Chopstick Manners 101

Ever wonder what the do's and don'ts are of chopstick etiquette? Here's a quick cheat sheet excerpted from this great post from japan-guide.com:

Hold your chopsticks towards their end, and not in the middle or the front third.

When you are not using your chopsticks and when you are finished eating, lay them down in front of you with the tip to left.

Do not stick chopsticks into your food, especially not into rice. (Only at funerals are chopsticks stuck into the rice that is put onto the altar.)

To separate a piece of food into two pieces, exert controlled pressure on the chopsticks while moving them apart from each other.

If you have already used your chopsticks, use the opposite end of your chopsticks in order to move food from a shared plate to your own plate.

 

For more tips, visit the japan-guide website.  So happy eating, or as they say in Japan, Itadakimasu! Gotisousama!

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