How to hold sushi chopsticks correctly: features of Japanese etiquette (1 photo + 2 videos)

Chinese chopsticks are a traditional Asian cutlery. They are used not only by residents of the East, but also by fans of Asian cuisine. Despite their popularity, not everyone knows how to hold Chinese chopsticks correctly. Some ask the waiters for a more familiar European device - a fork. Most agree that rolls, sushi and other East Asian dishes should be eaten exclusively with Chinese chopsticks. It is for those who like to learn something new and interesting that we have prepared a step-by-step lesson on how to properly use chopsticks.

What you need to know to make it work

• Chopsticks are a precise and reliable tool; you can use them to take either one grain of rice or a whole ear of corn, you just need to practice. It’s more convenient to start with medium-sized pieces; a good option is a slice of cheese. It's easiest to grab food when the chopsticks are at a 45-degree angle to the table.
• One of the sticks is always motionless: this is the base to which the second element, movable, presses the food.
• Don't hold the sticks too close to the base. It is better that only their upper third is visible above the palm. This way you will be able to grab even large pieces, and your hands will be at a greater distance from the food.
• Before use, lightly tap the ends of the chopsticks on the table or palm so that they are exactly at the same level.
• If the lower or upper ends cross, it means something is wrong and you should look for a better position for the device in your hand.

Preparation for use

Before answering the question of how to properly use sushi chopsticks according to the rules of etiquette, you should dwell on the preparation process and the general characteristics of the device. The entire variety of these products can be divided into two groups:

1. Disposable chopsticks - used when serving food in Asian restaurants and food delivery services. They are most often made of wood or plastic, packaged in individual paper wrapping and used once. In this case, re-processing is not provided. Use of the device requires further disposal.
2. Reusable - made of metal, bone, or maybe wood, plastic, but of higher quality than disposable ones. The most common materials are cypress, maple, sandalwood or silver. In most cases, the devices have a mother-of-pearl coating, which allows them to be washed many times, dried and used in the future. As a rule, the use of reusable forms is simpler and more affordable.

Reusable

Disposable

In Russia, one-time variations are most often used, so it’s worth dwelling on them in more detail. In order to understand that the device has not previously been used by another person, you need to pay attention to the packaging. This is a paper or plastic envelope made to resemble sticks, that is, narrow and long. Often the logo of a company or restaurant is indicated on it; bamboo may be depicted.

If the packaging is damaged, open, dented, has external flaws, or is missing altogether, this may indicate that the device is being reused in order to save money.

Eating with Japanese chopsticks is not so easy, but if you understand the algorithm of actions and practice well, the process will not cause any trouble. You need to start by removing the wrapper. It tears at the base perpendicular to the packaging, that is, a small edge is torn off - so that the sticks can be taken out. Then you need to carefully remove the kit. For disposable devices, two sticks are fastened at the base. For ease of eating rolls and sushi, you need to split them. To do this, the sticks are carefully pulled in different directions. Only after completing all the preparatory steps can you correctly take the device and begin the eating ceremony.

When choosing disposable chopsticks, you should pay attention to the packaging - it should not be damaged

How to eat with chopsticks the classic way

Relax your hand.
Place one stick on the nail phalanx of the ring finger and press with the base of the thumb. Frame: LeesRandomVids/YouTube

Place the second stick in your hand as you would normally hold a pencil. Straighten your thumb and move it to find the most comfortable position. All people hold chopsticks slightly differently.

Frame: LeesRandomVids/YouTube

Try moving the second stick. To lower it, press slightly with your index finger. To pick it up, push it up with your middle finger. The thumb and first stick remain motionless.

Frame: LeesRandomVids/YouTube

This video will help you master this technique of eating with chopsticks:

What is the difference between sushi and rolls?

To figure out what the differences are, you just need to understand the definitions of the dishes. So, they distinguish:

1. Sashimi is the simplest dish in the review, presented in the form of thinly sliced ​​oblong pieces of seafood or fish. It does not contain any additives or additional ingredients. Once upon a time, the word “sashimi” was used to refer to preparations made from fish. In this case, rice served as a preservative, which was not subsequently eaten. Years passed, and fish began to be cooked without the use of rice. For preparation, only fresh product is used, which is stored at a temperature of -50 degrees, otherwise there is a high risk of infection. The most common type of cutting: the thickness of the piece should be 0.5-1 cm and the length 5 cm.

how to eat sushi correctly

1. Sushi (or as they are also called “sushi”) is a cooked rice cake, on top of which a piece of fish or seafood is placed. At times, a sheet of nori seaweed is used for better bonding. Various seasonings and additives are added to sushi to enhance the taste. This is a fairly ancient dish of Japanese cuisine and has many subspecies. Sushi is a traditional dish due to the fact that fish and rice, from which sushi is made, are the most affordable products in this region.

how to learn to eat classic sushi

1. Rolls are a relatively new American version of sushi. They have a cylindrical shape and are a rice roll, inside of which there is a filling. The word “rolls” came to oriental cuisine from the English language, translated as “to roll.” Rolls give a lot of room for imagination. They can be made cold, hot, with vegetables, fish and even meat. Often the outer layer of the roll is filled with rice, which is wrapped in fish or eel for added flavor.

sushi rolls as eaten with chopsticks

As you can see, sushi and rolls are not the same thing at all. They even differ in appearance, as you can see. In an international chain, a popular dish can be inexpensively ordered in a store or bar and delivered to your home or office. Many establishments deliver for free or offer big discounts.

How to eat with chopsticks in an alternative way

Take one stick with your thumb and forefinger.

Frame: For Us Foodies / YouTube

Without changing the position of the first stick, place the second one in your hand, as shown in the photo, and press with the base of your thumb.

Frame: For Us Foodies / YouTube

Fix the second stick with the tip of your middle finger, find the most comfortable position for you.

Frame: For Us Foodies / YouTube

Relax your hand and try, bending and unbending your index finger, to move the upper stick. The bottom one should remain motionless.

This technique of using chopsticks is shown in more detail in the video:

So the same, but so different

Chinese chopsticks are not only plastic and bamboo, but also metal, bone and even silver and jade. The latter were used only by emperors and high-ranking nobles. In general, chopsticks have long been a device exclusively for the rich, but now they are part of the national culture of several countries. The Japanese teach their children to hold wooden chopsticks very early, literally from the age of one. This training is useful for fine motor skills and stimulates brain activity.

In China, sticks are commonly called kuaizi, which translates to bamboo. In Japan, this device has another name - hashi. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire quickly mastered the sticks and perfected its appearance by varnishing it and decorating it with carved patterns. Japanese hashi is used for the tea ceremony, for sweets and even for the New Year. Koreans call chopsticks chokkorak and are most often made from stainless steel and various types of wood.

How to behave at an Asian table

Michael Leininger, an American etiquette specialist at China Dining Etiquette and author of the book “Etiquette Basics,” gives the following advice:

• Everywhere except Korea, it is allowed to bring a bowl of soup or rice closer to your mouth to make eating more convenient. This trick won't work with plates.
• Chopsticks are also served with soup: first, the solid ingredients of the dish are eaten with them, and then the broth is drunk or eaten with a spoon.
• With rare exceptions, eating with your hands is not allowed. If a large piece of food cannot be divided into smaller pieces (for example, a duck leg), then you need to carefully bring it to your mouth and bite it off.
• But classic sushi is the very exception: the pieces are usually taken by hand and only the fish is immersed in the sauce, the rice remains clean.
• It is believed that you should not take food from a shared plate with your chopsticks. But if there are no additional utensils next to it, simply turn the sticks over and take a piece with the thick ends.
• The owner of the house is the first to pick up the chopsticks at the table.

Excursion into the centuries

According to an ancient Eastern legend, the prototype of this cutlery was created in the 23rd-22nd centuries BC. An emperor named Yu the Great, who lived in those days, often traveled around the country. He checked the condition of the banks, which were constantly being washed away by the river. One day he was very hungry, and the broth in which the meat was cooked was unbearably hot. The emperor, without thinking twice, plucked a twig from a nearby tree, broke it into two parts, and, using the resulting wooden sticks, took his lunch out of the cauldron.

It’s hard to say whether the ancient legend is true or not, but one thing is clear: this cutlery, unusual for a European, appeared a very long time ago. Even millennia have not found anything to change in the appearance of Chinese chopsticks, thereby proving their perfection and versatility. In Asia, this device is used not only for eating food, but also for preparing it.

What not to do

• Do not leave chopsticks sticking out of the cup or sticking them into food.
• Do not cross your wands, this is considered a bad omen.
• Do not pierce food with them, except for those moments when you need to separate one piece from another.
• Do not move plates with chopsticks on the table.
• Do not point the device at people or at the food you are asking to pass from the other end of the table.
• Don't pass food from one person to another with chopsticks: this is reminiscent of a Japanese funeral tradition.

What types of sushi are there?

The origin of such a dish as sushi originates in South Asia. The history of the food dates back more than 1300 years. Of course, during this time many different species arose, which will be briefly discussed below.

Nigiri sushi

Nigirizushi - the second name is a lump of rice on which lies a piece of fish or seafood. Additionally, this entire structure is tied with a thin strip of nori. It is noteworthy that this dish is eaten with hands, and not with chopsticks - a traditional Japanese utensil. You can make them very quickly using your hands. So, a piece of rice is formed in the palm, and a small recess is created on top for the wasabi. Top the rice with a piece of filling and you're done.

Nigiri sushi

Gunkan-maki

Gunkan (another name) have an oval shape, filling on top and framed with a strip of nori along the entire perimeter. Most often the filling is rice with flying fish roe. They are also called “ships” - translation from Japanese. The most common sushi is salmon caviar, as well as tobiko and masago. Often they use special wasabiko caviar (tobiko + wasabi powder), which has a characteristic pungent taste.

gunkan sushi

Oshizushi

This is the name for pressed sushi, which is served in the form of cute bars. They are made using a special wooden device - an osi-bako. The filling and rice are laid out on this device in layers, then the ingredients are pressed and cut into pieces. Oshizushi with eel is considered especially valuable due to its exceptional taste. These sushi can be called the most ancient. Once upon a time in Japan there was a method of storing fish in which it was layered with rice and salt and lay under pressure - this is where this type came from.

Oshizushi

Inari sushi

Inarizushi is sushi that uses tofu bags as a filling mold instead of sheets of dried nori. They are filled with rice and other fillings (like green beans and gobo). In general, this type is perceived as fast food (like pizza in our country). Nowadays they produce special molds for this type of sushi, so you can prepare inarizushi yourself. To do this, a pre-purchased bag needs to be deep-fried in a frying pan. Next you should add the filling, which consists of rice and your favorite seafood.

Inari sushi

Chirashi-zushi

It is an unusual type of traditional sushi. Chirashizushi is a bowl of rice with toppings scattered on top. They are also called barazushi. They are prepared using a roll mat. The dish is complemented with pieces of tofu, sesame seeds, pickled ginger, soy sauce and placed on a plate. Chirashizushi differs from region to region. In the standard Tokyo version of the dish, small pieces of seafood are simply laid out on rice, while in the Osaka version, the rice is mixed with other ingredients. For chirashi-zushi, you can also use finely chopped thin omelette or chopped and spiced mushrooms.

Chirashi-zushi

Why is ginger needed?

Ginger is a pickled root. The healing power of ginger can be explained by the unique combination of beneficial components included in its composition.

Ginger has the following properties:

1. Normalization of metabolic processes.
2. Normalization of fatty acid synthesis and breakdown of complex lipids.
3. Natural laxative effect (it does not injure the intestines).
4. Improving food digestion and absorption of nutrients.
5. Improving the condition of the gums and teeth (only with long-term and correct use).
6. Analgesic effect (can relieve headaches and ease muscle spasms).
7. It has a calming effect on the nervous system (even chronic stress and insomnia can be overcome).
8. Maintaining the heart muscle and its oxygen saturation.

But why is it served with sushi? The burning, fresh taste that lingers in your mouth after a few slices of ginger helps your taste buds clear the taste of the previous roll and fully experience the taste of the next one. Despite its pungency, ginger has a fairly unobtrusive taste and quickly disappears. Therefore, it is better to eat ginger between meals of sushi, and not with them, otherwise it will interrupt the taste.

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One of my favorite moments in life is going to a Japanese restaurant.

I love Japanese dishes, but I don’t spoil myself often, so as not to get tired of the charm of the small culinary masterpieces of Asian cuisine. What do you need to visit a Japanese restaurant? Money, mood and ability to hold sticks.

I think of the three points, the question can only arise about how to hold chopsticks for sushi and rolls.

But first

A little history...

Chopsticks
(hashi) are a pair of small chopsticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia.
The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. In Thailand, with the introduction of European cutlery into circulation in the 19th century by King Rama V, only noodles or soups are eaten with chopsticks

Hashi came to Japan from China in the 12th century and was made from bamboo. The current separate form of chopsticks appeared in Japan during the Asuka period (593 - 710). By this time, their use had not yet become widespread. It was believed that immortal gods and emperors eat with chopsticks. According to Chinese chronicles, at that time only the imperial court and the Japanese aristocracy used hashi , and commoners still ate with their hands. It was only by the Nara period that ordinary people also began to eat with chopsticks.

Since then, chopsticks for the Japanese are not only an everyday personal item (it is not customary to share them with others), but also a sacred symbol (the Japanese respectfully call them o-hashi)

. According to legend, they bring good luck and long life to the owner, so it is not surprising that Khasi are considered a good holiday gift. For example, hashi is presented to newlyweds, implying the desire to be as inseparable as a pair of sticks. They are given to a baby on the 100th day of his birth, when, during the “First Chopsticks” ceremony, adults give him the first taste of rice using chopsticks. They also make gift sets of chopsticks for the whole family.

There are many types of hashi sticks: for regular food, for culinary purposes, for cakes and desserts. In addition, there are hashi for the New Year, the tea ceremony, and for sweets. Modern khasis are made of bone, wood (bamboo, pine, cypress, plum, maple, black or purple sandalwood), and the material for them can also be silver, iron and aluminum. Recently, plastic has been used a lot. Occasionally there are sticks made of such exotic materials as ivory or deer antler, but this is rather an exception. Metal chopsticks are used primarily for cooking and not as cutlery.

In Japan, one of the advantages of chopsticks over European cutlery is that “you don’t have to scratch your teeth with the pieces of iron.” Therefore, even catering establishments do not serve practical and durable metal chopsticks. Instead, they use disposable warbashi , which are made from a single, relatively roughly processed piece of wood, sawn lengthwise a little short of the end - a sign that no one has used the chopsticks, so they need to be broken before use. By the way, now most restaurants serve waribashi sticks made of plastic. They are intended for one-time consumption and are served with the dish in a sterile, sealed paper envelope ( hashi bukuro ), which often turns out to be a real decoration and collectible. It can be painted with fancy designs, or it can contain a restaurant logo. This is much more hygienic than using reusable European cutlery.

There are many variations in shapes and sizes of reusable chopsticks ( nuribashi ), which sometimes represent a real work of art: they are painted, varnished, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and decorated with various patterns. , round or square in cross-section with a conical or pyramidal point. The appearance of the sticks is quite varied: their cross-section can be round, oval, square, or with rounded corners. They come in pyramidal shapes, with thick or thin ends, flat...

Usually hashi is placed across in front of the device, horizontally. But, as a rule, in Japan there are special stands for chopsticks - hasioki. This name is formed by adding the verbal noun oki from the verb oku - put, leave.

The chopsticks should be placed on the hasioki with their thin ends, so that they point to the left. If there is no hashioka on the table, the hashi can be placed nearby on the edge of the plate or on the table. Hasioki appeared in ancient times, when during ritual sacrifices, sticks intended for the gods were laid out on special stands so as not to desecrate them. Hasioki are made from ceramics, wood and bamboo and are often of artistic value. Japanese chopstick stands are a collector's item in the West.

Choosing sticks

Use the sticks that suit you best. Just as each person needs his own clothing size, it is also better to choose the size and shape of Khasi individually.

Previously, chopstick length was calculated based on the average height and palm size of men and women during the Edo period (1603 - 1867). Now people have become somewhat larger than then, and, accordingly, the standard sizes of hashi . How to choose sticks of your size? Their usual length is one and a half times longer than the chitoate - the length of the imaginary hypotenuse formed when you put your thumb and index finger at a right angle. The same value is used when determining where to take the sticks with your hand: for this, the distance of the chitoat is counted from the thin ends.

Instructions for use

Currently, about a third of the world's population uses chopsticks: residents of China, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, where sticky rice is traditionally the main food. Chopsticks are quite difficult to master, but for those who have learned to master them perfectly, they are a convenient and versatile cutlery. The peculiarities of working with chopsticks determined the method of preparing Japanese dishes, served mainly in the form of small individual pieces, which you just need to pick up and put in your mouth.

Think of the chopsticks as a pair of tongs, made up of two different parts. One stick is held motionless, and the second one moves. Use chopsticks like this:

So..

And the main rule is not to strain your hand and fingers. Try to use the chopsticks freely - one stick should be motionless, and the other should move freely.

In practice it looks something like this :o)

Chinese/Japanese chopsticks for beginners and children

And for clarity, you can watch these videos

Of course, until you once try to hold the chopsticks in your hands, no instruction will teach you this. So practice eating with hashi chopsticks at home first. And if you don’t have chopsticks, pick up pencils and go ahead and explore Eastern culture.

Etiquette

Chopsticks have become an integral part of Japanese culture and history; their use is surrounded by a lot of conventions and ceremonies. Countless rules and good table manners in Japan cluster around chopsticks.

Chopsticks are only used to pick up food and put it in your mouth or on your plate. Any other manipulation with chopsticks may be considered inconsistent with etiquette. Etiquette related to chopsticks has its own characteristics in different countries. The general part of the rules generally looks like this:

- Do not knock on the table, plate or other objects with chopsticks to call the waiter - Do not draw on the table with chopsticks, do not wander aimlessly around the food with chopsticks. Before reaching for food with your chopsticks, select a piece (this taboo behavior is called "mayoibashi") - Always take food from the top, do not pick around the bowl with your chopsticks in search of the best piece. If you touch food, eat. (“saguribashi”) - When picking up food with chopsticks, your palms should always face down. Turning your hand over with your wrist and palm facing up is considered uncivil. — Do not stick food on chopsticks (“sashibashi”) — Do not shake the chopsticks to cool the piece — Do not put your face in the bowl or bring it too close to your mouth and then use the chopsticks to push the food into your mouth — Do not compact the food brought to your mouth mouth using chopsticks. — Try not to drip sauce from your chopsticks or food. - Don't lick the chopsticks. Do not just keep chopsticks in your mouth - When not using chopsticks, place them with the sharp ends to the left - Never pass food with chopsticks to another person. (“futaribashi”) into a plate or into someone else’s chopsticks. This gesture is used for close relatives to transfer the bones of the deceased into an urn after cremation, and is taboo in all other cases. And in Chinese etiquette, unlike the Japanese tradition, it is quite acceptable to pass food to loved ones (children, parents, relatives) with chopsticks if it is difficult or inconvenient for them to take the food themselves. In relation to elders, it is considered a sign of respect to pass food to them first, even before the meal begins (which corresponds to the Confucian tradition of respecting elders).

- Never point or wave your chopsticks in the air - Do not use your chopsticks to pull the plate towards you. Always pick it up. (“yosebashi”) - Place your chopsticks on the table before asking for more rice - Do not clasp two chopsticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening

— Never stick your chopsticks upside down into the rice. This is how they place it on the altar (including at home) during a memorial service. If you stick chopsticks in like this while eating, the Japanese become gloomy - according to legend, this means that someone will soon die... (“tatebashi”) - Do not place chopsticks across the cup. After you have finished eating, put the chopsticks on the stand. But in a Chinese restaurant, on the contrary, after finishing the meal, the chopsticks should be placed across the bowl, with the ends to the left - this is a sign that the meal is completed and no additional food is required.

— It’s not easy to use hashi if you’re not used to it, so to avoid inconvenience, don’t hesitate to ask the waiter to show you how to use chopsticks correctly, and if it’s really difficult, bring more familiar utensils — a fork or a spoon.

But remember that you cannot eat sushi with a knife; by doing this you show the owner that the prepared dish is tough and it is impossible to do without a knife.

— Or at a restaurant you can simply ask for training sticks. Such sticks are connected, and between them there is something like a spring. So these are more tongs than sticks. But they are very convenient to operate.

— Knife and fork are used only for Western food. Spoons are sometimes used for Japanese dishes that are difficult to eat with chopsticks, such as Japanese curry rice. For soups, a Chinese-style ceramic spoon is used.

Interesting Facts:

It is believed that chopsticks train small muscles that develop mental abilities, which is why in Japan people are taught to handle hashi from an early age. Japanese scientists consider instilling in children a desire to master chopsticks an important and relevant task for their country. Confirmation of the effectiveness of “exercises” with chopsticks is the statement of researchers that children who began to eat with the help of hasi immediately after they turned one year are ahead in development of their peers who were unable to part with spoons.

Many Asian chip manufacturers, when hiring personnel to the factory, conduct a motor coordination test: you need to quickly assemble small beads with chopsticks.

By the way, in Japan, dishes (bowls for rice, soup, plates for other food) and serving items are divided into “male” and “female”. Sticks are no exception.

In China, chopsticks are called kuaizi.

. Kuaizi are square at the base so that they do not roll on the table. Their length is approximately 25 cm, and kitchen ones, usually bamboo, are one and a half times longer.

In Korea they eat with thin metal chopsticks. This is a unique custom of its kind - in none of the countries of the Far East where chopsticks are used, they are not made of metal (although chopsticks for cooking can be made of metal). Previously, Korean chopsticks were made of brass, now they are mainly made of stainless steel.

I hope that now you can easily use hashi chopsticks :o)

Based on materials from ru.wikipedia.org, izum.darievna.ru

Sushi during pregnancy

Fish is the most valuable product for women during pregnancy because it contains a large amount of useful substances that are necessary for the normal development and growth of the child. It is important to understand that not all types of fish are healthy and safe. The negative type includes raw fish. Rice is an indispensable product for every person. It contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements. There is no doubt that rice cereal is beneficial during pregnancy.

Why is raw fish strictly prohibited? This is due to a number of reasons, such as:

1. The lack of heat treatment is fraught with the presence of carriers of toxoplasmosis and listeriosis in the fish.
2. You can catch hepatitis A.
3. Parasites can breed in raw fish. The most common among them are worms. Treatment of a parasitic infection in a pregnant woman (and not only) is quite problematic.
4. It also contains too much mercury and other heavy metals in its raw form.
5. Sushi spoils quite quickly and can cause poisoning in the expectant mother.

In Ukraine, the likelihood of raw fish getting into establishments is very low, since only frozen fish are supplied. This means that the cold removed all toxic substances from her. But often the owners of the establishments are lazy and use fish that is not from the sea or not fresh.