A traveller in distant lands may occasionally be cajoled into eating with mysterious implements which the natives utilise instinctively and effortlessly, whereas the intrepid explorer ends up with more food on the floor and their clothing than in the mouth. Injuries may also occur if certain items are mishandled. This entry attempts to shed some light on the situation of consuming international cuisine with a minimum of embarrassment and personal suffering.

Chopsticks

The inability of westerners to use chopsticks is well known. However, if one can become versed in their use, they are actually a more logical utensil than cutlery. However, the wise traveller would be advised to favour plain, wooden chopsticks as opposed to plastic of fancy painted ones - bare wood gives the best grip.

To use, first of all hold one chopstick between the knuckle of the thumb and tip of the middle finger about two thirds of the distance from the top, with the finger being supported by those underneath and the index finger free to move about. Now hold the other chopstick between the tips of the thumb and index finger. This should allow you to move the top chopstick, and the principle of moving only the top one is the method by which chopsticks are used.

In most cases, simply position the tips of the chopsticks around a piece of food and close the top one, thus gripping the food between the two. This is similar to the basic mechanism by which fingers work. Noodles can generally be eaten in the same way, though you may have to raise the chopsticks high above your head and lower the food in, or rotate them in mid-air to wrap the noodles around them. Other pasta can be eaten in the same way.

To eat rice, it is quite simple in eastern countries. The rice here is cooked so that it clumps together, forming lumps that can be conveniently picked up provided the user does not apply too much pressure. Sauce from the food will also help it to stick together. To make things even easier, it is served in small bowls which facilitate scooping the last few grains into your mouth.

In western countries, rice is a different story, since rice is cooked in a way that separates it.. Your best bet is to form a large pile of it, then arrange the chopsticks into a narrow V-shape and put this in underneath it. With practice, you can pick up surprisingly large quantities of rice in this way, and again, sauce from the food will also help to stick together.

The traveller should be aware that in China and other eastern countries, it is considered impolite to eat absolutely everything you are served, as this implies that you host(ess) has not been generous enough.

Cutlery

It will probably come as a surprise to many people reading this site that easterners have as much trouble learning to use a knife and fork as they have learning to use chopsticks. It makes sense; eastern people are brought up with chopsticks, but rarely if ever have reason to trust knives and forks (not to mention the cultural problems with knives at the dinner table - see link below). Anyhoo, for the benefit of any easterners reading this, here is how to use cutlery:

Cutlery consists of three basic utensils: the knife (the one with the blade), the fork (the one with three or four prongs), and the spoon (the one which curves at the end). In general, the spoon is relegated to the cutlery drawer, and only brought out for desert and breakfast.

The general use of cutlery is a combination of knife and fork. Most western meals consist of slabs of meat or vegetation which must be cut into smaller pieces in order to fit into the mouth. To do this, grip the knife and fork along the handles with the index finger on the back of the functional section (so that, if pointing while holding cutlery, the prongs on the fork would curve downward, and the blade of the knife would be facing the plate). Now stick the fork into the main part of the meal a few centimetres from the edge, curving outwards. Line the knife up with it and cut in a sawing motion until the meat has been penetrated. No remove the fork from the food and stick it into the newly-removed part. Put this inside the mouth, close the lips over the prongs, and pull the fork out. The pressure of the lips will cause the food to come off.

For food that already consists of small pieces, for example certain pastas, he fork can be stuck into one piece and the rest of the previously described procedure followed verbatim. For rice and other food in particle form, e.g. corn, get a pile of it on your plate, put the fork under, and lift it up. Balance the food on the fork and place in the mouth.

Noodles and similar pastas can also be eaten with a fork. The fork is plunged vertically into the middle of the pasta and turned around a few times, then lifted out horizontally. Of there is a dangling string, it may be rotated a few more times to lift this up.

The spoon is only really used for cereals, soup, porridge, baby food, and ice cream. The method of use is similar to that of a fork, but less of a balancing act is required. There are two ways of holding a spoon: one way is to hold it handle enclosed in a fist, and the other with the spoon balanced between the thumb and index or middle finger. The second way is less efficient and considered more polite. The spoon can also be used for eating food in particle form by simply scooping it up, but this is frowned upon.

It should be noted that in western countries, it is considered impolite to leave food on your plate, as this implies that you host(ess) lack culinary skills.

The Spork

The spork is a combination spoon and fork. Basically, it consists of a spoon with three small points at the end, and it is used as both instruments. It is a favourite of campers, who can only carry limited supplies. Its existence is officially denied by The Association for Proper Etiquette.

Fingers

In some parts of the world, the exists a third form of eating utensil, distinct from chopsticks and cutlery. It is known as 'the fingers,' and consists of five protrusions which proceed from each hand. Their use is as follows: grip the food with them in a similar manner to chopsticks, then bring to the mouth and, if the piece of food is small, simply place in the mouth. If it is large, close the teeth on it and pull away. A bite-size chunk should be the result. Eating with fingers is generally frowned upon in most of the world, though the more relaxed parts of America and sometimes Europe do not really care one way or the other. As with the spork, the existence of the fingers is officially denied by The Association for Proper Etiquette.

Related Links

Does Chinese food taste better with chopsticks? Find out here