Maybe you know how to use chopsticks, but do you know how to use them without offending your Japanese hosts? We’re not going to hold you to tradition at our Bellevue Japanese restaurant, but if you ever find yourself in the company of friends from overseas, try to adhere to the following rules:
-
Chopsticks Aren’t Toys: Don’t point with your sticks, don’t use them to pass food around the table, and never give yourself chopstick tusks.
-
Chopsticks Don’t Go in Your Hair: It is a misconception that chopsticks are sometimes worn as hairpieces. The truth is that people who appear to be wearing chopsticks are actually wearing something called the kanzashi. These resemble but are not interchangeable with chopsticks.
-
Do Not Rub Your Chopsticks Together: Rubbing chopsticks together can be seen as insulting to your host. This is something you do with a cheaply-made pair of sticks when you need to rub the splinters away after breaking them apart, so you could be telling your host that they’re cheap.
Always Use Your Sticks in Pairs: Your sticks should always be used as a pair, so don’t use one without the other. In particular, never stab a piece of food with a stick.