[Wooleybooger]

Do you use chopsticks on occasion? I do and use them when the mood strikes or when we have Asian takeout or Asian at a restaurant. I used them long before I spent several years working with Koreans and they often complimented me on my skill with them, not as good as they but acceptable. I have 3 "types" Bamboo, Palm wood, and a set of Titanium "hotel" chopsticks with case.

Bamboo Palmwood

Titanium w/case

I saw several different was to hold them while I work with Asians. I learned this way.

I prefer a pointed chopstick as shown in the last photo but managed to not miss any rice with the more blunt sticks. My go to chopsticks are the bamboo and palmwood pairs. I find the titanium pair a bit to slick for my skill level, rice is hard for me to eat with them.

 

[Colbyt]

When younger I tried and could fumble along with them. I doubt these old fingers and chopsticks would work very well now and would be about the same as trying to use my thumbs for texting.

If I had Friends who invited me over for dinner and that was their tool of choice I would try. If I am paying, as in at a restaurant, for it they can give me a fork.

 

[PickyPrincess]

I'm left-handed and couldn't find anyone to teach me how to use them properly when young (before the internet and videos on how to do anything and everything), but I don't have much call to use them either.

These are left-handed trainers (on Amazon, of course), so I suppose I could learn if I wanted to...

 

[Shane R]

We went to a surprisingly upscale Japanese restaurant a couple of weeks ago. (Definitely didn't expect that in a strip mall with Big Lots and Hobby Lobby.) All they had was chopsticks and soup spoons. They gave my kids trainers but left me to figure it out. And I finally did after many years.

 

[Wooleybooger]

I'm left-handed and couldn't find anyone to teach me how to use them properly when young (before the internet and videos on how to do anything and everything), but I don't have much call to use them either.

These are left-handed trainers (on Amazon, of course), so I suppose I could learn if I wanted to...

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We went to a surprisingly upscale Japanese restaurant a couple of weeks ago. (Definitely didn't expect that in a strip mall with Big Lots and Hobby Lobby.) All they had was chopsticks and soup spoons. They gave my kids trainers but left me to figure it out. And I finally did after many years.

The hold is the same regardless of which hand is used IMO. The trick for me is keeping them parallel with larger pieces such as sliced hard boiled eggs or pickled daikon. If not parallel or you don't pick such stuff up by the narrow dimension it can fall or go flying.
I've even got a few pair of 16" long cooking chopsticks.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

We went to a surprisingly upscale Japanese restaurant a couple of weeks ago. (Definitely didn't expect that in a strip mall with Big Lots and Hobby Lobby.) All they had was chopsticks and soup spoons. They gave my kids trainers but left me to figure it out. And I finally did after many years.

Yup, you learn or you starve 😉 (and no, fingers are not an alternative )

 

[Roll_Bones]

I wish I knew how to use them.

 

[Wooleybooger]

I wish I knew how to use them.

Get some. Bamboo sticks are cheap. Practice, you'll learn faster than you think.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

And it's fun too. Everyone will start laughing at each other till they get the hang of it. Throw in some saki or whatever and now you've got a party going 😁

 

[Steve-o]

Everyone will start laughing at each other till they get the hang of it. Throw in some saki or whatever and now you've got a party going 😁

Enough sake, though, and chopstick usability may go down the tubes. 😀

I learned how to use chopsticks as a kid, so I don't remember ever having a problem with them. I don't prefer the metal ones; it's a textural thing. Bamboo or whatever those takeout ones are; those are fine. The kawaii plastic Japanese ones are fine if a little more slippery. Pointed, blunt; doesn't matter. I've cooked with them but don't have a pair of longer ones, so I tend not to use them for that.

We have some in the house for serving some Asian dishes. I mostly haul them out for myself when I'm making "faux pho". Otherwise not too much in the way of rice or noodles served here.

 

[Colbyt]

Sake is about as nasty a shine. I really don't care for either. Of course with the Sake I just grimaced. With the shine I was rolling in the floor laughing.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Sake is about as nasty a shine. I really don't care for either. Of course with the Sake I just grimaced. With the shine I was rolling in the floor laughing.

We can get some very good shine around here. Not commercial but made in an illegal still. One guy flavors it with peach. Its crystal clear. I think he passes it through a very fine filter under pressure.
It is much smoother than you would expect. And its very strong.
Even my wife likes it. $20 a quart.

 

[Old Gnome]

I taught myself how to use chopsticks 40 years ago or more. I enjoy using them, but it’s been getting harder the past few years with the advancing arthritis in my hands.

Sake is about as nasty a shine. I really don't care for either. Of course with the Sake I just grimaced. With the shine I was rolling in the floor laughing.

I discovered there are - or seem to be - more different kinds of sake than whisky/whiskey. Some sakes are drier, some are almost oily, some are sweet and reminiscent of white wine. I learned this when I had a flight of four sakes at a Japanese restaurant a few years ago. Most I liked, one I didn’t (the oily one).

 

[Wooleybooger]

I only drank saki once. As I recall it was sweet and good and I had a hail of a hangover the next day.

 

[Shane R]

When I was living in SC my parents brought my granny with them to visit me. This was several years before I had kids. Anyhow, we all went to this hibachi grill where they did the whole cook in front of you show. Granny is a hillbilly from KY and can probably count on one hand the number of times she has gone to an 'ethnic' restaurant. I don't remember whose idea it was to go to the place - not mine because I wasn't that fond of it - but my parents were on board with my ex-wife on this decision.

Granny was thoroughly unimpressed with the whole concept of a hibachi grill. She sat there bitching as the guy cooked but she about lost it when he flicked a shrimp over to someone with his spatula. Then he shot sake straight into someone's mouth and we started to get worried. Granny has never drank anything harder than cough syrup and she would have flipped out. We were all secretly praying he didn't try to shoot some sake to her. I think he had noticed she was not into the experience and cooked her order with no fanfare.

 

[Colbyt]

I taught myself how to use chopsticks 40 years ago or more. I enjoy using them, but it’s been getting harder the past few years with the advancing arthritis in my hands.

I discovered there are - or seem to be - more different kinds of sake than whisky/whiskey. Some sakes are drier, some are almost oily, some are sweet and reminiscent of white wine. I learned this when I had a flight of four sakes at a Japanese restaurant a few years ago. Most I liked, one I didn’t (the oily one).

I've only tried it once as it was a gift and the label unreadable to me. When our son was an short term exchange student I wrapped and sent a small bottle of Maker's Mark to the host parent and got this one as a return gift. I assume it was a 'good' one.