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   5-31-11

   MrsFF says:

   < What the finders found >

   How to use chopsticks

   Chopsticks are actually surprisingly easy to use, once you get the traditional fork and knife mindset out of your head. There’s a video below to help you, but here are some super-simplified instructions:

   1. Place one chopstick all the way down in the crook of your thumb.
   2. Hold the second chopstick like you would a pen — with your thumb, index and middle fingers.
   3. Firmly hold the bottom chopstick still and move just the upper chopstick to help grasp food.

   You can get more tips — these from the experts — at Chinatown Connection.

   Beginner-level help

   If this doesn’t make sense to your brain, hands, or something in between, take heart. You can get a couple “training wheels” versions to help you get the hang of the whole chopstick thing. For instance, check out both Holdstix Easy to Use Chopsticks and Combi Chopsticks Training Set.

   Reduce & reuse

   In 2008, China Daily reported that an estimated 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are used and thrown away each year in China. That’s about 25 million fully grown trees every year. The usage outside of China obviously isn’t as great, but it’s still incredibly wasteful.

   So once you get used to the whole chopstick thing, why not buy your own? You can shop at various places online — including Asian Food Grocer and Amazon.

   How-to video

   Now, as promised, a video to show you how to hold chopsticks:

    

   For yet more, also see How to Use Chopsticks for Dummies.