Who loves using chopsticks?
Katie loves using chopsticks! I use chopsticks for almost everything I eat. Growing up in Japan, I learned to eat with chopsticks before learning to use a fork! (Yes, I do now know how to use a fork. But I still prefer chopsticks.)
Have you ever tried eating with chopsticks?
(I don’t normally eat pancakes with chopsticks, but when someone asked me if I did, I had to try!)
If you don’t know how to use chopsticks, here’s a step-by-step guide:
www.ehow.com/how_3261_chopsticks.html
Or you can always watch a youtube video. (Is there anything that’s NOT explained on youtube these days?)
Chopstick Challenge Time:
I challenge you to replace your fork (or fingers!) with chopsticks for at least one meal/snack per day for the next week. Or maybe you want to have a complete chopsticks-only day? If you do already know how to use chopsticks, try to think outside the (Chinese take-out) box and use them to eat foods you wouldn’t normally eat with chopsticks, such as waffles, Italian food, or salad.
Be creative and have fun with it!
McKella says
Ha ha, I asked you that on formspring! I love chopsticks. I used them all the time growing up and I bought a ton in China last summer, so I use them almost every day now! I think I still prefer the Japanese style ones my friend brought me though, because they’re pointy.
Jessica says
I am so up for this! I just was telling my bf last night that I wanted to learn to use chopsticks! Talk about coincidence!
Marina says
You actually inspired me to use chopsticks 🙂 I bought them for sushi nights at home, but I like eating salads and stir frys with them. It makes me eat so much slower, but that way I enjoy it longer!
Kara says
Oh Katie, you know I’m going to participate :). I don’t have a blog, but I’ll be sure to let you know about my progress. I wonder if you could eat fudge babies with chopsticks 😉
Sarahishealthy says
I try to use them for Chinese food, but I’d love to improve my skills. Practice makes perfect, so I’m definitely going to take part in this challenge! Thanks for the kick in the butt!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
McKella,
Haha that was you?!
That was one of my favorite questions 🙂 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Kara,
LOL! Well, it would keep your fingers from getting sticky!
vegangal says
ooh chopsticks. i only use them at a chinese restaurant. can you buy them at the grocery store? are they expensive?
Jessica @ How Sweet says
Due to having no patience, I cannot eat with chopsticks. I would never do that to those around me. 😉
Mary says
I love this idea! Count me in! 🙂
Valerie says
I learned to eat with chopsticks as a way to force myself to slow down with eating my food. But I ended up getting so good at it that now it certainly doesn’t help me slow down anymore. I can shovel the food in there at lightening speed!
I’ll take part in the challenge. I just need to think of something strange to use chopsticks for…
Diana says
I had a phase when I was younger and I would eat everything with chopsticks! It can be a pain but it actually makes the meal FUN and makes us pay more attention to the food. I will totally try to eat everything with chopsticks for one day next week 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
vegangal,
I think you can! You can also find them at places like Asian markets or stores such as World Market. But if you just want some practice pairs, next time you’re at your local sushi place or Chinese restaurant, simply pick up a few extra pairs :).
eatandrun says
I’m going to try having a whole chopstick day, where I won’t use my fork at all!
Fun challenge, Katie!
Lauren @ Eater not a runner says
I love using chopsticks but usually I stick to asian-inspired meals….maybe that will have to change soon!
Jenny says
I’m a bit hand-eye coordinated challenged, but I love sushi- gotta make some exceptions!
Anonymous says
I’m going to try it!
Run Sarah says
I only use chopsticks for Asian food – using it for Western food feels off for me! 🙂 Oatmeal though, that must have been challenging!
Inspired says
Ok, I’m going home today to dust off my chopsticks! I’m excited!!! Katie, you have the best challenges. I wasn’t yet a blog reader for your new food challenge, but I’ve been doing that one on my own for the past few months now! And I’m going to participate in this one as well. Wish me luck! 🙂
Stefanie says
I will have to pick up a pair of chopsticks. 🙂
abby says
i’m in! i really want to try getting better with chopsticks!
blissfulbellas says
katie i grew up using chopsticks too except my parents never taught me the right way to use them..and i recently learned ive been doing it wrong all my life!u know how the top portion of the sticks arent suppose to cross…well mine do lol…o well as long as i get the food in my mouth! 😀
-Lena
sera says
I don’t think I ever use chopsticks before. Is that bad? I would like to try. Can I be a part?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Blissfulbellas,
Hahaha as long as it works, right? Maybe you’ll inspire a new way to eat. Who knows, maybe your way actually works better! As long as you don’t do what I did as a little girl, which was to spear my food. My mom told me it’s very, very bad luck to do so :-?.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Sera,
Of course you can be a part!!
Kelly Michelle says
I love chopsticks. I have some nice stainless steel ones. They really make you slow down and enjoy your food.
Keri - IEatTrees says
I love using chopsticks and I keep meaning to pick up a few pretty sets! I wonder where I can find nice ones online? When I was Christmas shopping I saw lightsaber chopsticks on ThinkGeek and SO wanted them. 😀
Gabriela (froyolover) says
YAY for chopsticks!
😀
Delicious eats as always, Katie!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
Kate says
Pot Pie Stew?!?
I totally missed that when you posted the recipe. Going over to click on it now!
Jessica (PB & Jess) says
Hehehe, this is one challenge I don’t think I can do! I’ve tried to learn so many times and I stink at eating with chopsticks. I always get frustrated and use a fork!
jcd says
Yay, three cheers for chopsticks. We use chopsticks at home a lot too. They are so simple and elegant to use. I’ll take up your challenge and try to eat with chopsticks more than usual this week. I only wish I had more good pairs of chopsticks… We got two pairs from a Japanese student who stayed with us for a while. Nothing we find here quite compares to them. I saw Star Wars lightsabre ones for sale online somewhere. Those would be perfect for my husband. Haha.
Lauren says
I love using chopsticks! I think its fun. When I was little, I could never use them properly (and I probably still don’t use them the “right” way, but I manage). They make you take smaller bites than you normally would, which I like. Even with forks and spoons, I always use tiny little ones so chopsticks are a welcome and fun change.
theprocessofhealing says
I had no idea that you grew up in Japan! SO COOL!!!!
I am awful, AWFUL, at using chop sticks. I have serious issues.. it’s very sad.
erintakescontrol says
I can’t use chopsticks to save my life. Tried a million times to learn via YouTube and all that. I end up stabbing the food with one stick and chucking the other one across the room. Oops.
Jess says
Sounds fun! I’m always up for a challenge. And if you saw my chopstick skills, you’d know just how much of a chellenge this is going to be!
Jess says
*challenge*
Erin says
I love using chopsticks — during the year I lived in Korea, it really became second-nature to use them on EVERYTHING. Although eating pizza with chopsticks is going a bit far. That’s what we have HANDS for! 😉
Bonnie says
This is such a fun challenge! I like chopsticks for chunky dishes and pasta, but oatmeal would definitely be more difficult 😉 It’s a good idea to try and eat with them more often! I could use some practice.
Tiffany says
I love chopsticks, although oddly enough as a child, between me and my sister, I was the one who had nearly no chopstick skills! These days I use them all the time, for nearly anything that would normally require a fork. But for anything handheld, I just use my hands.
The Foodie Diaries says
i’m a terrible half-Asian and can’t for the life of my use chopsticks correctly. when im alone, i eat my sush with my hands–and if restaurants would be so kind to offer me those kiddie chopsticks with the rubberband, id enthusiastically accept 🙂 hahaha
Monica says
I’m not so great at using chopsticks, but I love Japanese food and it’s just not right to eat sushi with fork and knife.
I didn’t know you grew up in Japan either, I thought you only grew up in China! Does that mean you speak Japanese, too?? I can’t wait to go to Japan, I love the culture and the language.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Monica,
Hai!
Well, a little bit. I’m definitely not fluent, or even conversational, in Japanese. But I know a lot of words/phrases :).
Sally from Goodlovefairytales.com says
I am so chopsticks inept. I am THAT PERSON who asks for a fork at the sushi restaurant.
Mary says
Chopsticks ROCK!! I eat every meal with them and when I’m home, my family replaces their untensils for chopsticks every now and then. Of course, they end up stabbing the food half way through the meal..but hey, it counts. 😉
Kiersten says
I use chopsticks when I make Asian meals, but usually by the end of the meal I go back to using my fork. I don’t find chopsticks difficult to use, but I think forks are easier.
Bianca- Vegan Crunk says
I love chopsticks, but I typically only use them with Asian food. I’m not sure why I don’t try them with other foods. I bet they’d be perfect for spaghetti.
kathleen says
I use chopsticks sometimes for “normal” food. I just got some cute new ones from a japanese store with little yellow stars on them.
Janna says
Totally up for the challenge! I love chopsticks and learned to use them from a young age as well because my family was very into Asian cuisine. YUM!
I don`t think I`ve eaten anything weird with chopsticks. I mostly just use them for sushi now, but I can`t wait to try with other stuff!
Katie says
I am all in for this challenge. I really want to do an all chopstick day, but I have a smoothie everyday, an something tells me that isn’t going to go down very well with chopsticks. 😀
Tasha - The Clean Eating Mama says
OOOooo I love chopsticks! =)
Katie says
I LOVE chopsticks. I am a really fast eater, and using chopsticks helps me slow down and not inhale my food.
Demelza says
I love using chopsticks.
I think they are great fun to use, and although I’ve known some people to have difficulty using them I’ve never had that problem.
From the time I first learned to use them up through high school, whenever my family went to an Asian restaurant to eat I would refuse to touch a bite of my food until the waitress brought me a pair. Haha, I would also sneak a few pairs home to use later…^.~
Year before last my mom finally bought a few pairs for the family to use, and year before last when I started college my mom sent me off with a bunch of Japanese dishware and a lovely packetful of reusable chopsticks which I put to use fairly often.
This summer I am finally traveling to Japan to study abroad with a small group of students from my university. I cannot wait to experience the Japanese culture and especially to use chopsticks 24/7 without people looking at me funny. ;]
BroccoliHut says
I’m a big fan of chopsticks! I love to challenge myself with hard to grasp foods, like scrambled tofu. I love a good challenge, even when it comes to eating!
Danielle says
My husband frequently uses chopsticks– more frequently than we eat Asian food, for sure! I like to use them quite a bit, and we have a set of six pairs of brightly-colored chopsticks from Ikea. They have little knobs on the ends, making them a little more user-friendly! Sure, I’ll use my chopsticks all day tomorrow! They’re far more convenient to take along and to clean than utensils.
Gaby says
Thanks for the reminder! I’ll definitely take you up on the challenge. I’ve collected several chopsticks and pull them out periodically but it’s been forever since I used them.
This also reminds me I need to go to the Asian supermarket and pick up cool mushrooms, and all the other exotic veggies I get there (KABOCHA) and frozen mochi cakes 🙂
ps. updated blog!
Serena says
I love using chopsticks 🙂 I have never used them with pancakes though! Seems hard.
foodlovingpolarbear says
You’ve lived in Japan, that’s so cool! I bet they have some amazing food there 🙂
I’m not a very good chopstick user and I think everything I ate with chopsticks in China (in 2008) was weird, that country has some very ehm.. interesting foods! 😀
Judy (Cookbook Maven) says
I use chopsticks to eat sushi in a restaurant, but at home I’ll use a fork. Drives my husband nuts.
I’ve gotten better over the years, but still doesn’t come real natural to me.
But I am eating a lot of rice these days . . . thanks for the challenge!
mel @ the delicate place says
haha! i <3 chopsticks! i just used some 2 nights ago to eat my steamed "cauliflower rice" with peas & carrots. so comforting! AND it helps me not shovel my food down too quickly lol…plus it's fun! win win!
Michal says
Girl ill try but I dont know if I can master them! I always get so impatient : /
Heather Eats Almond Butter says
I’m so in Katie. As you know, learning to use chopsticks was one of my New Year’s resolutions, and I’m not doing very well with it. Perhaps your challenge will inspire me to practice practice practice! 🙂
You are so sweet to check in on my teff supply. Thanks so much – I’m good for the time being.
Katherine: What About Summer? says
I love chopsticks! wish I could afford more sushi to eat with them; it feels wrong with other things. (Salad?)
…I’m such a finger snacker…
Katherine
ilanalala says
Ok I just saw this right now but this is such an appropriate and amazing challenge. You posted this on April 7, which was the anniversary of my stepdad passing away due to obesity-related health complications, and five years later one of the things of his we are still using are CHOPSTICKS. At one point he bought a case of 10,000 sets of chopsticks and though we’ve been using them for years now, we’re nowhere near through with them! It’s so funny and it makes me smile when I use them. So I’m SO on board with this challenge!
McKella says
I blogged about the chopstick challenge! Here’s the link: http://kellapillar.blogspot.com/2010/04/move-over-lunchables.html
Kat says
what a cute idea!!! I actually eat so much food with chopsticks already 🙂 they are just really fun! I eat way faster that way too… haha
Kelsey says
i’ve definitely been doing this!!! i have hello kitty, mother of pearl, and traditional japanese chopsticks that i’ve been trading on and off with this week :]
Rachel Lauren says
I love using chopsticks to eat. It’s fun. I have a really nice set of jade chopsticks that my sister got for me when she went to China.
Karen says
I have a set of stainless steel chopsticks, and I use them regularly. Never thought of using them with pasta. I’ll have to try that.. They’re great to eat salad with. The stainless steel chopsticks can be a little slippery, but they last forever, and you can stick them right in the dishwasher.
Mary says
I challenge myself to eat with only chopsticks for a week starting now.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Oooh have fun! 🙂