Chopsticks

[tuky]

I have heard many times on TV that Chopsticks are not a Thai thing, ok we all know they are a Chinese thing originally but I have heard that Thais traditionally do not use chopsticks.

My question is, how many of you with a Thai partner use chopsticks to eat?

look in you utensil drawer before answering.

In my family we have one whole drawer dedicated to chopsticks, the next drawer has spoons, forks, a wine bottle opener and one or two steak knifes (I was lucky to get them, nobody understood why I would want a steak knife).

Does your family, and you for that matter use chopsticks daily?

Is it a 'Thai thing'?

I use chopsticks daily, no matter where I am in the world as I find them easier to eat with, perhaps I have to use a knife to cut chopstick friendly sized meats with, but I still use a chopstick to eat with.

How about you?

[sbk]

Chopsticks for noodles only

[Boo]

yep, we have a few pairs but we use them for noodles & noodle soup only.

[tuky]

I have way too many Tabs open, this was meant to be in the general forum...

my bad

[tuky]

Shall I move it there? or not interesting enough?

[sbk]

Go for it. And here I thought you were really interested in my personal preference

[meadish_sweetball]

The question can be answered just like SBK though.

They're used for noodles, Chinese and Japanese food. Since noodles and many Chinese dishes have been incorporated with Thai cuisine, Thais do use them, but not for other things.

[Tywais]

Yep, we have a whole bunch of them. Never with sohm tahm though. The way my wife makes it, probably would dissolve the wood. Noodles and whenever they set up a MK style dinner, sukiyaki and charcoaled bits of meat they use them. Have to keep telling them to take the charcoal burner outside. But then my wife is Chinese-Thai.

Regarding traditionally, most outside food stalls in Chiangmai and even Bangkok have chop sticks available. Seems to me to be quite ubiquitous.

[tuky]

Ok, moved to the general forum.

[Jingthing]

It's funny in the US to see Americans demand chopsticks at Thai restaurants (not for noodles) and complain that if they don't have them, it isn't "authentic." Of course these are the same folks who stare at me for eating the stuff with fork into spoon.

[GuestHouse]

Only for noodles and Suchi - Never in a hair do.

[Prakanong]

The Ex used them for Noodles with Thai food and for Chinese with whatever.

I use them in Singapore if I have to but not at home - fork and spoon

[donna]

im far too lazy for that. only used for noodle soup at a stall, and i dont have any at home at all.

[Crossy]

We have a full complement of chopsticks, bamboo, plastic and steel (Korean).

I eat with whatever the restaurant or my wife gives me, can't get it too wrong then

[tuky]

Crossy, the Korean ones are hard to use yeah?

They are flat.

If you can use a Korean chopstick you can use any chopstick (luckily, after several years in Korea I have mastered the art).

[Crossy]

Crossy, the Korean ones are hard to use yeah?

They are flat.

If you can use a Korean chopstick you can use any chopstick (luckily, after several years in Korea I have mastered the art).

They also get bloody hot picking up the tender morsels from the kalbi barbecue, ouchie!!!

Mmmmm, kalbi, bulgogi, budae chigae Darn, thinking about all that delicious Korean food is making me hungry, wonder if there are any decent Korean reastaurants in Bangalore?

Edited December 11, 2007 by Crossy

[TokyoT]

We have some but for my use not the wife. The wife does not even use them for noodles. I use them for just about anything except sandwiches and pizza.

Kind of funny when we visit the in-laws upcountry; House full of Thai folks eating with forks and spoons, with one Farang eating with chopsticks.

I have found it just as easy if not easier to eat pretty much anything with chopsticks as apposed to fork/spoon/knife.

Steak – cube-cut prior to cooking/ cook on high heat/ sear the exposed sides/ ready to eat. (actually the cubing/ cutting of meats prior to cooking seems to hold true for most meats we eat).

Spaghetti/ pasta in general– same/ same noodles – no problem using chopsticks.

Lasagna – easy to cut/eat with chopstick (depending on the gooiness of the cheese)

Cottage pies, Cornish pastry, buble and squeak, baked potatoes – no problem using chopsticks.

Mashed potatoes, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, beans (baked, green, lima, or others), peas, all easy peasy with chopsticks.

Scrambled eggs, fried eggs (OK, I generally cheat a bit with fried eggs. After cooking I cut the fried eggs up into tiny pieces using a fork before then eating with chopsticks. This is mainly because with fried eggs I like to practially mince the eggs into tiny pieces (to get a good mix of white/yoke) and not just cut them into bit sized pieces - which I could easily accomplish with chopsticks) - OK so maybe I am a bit of a freak.

This past Thanksgiving - table full of Thais eating a fairly traditional American Thanksgiving meal with fork and spoons, and one Farang useing chopsticks.

[TokyoT]

...the Korean ones are hard to use yeah?

I actually find the Korean type easier to use for some foods – tend to be more flat/ less rounded (easier to "pinch" food, and easier to get one of them under a piece of meat sitting on a flat plate/ or to fold pieces of meat with), and longer (better leverage).

[soundman]

In my family we have one whole drawer dedicated to chopsticks, the next drawer has spoons, forks, a wine bottle opener and one or two steak knifes (I was lucky to get them, nobody understood why I would want a steak knife).

I understand....

Chopsticks for noodles & chinese dinners in our house.

PS Tuky - You posted this in mods by accident didn't ya!

[jellymeister]

Hate to see you guys eat sushi.....

Chopsticks for noodles only

[uptou]

A few years ago i never could understand why anyone would want to use chopsticks for eating (even noodles) when the good old fork & spoon are perfect for shoveling it down you.Now though i understand them,i am at one with them grasshopper . I tend to taste the food,& appreciate it more with chopsticks,rather than shovel it down.The chopsticks i dont like are the polished plastic ones.I keep dropping my luchin with those.It has to be the good old bamboo or wood models.

I'm still having trouble with the soup though.

[ade100]

I love to use chopsticks. They have a sense of elegance. My Thai GF is rubbish with them. I keep telling her she should learn to use them so as to integrate better into Asian culture (She appreciates my sense of irony :-))

[tgeezer]

I have heard many times on TV that Chopsticks are not a Thai thing, ok we all know they are a Chinese thing originally but I have heard that Thais traditionally do not use chopsticks.

My question is, how many of you with a Thai partner use chopsticks to eat?

look in you utensil drawer before answering.

In my family we have one whole drawer dedicated to chopsticks, the next drawer has spoons, forks, a wine bottle opener and one or two steak knifes (I was lucky to get them, nobody understood why I would want a steak knife).

Does your family, and you for that matter use chopsticks daily?

Is it a 'Thai thing'?

I use chopsticks daily, no matter where I am in the world as I find them easier to eat with, perhaps I have to use a knife to cut chopstick friendly sized meats with, but I still use a chopstick to eat with.

How about you?

We have so many chopsticks that I bought a laquered box to put the nice ones in which never see the light of day, regular use seems to be the bamboo ones. They are very useful for impaling sweetcorn requiring only one stick and you can munch away with no fear of it revolving or falling off. I now have a use for one of the many I have in UK and am glad that I did not buy those prissy little sweetcorn skewers.

[tuky]

In my family we have one whole drawer dedicated to chopsticks, the next drawer has spoons, forks, a wine bottle opener and one or two steak knifes (I was lucky to get them, nobody understood why I would want a steak knife).

I understand....

Chopsticks for noodles & chinese dinners in our house.

PS Tuky - You posted this in mods by accident didn't ya!

Yeah, I am a <deleted> idiot but you knew that already

I read once that it actuallytakes 15 minutes after eating to realise you are full, so those that eat with knife/spoon and fork eat too quickly, but eating with chopsticks takes a little longer causing you to eat less, hence staying in better shape...Obese people of the world take note

[WaiWai]

Enjoy using chopsticks for all the reasons others have given. Remarkably versatile instruments, once you get the hang of them - and not just for eating.

Indeed, we could do a thread, "100 uses for chopsticks".

Avoid the disposable ones, though (not eco friendly).

May I ask, what is a "MK dinner" ?

[Jingthing]

I like the chopsticks method for eating rice only the Chinese way. Put the rice in a rice bowl and hold it up shoveling the food in your mouth.

[mrbojangles]

Never with sohm tahm though. The way my wife makes it, probably would dissolve the wood.

I know what ya mean

only used for noodle soup at a stall,

Take care though. The wooden one's retain bacteria in the grain, so if not washed thoroughly, leave a clear route to the toilet

My Mrs has loads of chopsticks in the drawer but only uses them, as others have said, for noodles. And she uses these spoons. Are these originally from China, also?

[Maestro]

I like the chopsticks method for eating rice only the Chinese way. Put the rice in a rice bowl and hold it up shoveling the food in your mouth.

I beg your pardon. I don’t shovel. Pick it up with the chopsticks and convey it to your mouth, that’s the elegant way to do it.

--

Maestro

[Jingthing]

Watch Chinese people at a Chinese restaurant. They shovel the rice and slurp the noodles. Nothing wrong with it it either. Elegant schmelagant ...

[WaiWai]

I like the chopsticks method for eating rice only the Chinese way. Put the rice in a rice bowl and hold it up shoveling the food in your mouth.

I beg your pardon. I don’t shovel. Pick it up with the chopsticks and convey it to your mouth, that’s the elegant way to do it.

--

Maestro

But not the way the vast majority of Chinese do it !And how fast can *you* down a bowl of noodles ?

Can't see the spoon picture above, but think I know the type and would guess it's Chinese.

I suppose Thais went from eating by hand to Western implements ? Anyone know ?