Chopsticks

[TonyH]

I just had lunch with some of the members of this fine forum. We ate at a local Vietnamese restaurant, and I must say, I was HIGHLY disappointed with the gripocity of the chopsticks. I had massive noodle slippage, and the length, color, and material was all wrong for my style of chopsticking.

I found an interesting study on this subject, and thought you grasshoppers might find it enlightening.

 

[Sullybob]

Excellent find Tony. I completely agree, the chop sticks today were very, very sub-par. Perhaps if the tip was grooved or at least textured the gripocity would have been better. The pinching efficiency was terrible, and so was the color.

 

[ouch]

I just had lunch with some of the members of this fine forum.

One of the last times I hooked up with some of the guys from the forum, we went to a chopstick store. Unbelieveable. You really can get anything in NYC.

 

[TonyH]

One of the last times I hooked up with some of the guys from the forum, we went to a chopstick store. Unbelieveable. You really can get anything in NYC.

That's hilarious! Several of us Austin guys were joking about starting a chopstick sub-forum!

 

[gixxer]

Unfortunately all of the sticks in my house come to a sharp point and are fairly slick with no grooves. Not very much fun. To be honest with you I like the bamboo round disposable sticks you get with your chinese food order. I think I am gonna make a pair or two before I close up shop. I have some jade green G10 that some have used for sticks. Something with a thicker tip, and grooves.

 

[Sullybob]

Jade green G10 chopsticks would be awesome.

gixxer as in GSXR?

 

[gixxer]

Know something else? Try the stainless chopsticks. Those suckers are mega thin, it's like using metal stirring sticks to eat yer food. I get that to look forward to when I get to Korea in a few weeks. Most of the restaurants there have those stainless chopsticks.

Yea, as in gsxR...

 

[Sullybob]

Know something else? Try the stainless chopsticks. Those suckers are mega thin, it's like using metal stirring sticks to eat yer food. I get that to look forward to when I get to Korea in a few weeks. Most of the restaurants there have those stainless chopsticks.

Yea, as in gsxR...

Those sound awful. Worse then the super smooth round chopsticks we were using today.

 

[Blue_2]

Actually once you get used to the stainless ones they're pretty nice. The ones I have aren't round or square, they're rounded off rectangular.

 

[john parker]

We use chopsticks at home occasionally and have a number of different sets. But don't think I have ever seen a pair with grooves. Is a picture possible? Or a link?

 

[john parker]

We use chopsticks at home occasionally and have a number of different sets. But don't think I have ever seen a pair with grooves. Is a picture possible? Or a link?

Nevermind! Found all kinds of them on the net! Guess I have been living in a cave!!! Haven't tried any but will have to.

 

[texbilly]

I just had lunch with some of the members of this fine forum. We ate at a local Vietnamese restaurant, and I must say, I was HIGHLY disappointed with the gripocity of the chopsticks. I had massive noodle slippage, and the length, color, and material was all wrong for my style of chopsticking.

I found an interesting study on this subject, and thought you grasshoppers might find it enlightening.

Those horrible sticks haunted me all day. Mine were so slick, they slid off the table and onto the floor (where they belong). I managed to down most of my noodles but the chopsticks were nothing more than a shovel. Wood provides excellent gripocity and a better aesthetic. Really, green plastic?

 

[TickTock]

Ha Ha! I was in a noodle restaurant in Japan (years ago) with a friend who was pretty new to the whole chopstick thing. The food was those really fat slippery Udon noodles in broth, and the 'sticks were those really slippery laquered ones.

The best part was the whole table of really cute Japanese high school girls giggling the whole time watching him.

 

[DFrancis]

Round and slick? That does sound horrible. Our neighbourhood Vietnamese place has somewhat slick ones but they are squared so no too hard to eat Phở. Well, the chopsticks sucked, how was the food?

 

[Sullybob]

Those horrible sticks haunted me all day. Mine were so slick, they slid off the table and onto the floor (where they belong). I managed to down most of my noodles but the chopsticks were nothing more than a shovel. Wood provides excellent gripocity and a better aesthetic. Really, green plastic?

Green. Yours were green?

Mine were a faded tan color.

 

[TheGuy]

My wife is Korean and her family uses the stainless steel chopsticks. Use only those for several meals in a row and you will never have any trouble with any others again. The round slick plastic or resin ones aren't half as tough to use as the smooth, thin steel ones in my opinion.

I had to ask for the bamboo ones for a while whenever we would eat at her parents place early in our relationship. Now I am a pro!

 

[mouscacha]

My wife is Korean and her family uses the stainless steel chopsticks. Use only those for several meals in a row and you will never have any trouble with any others again. The round slick plastic or resin ones aren't half as tough to use as the smooth, thin steel ones in my opinion.

I had to ask for the bamboo ones for a while whenever we would eat at her parents place early in our relationship. Now I am a pro!

Practice makes perfect!

 

[_JP_]

Last year I was given a set of round metal chop sticks by a Korean friend. She explained to me that Korean chopsticks are always metal, while in other countries they bamboo or wood. I have no trouble with the set that she gave me, they have small grooves in them to help grip the food.

 

[TonyH]

Green. Yours were green?

Mine were a faded tan color.

Mine were square and green also.

 

[Tedzy]

You get used to it (this coming from an Asian). And Pho is really good. I had a lot of practice in Hawaii with Saimin... the word makes me hungry.

Anyways, here are some tips. Hold the chopsticks as far away from the eating tips as possible. This creates more leverage, and therefore more clamping force.

Secondly, if you're like me and you don't want to just grab a few noodles at a time. Pick up a good amount of noodles, lay them on the side, Now grab the noodles away from the point you just picked them up. Think of it like folding the noodles in half, then trying to eat them. This works because it doubles the width of the noodles you're trying to grab. This makes the noodles squeeze together and they are less likely to slip.

Third, the asian table spoon is for your off hand. I'm not exactly sure if this is the Vietnamese way as well but it has worked well without embarrassment in my Japanese, Chinese, and Hawaiian noodle soup dining. So right hand shovels the noodles and solids, and the left hand paddles the broth back. Ladies in Japanese Ramen and Hawaiian Saimin eating, will pick up a few noodles with the chopsticks, scoop up some broth, load the noodles into the spoon and then consume the contents.

If all else fails, when the woman comes up to you and asks if you want a fork, just say yes. Eat your soup with some dignity.

I'm actually glad for the slick plastic chopsticks and spoons. They're easier for the staff in the back to wash and make clean. I've sent many a fork back.