Knowing how to handle your chopsticks well when dining in an Asian restaurant gives you a good level of confidence. Asian connoisseurs do not hide their flair for perfection in their cuisine – from buying ingredients to how they eat their meals.
One of the ways they show this is in how they handle their chopsticks when they eat noodles. Moreover, eating noodles with chopsticks adds a touch of grace and smoothness to how you eat. With chopsticks, it is easier to pick food and move it around. Also, it makes you eat more slowly, with smaller mouthfuls.
So, if you are looking for a step-by-step guide to learn how to eat noodles with chopsticks, here it is.
How to eat noodles with chopsticks
Follow this step-by-step guide to master the art of eating noodles with chopsticks.
- The first step is to grab your chopsticks
- Curl your pinky and ring finger inwards towards your palm so that the first chopstick is resting against the first knuckle of your ring finger
- Then, hold the end of the chopstick in the crease between your thumb and first finger
- Ensure that there are about 1 to 2 inches of the end of the chopstick sticking out between your thumb and first finger
- Also, ensure that the pointed ends are held out far from your fingertips
- Afterward, take the second chopstick. Curl your middle finger inwards and lean the second chopstick against the first knuckle
- Then, hold the end between your thumb and index finger such that the two chopsticks are parallel to each other
- Like with the first chopstick, it should also stick out 1 to 2 inches from your fingers
- How does this work? The bottom (first) chopstick will serve as an anchor while you move your middle finger up and down. Hold firm so that the chopsticks stay in place
- Keep an eye on your chopsticks. They should stay parallel to each other. If they get crossed, separate them, and try again
- Now, get to the deal. Use the chopsticks to take up some of the noodles from the bowl. Pull up only a little, it will be easier to work with that
- A tip: grab the noodles from the middle so you can locate the ends and slurp them in easily
- Pull the noodles away from every other thing in the bow. If it is too long, leave it, check for the shorter ones, and try again
- Resist the urge to grab some meat and veggies with the noodles. Otherwise, it would ruin everything
- Lift the noodles to your mouth. Slowly release the noodles from the chopsticks and slurp fast. Not too fast to make the soup splash, not too slow to make it look as though you are not enjoying the meal
- While you slurp, use the ends of the chopsticks to lift the ends of the noodles into your mouth. This will also help to make things less messy
- You can sip the soup when you are done with the noodles
- There! Try this again and again until you are confident enough to do it in public
What other cutlery can you eat noodles with?
You can eat noodles with a soup spoon and a fork, just like Italians do. They are easier to use compared to chopsticks. Pick the noodles with the fork and twirl them on the tines of the fork.
Afterward, use the spoon to support the noodles, as you lift the fork and put the noodles in your mouth.
Can you eat noodles with your fingers?
There are not many people who do this, but you may find some who eat their noodles with their fingers, especially in cultures where eating rice with their hands is a thing. But you can’t do this with noodles in hot soup. It is usually done with plain or stir-fry noodles.
Chopsticks etiquette you should know
- Do not poke your food with chopsticks
- Do not point chopsticks at people on the table or wave them in the air
- Hold your chopsticks at their ends, not the middle
- When eating at an Asian restaurant, resist the urge to pick at the sphincters on the body of your chopsticks. It makes them feel unprofessional and they find it rude
- If you have put your chopsticks in your mouth, use the opposite end to pick food from a shared plate
- Do not pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another pair of chopsticks
- Also, if the noodles are too long, cut them with a knife before you eat them with chopsticks
- When you are done eating, lay the chopsticks down with the tips facing the left
What can you pair with noodles?
From light to heavy sides and toppings, make your choice.
- Cheese slices
- Pesto
- Sesame seeds
- Edamame
- Brussels sprouts
- Garlic breadsticks
- Pumpkin
- Vegetable soup
- Scalloped potatoes
- Sriracha
- Mushrooms and leeks
- Prawns
- Seaweed
- Baked chicken breasts
- Shiitake
- Oyster
- Roasted broccoli
- Oven-roasted asparagus
- Salad – chicken, seeds, greens, and bean
- Baby spinach
- Baked zucchini rounds coated with parmesan
- Garlic butter
- Peanut butter and broccoli
- Sloppy Joe
- Shrimp and kale salad
- Lobster tails
- Stuffed eggplants
- Meatloaf
FAQs
Are chopsticks for all types of noodles?
Yes, all types of chopsticks are for eating all types of noodles. Know the type of noodles you are eating – their weight and texture – and make a comfortable experience for yourself.
Can left-handed people use chopsticks meant for right-handed people?
There are no specific chopsticks for left-handed or right-handed people. With consistent practice, the left-handed people can master the art of using chopsticks
Can you eat pasta with chopsticks?
You can eat any type of long pasta with chopsticks just like you eat noodles. Some of these types of pasta are spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, and any other type of long pasta.
Others like macaroni, penne, and rigatoni are best eaten with a fork or spoon as you cannot twirl them.
Are Japanese chopsticks different from Korean chopsticks?
Japanese and Korean chopsticks have slight differences. Japanese chopsticks are shorter with a pointed end, while Korean chopsticks are of medium length with flat ends.
Also, Japanese chopsticks are mostly made of wood or bamboo, but Koreans use metals for their chopsticks.
Conclusion
Whether it’s a rich bowl of ramen, savory chow mein, or a flavorful soupy bowl of soba, embrace and relish the art of eating noodles with chopsticks. If it looked like a daunting task before, I believe you know now that it is not as it looked.
With a few more practices, you will move from beginner level to eating noodles with chopsticks like an Asian. Just ensure you always level up with confidence, small bits by small bits of food.
Also, learn how to eat rice with chopsticks and take your Asian food game up a notch.
Thanks for reading.