Eating Chinese food - do you use chopsticks?

[caffn8me]

As we're on the subject of Food I thought it was time to ask an important question.

I had a Chinese meal for dinner earlier (actually, it was the leftovers from a visit to a Chinese restaurant on Monday). Even though I was at home I still used chopsticks as it seems that Chinese food doesn't taste right without them. I think they're an essential part of the experience. I eat a lot of Chinese food so am very comfortable using chopsticks.

Not everyone is comfortable using chopsticks of course and scientists have now devised a formula to calculate your "chopstick comfort factor". Chopsticks can even be harmful to eat with.

Chinese food is generally prepared not to need a knife so what implements do you use? Is it influenced by whether you are eating in a restaurant or eating at home? I do often go to a couple of the more authentic Chinese restaurants in Chinatown in London and some Chinese friends of mine prefer to eat with their fingers.

In the interests of culinary and nutritional science I have put together this poll. You should vote once for what you use to eat Chinese food at home with and once for what you use to eat Chinese food in a restaurant with - so that's two votes. You may of course also say that you never eat Chinese food!

 

[lara]

Chopsticks all the way. I'm better at eating with chopsticks than a knife and fork, go figure.

 

[caffn8me]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lara Chopsticks all the way. I'm better at eating with chopsticks than a knife and fork, go figure.

Me too with Chinese food!

 

[Throwaway Style]

I love chopsticks, always have.

 

[mzcelaneous]

Chopsticks! Similar to Lara, I eat better while using them.

 

[MzEmo]

im chinese so chopsticks is a must

 

[vivaciousv1114]

i use chopsticks for everything except for the rice. i'm half korean anyway, so i've grown up using them.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

I hate chopsticks. I can use them but it takes too much time and effort. and well . I dont need to eat chinese food with them Just like i dont need to eat any other food with them. I dunno i dont see the point...

 

[brandiisamonkey]

I use chopsticks except with rice, I mean I can use them with rice but it gets messy so I choose not to lol

 

[Juneplum]

knife and fork all the way for me

dh has tried to teach me a bazillion times how to use chopsticks but i have no patience so that's that :goofy:

 

[martygreene]

I use chopsticks for at least 75% of my eating at home or when I pack food for the day. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Italian, French, Mexican, it makes no difference. I have a pair of camping chopsticks (titanium and rosewood) which are collapseable and totally portable. I use them for everything.

 

[dovelysong]

Chopsticks all the way... it somehow feels wrong to use a fork...

 

[Jaim]

When eating at a restaurant (my sister's boyfriend is chinese so we have a lot of "family" meals at great places!) I use chopsticks. At home I pretty much shovel everything into my mouth with a huge spoon. Hahaha.

 

[lightnlovly]

I always use chopsticks...i even eat cheetos w/ chopsticks...that way I don't get my fingas all icky

 

[Shawna]

It just depends on the type of food for me. I use chopsticks for everything you would use them for. Some food just doesn't taste right without them. I even eat soup (hot and sour yum) with chopsticks first, and then a spoon for the broth.

 

[Wattage]

I really don't like Chinese food so I don't eat it unless I have to. I also hate chinese chopsticks (the plastic, smooth, slippery ones!).

I do, however, have more chopsticks than utensils in my house. I always use chopsticks to eat Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai food. I use chopsticks for a lot of non-asian food. Guess that's what happens when you have an SO who is Asian...

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

Haha i only find chopsticks useful for putting my hair up when im hair tie-less.

 

[NutMeg]

I use chopsticks for all asian food, except rice if I'm particularly hungry or impatient.

Non asian food is just your basic knife and fork.

 

[Pei]

hmmm..interesting

I'm kinda a westernised chinese, a hybrid u might add....
I prefer using fork & spoon for picking food simply becos it's EASIER =D

I agree with caffn8me on the "doesn't taste right" thingy, ONLY when I'm eating noodles & vermicilli (Sp*). I prefer to use chopsticks for noodles cos it feels so WRONG & weird eating noodles with a fork!
(Only kids do that here lol - that's my assumption =P)

I'm kinda ashamed to say that I can't use the chopsticks in the traditional proper way. I "crossed" the chopsticks (FYI, chopsticks shld be held parallel to each other, nt crossed)

With regards to "Chinese Table Ettiques", I don't think tht it's a MUST to use the chopsticks for chinese food. Choice of cutlery is not emphasized.

The traditional chinese are more concerned with the behaviors during eating, say, no talking with food in the mouth, not to be late for family meals (considered very impolite, esp when u're a junior in the family) etc.