How to hold sushi chopsticks, detailed description and useful recommendations

Japanese cuisine such as rolls and sushi have become widespread over the past 10 years and have gained popularity not only in Asian countries, but throughout the world. The Japanese themselves consume these products exclusively with wooden chopsticks, but the majority of residents of European countries are not trained in this delicate art. It is quite natural that the questions of how to hold sushi chopsticks and eat with them are relevant for many. Since this is a special cutlery, it is not as easy to use as a regular spoon or fork.

Varieties

Chopsticks - kuaizi - are an ancient invention. They originated in China more than three thousand years ago. This happened during the reign of the Chinese Shang Dynasty. The invention belongs to the emperor named Yu. To get a piece of meat from a bubbling pot, he used two broken twigs for this purpose.

Kuaizi came to Japan in the 12th century. At first, sushi sticks were called hashi. They were available only to members of the imperial family. However, after several centuries, Khasi became a household item even in poor families.

Today, not a single meal in the Land of the Rising Sun is complete without them. The Japanese defend their culinary culture not only at home, but also abroad. For example, to achieve the status of a Japanese restaurant, Europeans and Americans need to spend some effort.

There are several types of eating utensils:

Waribashi is a disposable product without too much sophistication. It is an item for personal use that is prohibited from being transferred to another person;
nuribashi are chopsticks that can be used repeatedly. They are very popular among Japanese restaurant lovers;
hasi - there are two types: for cooking and eating. The second is a personal item, like a comb and toothbrush;
clothespin - a device designed for people who either do not want or cannot use ordinary chopsticks. Often such a pair has a connection.

Another type of product is Gong Fai sticks. With their help, food is transferred from a common plate to an individual one. Gong Fai has nuances that only a true Japanese can notice.

Varibasi

Nuribashi

Khasi

History of origin

Chopsticks appeared as cutlery in China even before our era during the reign of the Shang Dynasty, at which time they were given the name kuaizi. They were made from ivory and be used by emperors and their family members. Around the 8th century AD, they began to be used in other Asian countries.

In Japan, sticks called “hashi” were made of bamboo: they looked like tweezers with a narrow trunk that split and folded transversely. Later, separate devices began to be created, which were made from different types of wood, plastic and metal.

Preparing for meals

The Japanese consider chopsticks a sacred symbol that prolongs life. It also brings good luck to its owners. Therefore, an important principle of using hashi is great respect for this shrine of Japanese culture.

Japanese sushi bars and restaurants tend to serve disposable utensils, since reusable ones would conflict with the rule of individual use. Each pair of chopsticks is individually packaged (hashiburuko) with the establishment’s logo. First you need to print the bag, then take out the sticks from it.

The unsplit appearance of the product confirms that it has not been used before. The couple must be separated independently. Wooden chopsticks are thrown into the trash bin after eating.

If you are in a mid-level sushi bar, then it is permissible to do the following technique. Hold the sushi chopsticks between your palms. Rub your palms together. This will clear the product of wooden burrs (the movement is similar to how primitive man made fire).

If the device is sharpened on both sides, it should be used with great care, otherwise there is a risk of injury.

How to choose chopsticks (hashi)

At the learning stage, they use training sticks, which have special devices that simplify the process of using them, but you need to stop in time and switch to regular ones. When purchasing chopsticks (hashi), you must:

choose the optimal length, which is obtained from the distance between the thumb and index finger, set at an angle of 90º, multiplied by one and a half. Chopsticks are changed as the hand grows. Accordingly, the length for men, women and children will be different. There are also other comparative guidelines, for example, for a child, the length of the sticks is selected at the level of the length of the mother’s foot (a strange option) or 15% of the mother’s height - theoretically it is not difficult to calculate.

Optimal material is essential. Sticks must be safe and therefore they are made from such types of wood as: hinoki (cypress obtuse leaf), bamboo. There are also a large number of cute plastic chopsticks for children, but it is better to use natural material. In addition, it is more difficult to eat with plastic chopsticks, as they are slippery.

How to hold it correctly

Everyone can learn how to hold Chinese chopsticks properly. It is important to follow a few simple rules and steps:

The brush should be in a state of relaxation. To fix the device in your hand, bend your little finger and ring finger
Place one stick on the indentation between the thumb and forefinger (the full end of the hashi should protrude 1/3).
Place the narrowed side of the stick on the nail part of the ring finger. Pinch it with your thumb at its base so that it remains motionless.
Move your index finger and thumb. Grab the second stick with them. Hold the sushi and roll device like a writing pen, helping with your thumb.
The little finger should not stick out. Movements are measured and easy.
Connect the sharp sides of the device to each other and separate them. If the cutlery moves freely, without excessive pressure, then it is taken correctly.

Maintain a distance of 15 mm between the tops of the sticks. The lower tips close during the meal. It is not customary for them to knock on the dish.

Table etiquette

The devices are used only with the dominant hand. The first difficulties usually arise when I use soy sauce for rolls or sushi. After this, you need to gently shake the piece of food to remove excess liquid. These drops should fall into the saucepan and not splash across the table.

European appliances are not suitable for Asian dishes. If you use a fork, you can deform the sushi or rolls. It is better to take out the thick stuff from famous ramen, tom yum and udon with chopsticks.

The hand should be relaxed. The grip should be of medium strength, not too strong and not too weak. An excessively strong grip causes the hand to become a fist. Traditionally, in Japan itself, clenching a fist with hashi is unacceptable and in bad form. If the compression, on the contrary, is weakened, the chopsticks may slip out of your fingers along with the food.

Features of training sticks

Almost any restaurant of south-eastern cuisine has special training chopsticks for sushi. They serve as an assistant for those visitors who are beginning to master the intricacies of Japanese cooking. Even children and people who are unable to master exotic cutlery use educational utensils.

Convenient training products are a standard pair of warisabi and a plastic holder. Let's look at how to properly hold sushi chopsticks (training):

Break the glued pair.
Insert each part into the opening of the holder, as close to the fracture zone as possible.
Use the device like tweezers: move it apart and grab a portion.
Then, bending your fingers, put the food into your mouth.

The clamping process is controlled by the middle finger. To get the expected result, you need to practice a little. For example, pick up something small (corn, beans) with a teaching device. After a while, the process of controlling the warisabi will turn into automatic manipulation.

Disposable Breakable Sticks

Disposable chopsticks in a restaurant

In many Japanese restaurants, you can see disposable chopsticks – waribashi – on the tables .

. Made from a single piece of wood or bamboo, the sticks are cut lengthwise so they can be easily broken. Bento from convenience stores always comes with disposable chopsticks, and when you buy instant noodles or ready-to-eat packaged meals, you'll usually be asked, "How many sets of chopsticks do you need?"

Folding sticks with case. The upper part is made of metal, and the lower part is made of varnished wood. (Nihonbo store in Hiroo, Shibuya metropolitan area)

Disposable chopsticks have been known since the Edo period (1603-1868), but their use gives rise to a number of problems - this is the irrational use of forests, and the danger posed by preservatives that could be used to process imported raw materials. Recently, in Japan, construction waste, wood obtained from thinning forests, etc. are increasingly being used to make such sticks. In addition, some people, trying to contribute to environmental protection, carry their own chopsticks, and for convenience carrying, some manufacturers produce folding sticks. They are very compact and good, including as souvenirs.

How to eat sushi correctly

Visitors to Japanese restaurants should not only know how the Japanese hold chopsticks for sushi and rolls. It is important to be able to grab pieces of an exotic dish with them. So, to master this technique, you should use the tips below:

All manipulations are carried out with the upper stick, and the lower one remains motionless.
Turn the portion of sushi slightly to one side.
Grab it with chopsticks so that one touches the rice and the other touches the fish.
To grab a piece of food, you should straighten two fingers: the little finger and the ring finger. The tips of the sticks are directed to the left.
For two seconds, dip a piece of sushi in the sauce, fish side down, and a portion of rolls edge-on.
Pick up the food and eat.
You need to eat a whole piece with chopsticks, without returning the leftovers back to the plate.
Next, you should put a little ginger in your mouth to neutralize the taste of the eaten product before eating the next delicacy.

When preparing Japanese dishes, the solid parts of any product are beaten off, and the bones are removed from the fish. All ready-made dishes are served peeled and chopped. This helps to avoid additional movements at the refectory table.

The amazing mental abilities of the inhabitants of Japan are associated with highly developed hand motor skills, since children are taught to use hashi almost from infancy.

How to pour soy sauce correctly

To ensure that the sauce does not interrupt the taste of the sushi, it is diluted with water. It turns out to be a concentrated solution that adds some piquancy to the dish. Can be diluted with another liquid. Some useful tips:

Pour the sauce in portions; after two days it becomes unfit for consumption.
It should be diluted in a 1:1 ratio with boiled water.
In Japan, it is customary to dilute the sauce with a specially prepared decoction of seaweed. It needs to be boiled for two hours, pour the broth into a separate bowl and cool it. The broth is diluted with the sauce in the same proportion.

There is no need to fill the entire gravy boat - just fill the bottom surface. Only European people dip sushi completely in the sauce, although this almost completely ruins the taste of the sushi.

Selection rules

Many inquisitive gourmets are interested in: what are sushi cutlery made from? Traditionally, chopsticks are made from various materials, these are:

plastic;
wood;
cryptometry (another name for sugi cedar).

Wooden

Plastic
Disposable chopsticks are often made from inexpensive plastic. Such items are usually served in European sushi bars and inexpensive restaurants.

The most popular material is wood. This is due to Japanese philosophy, which is based on the intercourse of man with nature. The most practical type of wood used:

maple;
pine;
boxwood;
cypress;
hornbeam;
plum;
sandalwood

Often, the raw materials for the device are cedar, birch, and juniper, which have antiseptic properties. Bamboo sticks are no less popular. Wood blanks are disinfected with ultraviolet rays.

The raw materials for the production of expensive sticks are exotic raw materials (deer antlers, natural bones), as well as gold, silver and precious stones. It is known that in the 17th century silver dinnerware was created to detect the presence of poison in food. This was the time when mice were used as poison. Upon contact with it, the silver changed color.

It is believed that the first hashi had a length of 38 cm. Today, long utensils (30 cm) are intended for stirring food while it is in the process of cooking. Regular sticks are much shorter: approximately 21–25 cm.

There are options for sticks that can be equated to a work of art. Such devices have a rich decor:

colorful print;
carved ornament;
varnished coating;
mother-of-pearl inserts.
inlay with stones.

When traveling to the Japanese islands, the traveler has the opportunity to purchase real hashi, which is decorated with hieroglyphs. Richly decorated cutlery makes a presentable present. It is given to newlyweds, a loved one, or the hero of the day. To make caring for the product easy, the sticks are coated with varnish or non-toxic dye.

Sticks for rolls and sushi today are designed in a different color palette. Typically, specimens for men are painted in dark colors. Products for the fair sex – in light colors. They often have a beautiful floral print.

Types of sushi chopsticks

Another European stereotype is associated with the idea of types of chopsticks. Many people believe that there are only two or three types of sticks. In fact, there are a huge number of them. They differ in shape, length, and material of manufacture.

At first, sushi sticks were called hashi. They were available only to members of the imperial family.

Below are photos and descriptions of the most common types of sushi chopsticks:

Wooden. In Japan, thin short hashi made of bamboo with a characteristic pattern are very popular. In Chinese cities, cheap disposable kuaizi of medium length are common. Meanwhile, rural residents of the Celestial Empire prefer chopsticks that are significantly longer and thicker than urban ones, which are convenient for removing pieces of meat or fish from a vat in the center of the table with a large family.

Wooden sushi chopsticks.

Plastic. The appearance of plastic in society has significantly reduced the cost of cutlery and crockery. Plastic sticks are divided into heat-resistant and for cold snacks. At the same time, even heat-resistant products are not recommended for use when gripping or stirring too hot dishes.

Plastic sushi chopsticks.

Metal. Made from silver or simple alloys. Metal chokkaraks are widely used in everyday life among residents of North and South Korea. It is believed that due to additional acupressure of the fingers during meals, such table attributes prolong the life of their owners. And silver reacts to organic poisons and can warn a person about the staleness of food. True, such chopsticks are the most inconvenient, and European gourmets often have sore fingers after eating them.

Metal chopsticks for sushi.

Bone. In Asian culture, it is believed that the bones themselves have healing properties and that by coming into contact with them, a person receives the strength and character of the animal. For durability, they are coated with a protective layer.

Bone sticks for sushi.

Stone. They are made primarily from jade, which is usually enclosed in a mesh or ring-shaped frame. Stone sticks can be used for their intended purpose, but they are purchased mainly when creating glamorous pictures for luxury interiors.

Jade sushi sticks.

Rules of etiquette and traditions

Hashi have firmly entered Japanese culture, becoming a sacred symbol of good luck and prosperity. If you want to become a regular at Japanese sushi bars or a connoisseur of exotic dishes, check out how to properly use chopsticks for sushi and rolls:

It is not allowed to pierce food with the tip of a chopstick;
It is unacceptable to dig through the dishes with cutlery, looking for the most appetizing piece;
It is strictly forbidden to tap hashi on the plate in order to attract the attention of the service personnel;
It is indecent to return a portioned piece taken with chopsticks to the plate;
It is unacceptable to lick cutlery;
You cannot wave the device or poke it in anyone’s direction;
It is not allowed to shake chopsticks to cool food;
Do not hold the chopsticks vertically. This position is associated with the ritual of lighting a candle for the dead;
a strict prohibition is transferring food from one dish to another using an appliance. This manipulation is reminiscent of the Eastern mourning ritual, when the remains of a cremated body are transferred to a special urn. The Khasi should not be held in a clenched fist, as this signifies aggression and belligerence.

So, having learned to eat rolls and sushi with chopsticks, a person will feel free in a company that is fond of oriental delicacies. It is also important to remember that Japanese cuisine is a kind of philosophy. While eating, there is no need to fuss or rush; you should take a relaxed posture and enjoy the unforgettable combination of products.

Hashi stand

There is a special stand for chopsticks - hasioki (from “hashi” and “oki” - “to put”). This item is an important element of Japanese food culture. The absence of hasioka on the table may indicate problems with money in the family.

If hasioki is not served in a restaurant, the cutlery can be placed on the table or on a plate. You cannot place them across the plate until the end of the meal. This is considered a sign that the person has finished eating.

Who came up with the idea of using chopsticks?

Chopsticks are a traditional cutlery for a number of eastern countries. Khasi are a very ancient invention.

According to archaeological research, the first such tools for eating appeared about 3 thousand years ago, during the reign of the Shang Dynasty. Despite the fact that Japan is traditionally considered the birthplace of Hashi, the cutlery was first found in China.

By the way, the local population still calls such sticks not hasi, but kuaizi.

It is also remarkable that there are several legends and myths associated with the invention of sushi chopsticks. In some eastern countries there is a legend according to which the Khasi invented and proposed to use Yu. This is a clever emperor who wanted to take hot meat from the cauldron, but he had nothing with which to do it. Then he used chopsticks.

Interesting! It is generally accepted that the first hashi were quite long, about 38 cm. Now this type of chopsticks is used in household use, they are used for cooking. The usual chopsticks used for eating are somewhat shorter. Their length is usually 25 cm.

Chopsticks came to Japan only in the 12th century. The traditional device is made from bamboo.

Many modern variations can safely be called a work of art. They are varnished, painted, decorated with various decorations, and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

It is not surprising that in many eastern countries chopsticks are considered a luxurious and presentable gift, which is often presented to dear people, newlyweds, and anniversaries.

There is another legend associated with the appearance of sticks. It says that Rikyo invented them.

It is he who is considered the founder of the tea ceremony. The legend says: one day Rikyo went into the forest for brushwood.

Something attracted him to a couple of branches. He peeled their bark.

This is how chopsticks appeared. But in eastern countries they are a personal item, like a toothbrush or comb.

That is why khasi is not given to strangers. For this purpose, disposable chopsticks for sushi and rolls are used.

Hashi in Japan, China and other countries in this region cannot be called a simple household item. This is a special thing.

Surprisingly, local residents often use chopsticks in the process of developing and raising a child. They are believed to help develop a child's mental abilities and fine motor skills.

That is why there is a unique holiday, which is usually called “First Sticks”. It is celebrated when one hundred days have passed since the baby’s birth and the parents allow him to try rice for the first time.

On this significant date, the child is given his first sticks.