery for me!

I agree with everyone who said the squared off ones. I have a large set I cook with, and four pairs of twisted smooth square bottom wood ones (non disposable). I found them in a Japanese restaurant in Baltimore years ago.

My children were using chopsticks almost as soon as they could eat rice and broth. We have rice a lot here!