Recently, I went to a Chinese restaurant where I saw some parents telling their child to use chopsticks to eat his meal. Although the child didn't look particularly happy about it, he did as he was told because his parents mentioned that it was a skill he needed for the future. They went on to talk about how it was important to become culturally aware and how people should learn to use chopsticks, at least for when they eat Chinese food. To the kid's credit, he was able to use chopsticks pretty well.

Where I live, I don't see as many people that know how to use chopsticks so I was really surprised by what that family said and was doing. As a kid, I was also taught to use forks, spoons, and chopsticks properly, but I don't know why I never really thought about whether others would also have had some similar experiences.

This event made me wonder if anyone else on Vizzed also knows how to use chopsticks. Do you use chopsticks (well), and do you like or dislike them? Also, do you think that what the family was teaching their child is going to be useful to him in the future? I know that when the time comes, I'll be teaching my children how to use chopsticks too, albeit for a different reason than what those parents had in mind. XD (Chopsticks are really handy for picking up stuff that's sometimes hard to reach.) Finally, do you think that knowing how to use chopsticks makes you appear to be more mindful of other cultures?

I am genuinely curious what everyone will say, since I don't really recall seeing (m)any threads about this on Vizzed (I could have just somehow missed them though). Looking forward to your responses!

I actually used to use them very long time ago when I was young. But when I couldn't use the properly. I just went with the standard by using forks and such. Now chopsticks some people can use and grow to get better at using in time. I tried to so many times down along the years. but...it didn't improve for me sadly so I went with what I felt was best and easier for me to use which was fork for noodles and spoon for rice. And I still can't get in my mind how Asian people can use chopsticks to eat rice with I mean I find that incredibly amazing. @.@

I can use chopsticks, but not that well. I do know the proper way to hold them and the 'other ways' to hold them and neither are in my favor. I prefer fork and spoon and knife.

I really wish I could use chopsticks better though.

Yuna1000 : I know how to use them to eat even if I'm not an expert because I taught myself how to do so long ago. Also helped that my older brother was the restaurant manager of a very successful Asian restaurant that was close to my house at the time. I personally vastly prefer fork and knife though because I just find it a lot less finicky.

Do I think it's a useful skill? Not really unless you plan on staying in a country where it's commonly used. Anywhere else you'd probably be lucky to get much use out of it. However it would probably makes you seem more culturally aware at first glance, so there is that.

I've never been able to use chopsticks because I've never had any practice with them. We never really ate out and every Chinese takeout place we went to gave us plastic forks and knives anyway. I don't know that it's a skill that will be important in the future, but I do think it would be cool to learn just because.

As far as being mindful of other cultures, it really depends on the scale. I mean, I know better than to offer a Muslim a bacon biscuit, but when you take it to a whole new level of silliness like "micro aggressions", it's pretty ridiculous.

Chopsticks? Nope, not at all. We used to go to Chinese restaurants quite a bit, but I always used those kiddie ones that all you had to do was press the food with. It's embarrassing, but as a white dude, it was never my priority and I'd never need it in life.

Although, it is kind of degrading when I go out for Chinese with friends and I have to ask the staff for those... Lol.

I've attempted to use chopsticks when eating at Asian restaurants, but my general clumsiness doesn't play in my favor. Maybe it's because I'm too used to the "traditional" instruments.

I'd be open to learn how to use them if eating Asian food was to be common in my life. I don't think it will be the case, but you just never know. 

Chopsticks? Oh, sure, I can use them... If stabbing the meat on the end like a shish kebab counts.
I've fumbled with them time and time again but it seems I'm just not coordinated enough. I'd rather use a fork instead and save myself the embarrassment.

Yuna1000 : I have often wondered how people eat with chopsticks especially when it comes to certain foods like rice but it,s just because I don,t have any practice using them,even when I was a kid I was only taught how to use a knife,fork and spoon although I understand that in some parts of the world people probably use them all the time but down where I live whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant I never see any chopsticks on the tables but I,m sure that if a customer was to request chopsticks they could probably get them

I've used chopsticks before, but I could never use them properly :c. I usually just use forks or spoons xp.

I would like to learn how to use them in the future however because then I'd be more in touch with my Asian side :p.

Nope, I never learned how to use chopsticks, and I will always ask for a fork or whatever when I'm eating at a place that has chopsticks. I physically can't use them because its so darn hard and I simply don't see a reason how using them would be any better.

Don't get me wrong, I'm terrible with them, but I can use them if I have to. I kind of taught myself how to from watching anime so much haha. And people say watching TV rots the brain I've actually learned quite a bit through the tube like this. Like I said, I still kind of fumble with them a bit, but I at least learned how to do it since I always wanted to know

Every so often I'll eat a rice bowl or something with them just for the culture feels lol.

I use chopsticks but not for food. I keep trying but fail. So I use them for crafts and in the garden and to make target training sticks. I would like to learn to use them properly for food one day. I don't think there's such a thing as a useless skill.

I cannot use chopsticks to save my life. Seriously, I've tried so many times and never does it work. I see people using them all the time and I'm like ??????? how does anyone have that much finger coordination? It's fine though since I don't like most meals that you eat with chopsticks anyways.

One of my friends knows how to use them for practically everything though. It's like she has an extra two fingers. Maybe I'll get her to teach me.

I can use them,but I really do not. Give me a knife and fork any day. Although in a bit of a related vein,if you pick up food from the serving tray,use the big end of the chopsticks. That way the food is okay for the next person. And whatever you do,DO NOT stick chopsticks into rice. That is an offering to the dead and very,very frowned upon.

I admit,I am not great with them,but I do goof around with them sometimes.

But for those of us that want to use chopsticks,but really can't there is a solution.

https://www.vat19.com/item/fork-knife-chopsticks

I can also use them fairly well, though not as well as someone who grew up using them. Fat, slippery noodles like udon are probably the hardest, but otherwise it's usually not an issue for me to use chopsticks. I didn't really know anyone who knew how to use chopsticks when I was growing up though. But I majored in Japanese and studied abroad in Japan, so I figured I should learn how to use them. I didn't really have to put much effort into learning though; I just kinda picked them up and was mostly able to use them without much trouble.

To answer your questions... If the kid is from a culture that uses chopsticks, then it'll definitely be worth it for them to learn how to use them early. They'll surely be using them a lot at home, with friends from the same culture, and at restaurants. Even though I'm the only person in my family who can easily eat with chopsticks, I still find that I use them frequently enough for it to be worth knowing how to use them.

And I do think that being able to use chopsticks makes you appear more mindful of other cultures, even though that's kind of dumb, that's just how people's minds work. However, I do think that the novelty and impressiveness of using chopsticks is much less than it used to be since sushi ended up getting so popular outside of Japan. Since it's easy to learn and since so many people can use them these days, it's not quite as much of a "wow! so mindful of foreign cultures!" boost as it used to be.

I haven't used chopsticks since 2013 or something. I can't use them all that well, heh. Like even if I got the chance to, I would stick with using a fork and a spoon. And I get plenty of chances to use chopsticks since there's a cheap Chinese buffet not far from where I live.

I can use chopsticks somewhat effectively, can't eat noodles with them but I can certainly lift some things.

Unfortunately, I do not know how to use chopsticks period. For me, they're too complicated to understand. Whenever I eat Chinese, I just use a fork and spoon.

I've never seen the appeal. Sure someone might be able to use them but what benefit does it provide over forks or spoons? You can't deny no matter how good you are with chopsticks it's always easier to eat with a fork and spoon.

Maybe if you've spent your life eating with them it's fine because it's just as effortless but why would you want to try something that just makes eating harder and provides no other benefits?

I am just unable to understand.