Many diners at Asian restaurants believe that it is proper to rub your chopsticks together before eating. They even believe this is part of Asian tradition whether Chinese, Japanese, or other Asian culture. If asked why they do this, they will explain either that it is customary or that it is necessary to remove splinters from the chopsticks. Should you rub chopsticks together?
Rubbing Chopsticks Together Is a Bad Idea
Rubbing chopsticks together would not effectively remove splinters. However, trying to remove splinters from your chopsticks by rubbing together would be an insult to your Asian cook or host. It implies that you were given cheap eating utensils.
Do not rub your chopsticks together unless you want to be insulting!
It is easier to pick up food with chopsticks that are not polished smooth or lacquered. Some diners are concerned that the splinters from chopsticks poke their mouth.
Asian chopsticks are meant only for picking up food and transferring the food to your mouth. Although it is perfectly ok for the chopsticks to touch your mouth, you don’t put the end of the sticks fully into your mouth as you would a fork. Therefore, splinters shouldn’t generally be a problem.
Since eating from common dishes family-style’ is also a part of some Asian cultures, this prohibition is more important. You should not usually use your personal chopsticks to get food from common plates. Serving chopsticks should be provided. If unavailable, however, you can use the other end to get food from a shared dish.
Some General Asian Chopstick Etiquette
Asian culture is not monolithic. Each culture has its own traditions regarding eating and using chopsticks. However, here are a few more rules that will serve you well:
- do not eat directly from common dishes, transfer it to your plate first
- do not pick through food in the serving dish
- do not be undecisive and touch food from multiple dishes when choosing (don’t pick at the serving dishes)
- do not stab food with your chopsticks, use them to pick up food properly
- do not stick your chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice (associated with funerals*
- keep chopsticks together in one hand, do not hold one in each hand
- do not put the ends of the chopsticks in your mouth with no food in them (do not chew on them, etc.)…this is just uncouth
- do not place your chopsticks directly on the table, either put them on a rest, if provided, or lay them across your plate
- when putting down chopsticks, never cross them but lay them down aligned with each other
- do not gesture with your chopsticks, point with them, wave them around, or play with them in any way (when not using them put them down)
- eat all the food as to not do so may be considered an insult
*Sticking chopsticks into rice or other food is reminiscent of ceremonial incense sticks burnt at funerals
It is okay to lift a bowl to your mouth and push the food into your mouth using your chopsticks in China, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. It is not ok to do this in Korea.
In Chinese culture is has traditionally been considered rude to hold chopsticks in the left hand. It is also considered rude to hide one hand when eating such as by placing the left hand on the lap. Both hands should be used such as one to hold the bowl and the other to use the chopsticks. Some of the things that have been considered ‘rude’ are slowly changing in China, however.
