why do asians still eat with chopsticks?

[slickpoppa]

can anyone explain this to me? much more funtional utensils have been invented and are available inexpensively

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
can anyone explain this to me? much more funtional utensils have been invented and are available inexpensively

[/ QUOTE ]
I always thought it was very odd that people whose main dietary staple is rice ever came up with chopsticks as a utensil to begin with. So much for Asians being "crafty". /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[IndieMatty]

I second that question, but I am just jealous because I suck at using them.

But, seriously, we don't watch Black and White TV anymore? We don't use lead paint...wtf?

[fsuplayer]

I always thought it was very odd that people whose main dietary staple is rice ever came up with chopsticks as a utensil to begin with. So much for Asians being "crafty".

yeah no kidding. eating non-sticky rice with those things is such a pain in the ass.

[Gamblor]

The particulars of table manners we use in North America originate from Europe. We don't eat with our elbows on the table, we take small bites, we eat slowly, and we don't get too engrossed in our meal.

Asian cuisine is meant to be eaten fast and eaten sloppily. Chopsticks, when eating rice, are meant to literally push rice into your mouth. You hold the bowl up to your face and shovel it in.

Keep in mind also, that Asians back in the day saw forks the same we see chopsticks. As in "Why don't they use chopsticks, they're so much easier!"

[Toro]

How many fat Asians do you see compared to fat Americans. The chopstick is a diet trick that the Asians discovered centuries ago that we Americans are either too stupid or stubborn to try.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
How many fat Asians do you see compared to fat Americans. The chopstick is a diet trick that the Asians discovered centuries ago that we Americans are either too stupid or stubborn to try.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's right. You burn more calories chasing the freakin' rice around with those things than you take in from the rice. Kind of like chewing celery.

[slickpoppa]

[ QUOTE ]
The particulars of table manners we use in North America originate from Europe. We don't eat with our elbows on the table, we take small bites, we eat slowly, and we don't get too engrossed in our meal.

Asian cuisine is meant to be eaten fast and eaten sloppily. Chopsticks, when eating rice, are meant to literally push rice into your mouth. You hold the bowl up to your face and shovel it in.

Keep in mind also, that Asians back in the day saw forks the same we see chopsticks. As in "Why don't they use chopsticks, they're so much easier!"

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm going to have to disagree with you once again Gamblor. If the advantage of chopsticks is that you can shovel a lot of rice into your mouth quickly, then clearly a spoon would be a much better utensil. And the fact that Asians think of western utensils the same way that westerners look at chopsticks does not prove anything. I'm sure if I told someone 1,000 years ago that the world was round they would look at me the same way that I would look at someone who says the world is flat.

[GuyOnTilt]

And the fact that Asians think of western utensils the same way that westerners look at chopsticks does not prove anything.

And visa versa. That's the point.

GoT

[CrazyEyez]

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We don't eat with our elbows on the table, we take small bites, we eat slowly, and we don't get too engrossed in our meal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Speak for yourself.

[stabn]

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can anyone explain this to me? much more funtional utensils have been invented and are available inexpensively


[/ QUOTE ]

Explain how to eat sushi with a fork.

[ThaSaltCracka]

isn't Sushi finger food?

[stabn]

If you want to get [censored] soy and wasabi all over your fingers.

[ThaSaltCracka]

so its not like chicken wings?

[Sponger15SB]

Whats the deal with asians using chop sticks?

You know they've seen the fork. They're not out plowing the field with a couple of pool cues!

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
isn't Sushi finger food?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, thats why I usually do.

However the way you're suppose eat meso soup is awsome, no spoon, just pour it in the mouth.

Awsome.

[slickpoppa]

And whats the deal with the razor blade slots in airplane bathrooms? Are people actually shaving in there?

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]

However the way you're suppose eat meso soup is awsome, no spoon, just pour it in the mouth.

Awsome.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yah that's superb. Just stir it up with your chopsticks and chug it down.

[ThaSaltCracka]

meso soup makes meso horny

[sfer]

Gamblor is basically right for China. Go to a Chinese restaurant and watch how the food gets placed on the small bowl of rice and shoveled homeward.

Noodles, however, still feel totally wrong to me without the sticks. If you decide to eat in a manner with less slurping, though, a fork is essential. A couple of years ago I went to lunch at a Chinese restaurant with 5 coworkers. Three Asians (myself included) and two white guys. The Asians requested forks, the white guys didn't. One asked why we weren't using sticks. I said, "Because a fork is easier. Duh."

[felson]

Yes, chopsticks are inconvenient for some foods, although they work well for Asian foods. And there was even a study indicating that using them causes arthritis. But I use them because it's what Asians traditionally use. I'm not trying to honor my dead ancestors or anything, it's that using chopsticks just feels right.

Not everything in life has to be done with maximum efficiency.

Then again, maybe you weren't looking for a serious answer. *shrug*

[B Dids]

I find a lot of foods (like Sushi) easier to eat with chopsticks.

TSC is like in extra doofus mode in this thread.

[felson]

I heard a story once contrasting chopsticks with fork and knife.

European man: I don't understand why Asians would want to eat with such primitive utensils as chopsticks.

Asian man: I don't understand why Westerners would want to eat with such primitive utensils as a spear and sword.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

can anyone explain this to me? much more funtional utensils have been invented and are available inexpensively


[/ QUOTE ]
Explain how to eat sushi with a fork.

[/ QUOTE ]
I guess I don't understand the question. You'd eat it like you eat everything else with a fork. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
I find a lot of foods (like Sushi) easier to eat with chopsticks.

TSC is like in extra doofus mode in this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]yeah, but this is a pretty silly thread though.

[slickpoppa]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, chopsticks are inconvenient for some foods, although they work well for Asian foods. And there was even a study indicating that using them causes arthritis. But I use them because it's what Asians traditionally use. I'm not trying to honor my dead ancestors or anything, it's that using chopsticks just feels right.

Not everything in life has to be done with maximum efficiency.

Then again, maybe you weren't looking for a serious answer. *shrug*

[/ QUOTE ]
Actually, that is exactly the type of answer I was looking for. I have gotten into arguments with people insisting that chopsticks are actually the most efficient utensil. I'm sorry, but for eating rice especially there is no way that chpsticks are more efficient than a spoon. But the "I just like the feel of chopsticks" argument I can understand.

[stabn]

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I guess I don't understand the question. You'd eat it like you eat everything else with a fork.


[/ QUOTE ]

Have you ever done this? Dipping it in soy?

[VBM]

far superior larger headpieces keep the head warmer and are more widely available...no?

actually, i've always wondered how come we don't all wear those futuristic 1-piece silver, skin-tight jumpsuits you see in sci-fi movies and cartoons and stuff. i think ppl would watch their weight a lot more if that was your only clothing option...

[EliteNinja]

The people who ask these sort of questions most likely do not have enough experience with eating Asian foods. Foods such as noodles in soup, sushi/sashimi (which you have to dip in soya sauce), and even spaghetti are best eaten with chopsticks (give it a shot, it's better than twisting it up on a fork on a spoon).

However, I agree that a fork is better for Uncle Ben's-type rice. Chopsticks still work particularly well with properly prepared, more sticky rice.

For foods like steak, peas, and thick soup, you need the fork, knife and spoon. No doubt chopsticks suck for these foods.

You can also use chopsticks to eat potato chips whilst playing poker/videogames so you don't get your hands all greased up. That's one of the best applications for chopsticks.

The main thing is you need to use the right tool for the right job.

[Sponger15SB]

chop sticks to eat potato chips?!?

Have you ever thought of becoming a brain surgeon? You've gotta have rock steady hands or something.

[stabn]

A couple of weeks ago I saw a chick driving along 405 in bellevue eating with chopsticks while driving. I was pretty impressed.

[felson]

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You can also use chopsticks to eat potato chips whilst playing poker/videogames so you don't get your hands all greased up.

[/ QUOTE ]

You just made my life better.

[Gamblor]

If the advantage of chopsticks is that you can shovel a lot of rice into your mouth quickly, then clearly a spoon would be a much better utensil.

A spoon is meant for liquids. Did you ever wonder why Chinese restaurants have those little spoons (the ones with no handles) for soups, but still have chopsticks for food? The sides are curved up to avoid spillage, which is the opposite for what you want when eating rice. You want spillage so you can shovel it quickly.

And the fact that Asians think of western utensils the same way that westerners look at chopsticks does not prove anything.

You've missed the point. Asian people (not American-Asians, I mean born-and-raised Asians) think a fork is hard to use.

[oddjob]

what i don't understand is white women that use chopsticks to put their hair up.

you don't see asians sticking forks in their hair and twirling it up like spaghetti.

although that might work well.

[oddjob]

[ QUOTE ]
How many fat Asians do you see compared to fat Americans. The chopstick is a diet trick that the Asians discovered centuries ago that we Americans are either too stupid or stubborn to try.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm a fat asian, and it has nothing to do with growing up in america and using a fork.

i can use chopsticks very well though. i'm korean, and korean rice is much stickier then chinese rice. you can put up posters with it. you can stick the chopsticks in straight down and come out with a nice big glob of rice.

when i eat chinese food i use a fork cause it's easier to shovel the rice.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess I don't understand the question. You'd eat it like you eat everything else with a fork.

[/ QUOTE ]

Everything else doesn't fall apart when you try to stab it, isn't sometimes surrounded by a material that a fork will not penetrate, and doesn't make you look like a moron when you turn a nicely prepared culinary delight into a pile of mush.

Forks are great for most foods, but there are certain foods that are much more easily ingested with sticks. They're like finger extensions, for more a more civilized age.

I really hate using my fingers for anything involving food.

~D

[oddjob]

one thing i found

chopstick rock when cooking bacon. easy to pick up and flip those ackward slabs of deliciousness.

i doubt that's what they had in mind though when they were invented.

[oddjob]

[ QUOTE ]
You've missed the point. Asian people (not American-Asians, I mean born-and-raised Asians) think a fork is hard to use.

[/ QUOTE ]

phillipinos have it right. they use a fork and spoon at the same time to maximize scooping and eating.

[AncientPC]

Culture, tradition, habit.

Western foods are better off using western utensils, and vice versa.

Large chopsticks replace tongs when cooking / preparing food. Also it's a bit easier to wash a bunch of chopsticks after dinner than a bunch of silverware.

I don't like the sound of silverware scraping against a rice bowl / plate. The same goes for when I'm cutting a steak, etc.

Stabbing a sushi with a fork is doable, but also likely to make the sushi fall apart.

Soup noodles are much better off eaten with chopsticks, but with European noodles I still use a fork (except I put it in a bowl instead of a plate).

[BadBoyBenny]

Why do Americans who know better use chopsticks in Asian resturants? Do they think intentionally using inferior tools makes them look more sophisticated and experienced at eating cusine from other cultures?

[oddjob]

[ QUOTE ]
Why do Americans who know better use chopsticks in Asian resturants? Do they think intentionally using inferior tools makes them look more sophisticated and experienced at eating cusine from other cultures?

[/ QUOTE ]

probably the same reason they get words like PEACE HARMONY STRENGTH and other such nonsense in chinese characters tattooed on their bodies. for some reason they think it mean more when it's done like chinese.

[Gamblor]

Nothin to do with feelin cool.

It's more fun to just shovel food in your mouth.

With chopsticks you have an excuse, if you use a fork you're just plain r00d.

[Leo99]

My Korean friend feels the chopsticks are more versatile than a fork. I know suishi tastes much better when you eat it with chopsticks. Why don't we get rid of the spoon and fork and replace them with the spork?

[M2d]

why do people who don't know how to efficiently use a particular tool automatically assume that it is inferior?

[VBM]

woah woah...ouch, man! that's harsh...and mean!

[Lawrence Ng]

[ QUOTE ]
can anyone explain this to me? much more funtional utensils have been invented and are available inexpensively

[/ QUOTE ]

Because I still use my left hand to wipe the $hit off my a$$ when I'm finished and I use the right hand to jerk off with. So I gotta use chopsticks.

Lawrence

[Toro]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How many fat Asians do you see compared to fat Americans. The chopstick is a diet trick that the Asians discovered centuries ago that we Americans are either too stupid or stubborn to try.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm a fat asian, and it has nothing to do with growing up in america and using a fork.

i can use chopsticks very well though. i'm korean, and korean rice is much stickier then chinese rice. you can put up posters with it. you can stick the chopsticks in straight down and come out with a nice big glob of rice.

when i eat chinese food i use a fork cause it's easier to shovel the rice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You just admitted to being a fat Asian and using a fork. See the connection.

[Reef]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How many fat Asians do you see compared to fat Americans. The chopstick is a diet trick that the Asians discovered centuries ago that we Americans are either too stupid or stubborn to try.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm a fat asian, and it has nothing to do with growing up in america and using a fork.

i can use chopsticks very well though. i'm korean, and korean rice is much stickier then chinese rice. you can put up posters with it. you can stick the chopsticks in straight down and come out with a nice big glob of rice.

when i eat chinese food i use a fork cause it's easier to shovel the rice.

[/ QUOTE ]

You just admitted to being a fat Asian and using a fork. See the connection.

[/ QUOTE ]

and it's not even close.. do you see why?

[oddjob]

i also said that it has nothign to do with using a fork. it has more to do with the fact that i like to eat, and i like to sit around and do nothing.

i'm not really sure what the point of that statement was in the first place though. i think i was just on a roll for posting, or maybe i was saying that chopsticks have nothing to do with the dieting. i mean after all, if you're good with chopsticks. you can efficiently eat a lot.

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]
Whats the deal with asians using chop sticks?

You know they've seen the fork. They're not out plowing the field with a couple of pool cues!

[/ QUOTE ]

if you're gonna do it, at least do it justice...

"I tell you what I like about chinese people....now that were on the subject..they're hanging in there with those chop sticks.
You know, they've seen the fork...oh, they're well aware that we have the fork...and the spoon. I really don't know how they missed it. Chinese farmer gettin up early working the field with his shovel...helloooo, spoon, shovel..it's right there...you don't see him plowing 40 acres w/ a couple of pool cues."

i have too much time on my hands...but here's another of my favorites from that CD.

"What's with the cab drivers and the BO. I mean, do these shifts ever end? Or do they just get in and drive until they're dead? Because that's what its starting to smell like in there..you get in and you're like "man". But then they put the cherry pop-it on the dash. As if that's supposed to make it all better. So now you get the Cherry BO. I can't really even imagine fruit going that long without showering.
I don't really even know what it takes to get a cab driver's license. I know they have them. I see them right there on the visor. Apparently all you need is a face. There will be no blank heads driving cabs. It also helps if you have a name with like 17 consonants in a row.
And what's that "o" with a line through it. I don't remember that letter in the alphabet. I mean, you need a chart of the elements if you want to report the guy. "Yes, officer, his name was Amal and then the sign for Boron. I had a periodic chart with me at the time, so I'm quite sure it was not manganese."

ok, enough seinfeld.

[Thythe]

Rice is good when you want to eat 1000 of something.

[BullChip]

Although what you say has some merit, the fact that asians still eat with chopsticks has nothing to do with whether or not these inventions are available. The simple fact is that asians prefer chopsticks over anything else because it ties in with culture.

However, some foods are better eaten with forks, spoons, etc. and I use these as well. When I eat foods from my ethnicity, I usually eat with chopsticks.

[Blarg]

That's hilarious, Thythe!

I like using chopsticks when I go out because you feel more like you're going out. I can use a fork at home. My folks used to own Japanese restaurants, so it's easy for me either way.

At home I sometimes use chopsticks to eat noodle soups. It works perfectly well, especially when you use those great deep spoons with the soup. The Chinese have it all over on us when it comes to usin spoons in soup. Theirs actually hold lots of soup without it being a balancing act, or a soup taking an hour to eat because you have to scoop it in such small portions.

Ever drink out of those Japanese thick square wooden cups though? After you get skill with chopsticks, they're pretty easy to use even for loose rice, but there are some things that are just really bad ideas.

[HesseJam]

use the corner. It doesnt't look nice but you don't need to change your clothes.

[HesseJam]

I like chop sticks because I do not like to eat my food with metal objects like forks, knifes, screwdrivers, hammers, pincers, etc.