What is the proper etiquette when eating with chopsticks?

Question

I am going to dinner with a Chinese family I am friends with, I don't want to show any disrespect, so can someone tell me what is rude and what is acceptable when eating with chopsticks?

Answer 1

Chopstick etiquette isn't the same in China as it is in Japan or Vietnam. That's really the extent of my personal knowledge. From experience, I have found that when eating with Asian families (I am non-Asian), the mere fact that I can handle the chopsticks and not use a fork impressed the family. Everyone was delighted that I was trying and I simply did as told. An older woman in the family took it upon herself just to tell me what to do. If I wasn't sure, I just asked her, or sometimes just looked confused and made eye contact. Everyone seemed to appreciate that I tried and that I asked. I think that's almost always the best way to go. Admit you don't know and ask. Everyone can appreciate that.

Also, people like to be asked what they think. And it's respectful to acknowlege the expertise of those around you and show you are willing to learn from them.

Here's a website:
http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/food/etiquette.html

Enjoy your dinner!

Answer 2

Never use chopsticks to point at someone.

2. Don't bite the chopsticks.

3. Don't lick the chopsticks.

4. Don't stab food with the chopsticks. Although this is the easy way to pick up a piece of food, the proper way would be to hold the food between the two chopsticks.
Never stand chopsticks up in the bowl.

Don't lick or bite the chopsticks.


5. Don't stand the chopsticks up in soup or any bowl. They should be either placed on the side of the bowl closest to you or in front of the bowl on a chopstick holder
6. When taking food from a bowl not your own, or from the middle of the table, never use the end of the chopsticks that enters the mouth. Instead, turn the chopsticks around and pick up the food with the opposite end.

Answer 3

Don't suck the tips of the chopstick
Don't poke the chopstick into something and keep them standing like incense sticks.........bad luck.
Don't point with the chopsticks
Don't use the chopstick as drumsticks to make music.
Don't wash your chopsticks in the soup
Don't pick up a piece of meat which is furthest from you in the plate. Pick the nearest one.
If you can't pick something up with the chopsticks, use the spoon on your left hand to help scoop it up.
Pick up the rice bowl with your left hand and pick up rice with your chopsticks.
Use common sense and look at your hosts to imitate whatever they do.

Answer 4

I don't know if this will really matter to the people with whom you are eating, but I have been told that it is considered bad manners to hold your chopsticks too close to the "food" end of them. You want to hold on to them as close to the back end of the sticks as you can, while still being able to control them.

Answer 5

I would certainly watch them as they are eating
I would be several steps behind them and not to be overly noticeable in watching them. The usual is to act as you would normally in a nice place..for most do not eat with chop sticks any more. If you can do a great job then use them but other than that use a fork

Answer 6

If you are eating something like ricce out of a bowl you should hold the bowl up and close to the sauce for dipping or when you are getting something

Answer 7

Do NOT tap your sticks on your plate, if you need to reposition the tips, press them against your hand. Don't leave noodles hanging out of your mouth, don't slurp. Don't put your tips down on the table, use the holder.

Good Luck