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Forum » JAPANESE WORLD - OVER THERE BUT SO CLOSE » Japanese Cuisine - Food or Thought or Art » Chopsticks!!! (Talking about "hashi"...)
Chopsticks!!!
NekavaenDate: Sunday, 19.12.2010, 22:57 | Message # 1
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Almost all people who decide to try Japanese dishes for the first time face the same problem – chopsticks! Yes, it usually takes a lot of time to learn to use them properly. Of course, there are lucky bargees who manage to cope with it skillfully from the very beginning, but they are few.
Have you ever tried to use “hashi” (that’s how chopsticks are called in Japanese) when eating? If yes, was it really convenient?

It’s a well-known fact that chopsticks came to Japan from China in the 12th century. They are traditionally made of bone, wood, metal, ceramics. Chopsticks can be painted, decorated by different patterns and even encrusted with precious stones. Some of them are real pieces of art.

For Japanese people chopsticks are not only a part of tableware for everyday use. They are holy symbols of fortune and long life. That’s why Japanese people often present each other with chopsticks. For example, a newly wedded couple always gets a beautiful pair of chopsticks. If a husband and a wife keep it carefully, their union will be happy, stable and long-lasting.

Japanese children start using chopsticks on the 100th day since they were born. It happens during the ceremony called "The first chopsticks" when little Japanese are allowed to use “hashi” for the first time. Then kids begin using them regularly and gradually become more and more skillful. It’s believed that this tradition is wise because children who eat with chopsticks and start using them early develop much faster. It has been proved that eating with chopsticks trains small muscles. That’s why mental abilities develop rapidly.

If you decide to eat with chopsticks (especially when Japanese people are near), you shouldn’t forget about certain rules or taboos. The most important ones are the following.
1) It’s forbidden to stick chopsticks into food.
2) It’s absolutely unacceptable to stick chopsticks into rice! The Japanese do it only at funerals.
3) It’s not allowed to indicate people with chopsticks.
4) It’s bad to shake chopsticks while eating.
5) It’s forbidden to hold chopsticks in a mouth.
6) One can’t put chopsticks on a plate before a meal is over.
7) It’s rude and strange to call a waiter by knocking on a plate with “hashi”.
That’s not all actually…

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It is not human to be without shame and without desire. (Ursula K. Le Guin)

Message edited by Nekavaen - Sunday, 19.12.2010, 22:58
 
TanyaDate: Friday, 17.06.2011, 23:40 | Message # 2
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My first try with chopsticks was really hard and when I dip in sauce, my food always fall in. It is really hard to use them but I love chopsticks now! I use them while eating my sushi. May be somebody has the same problem that's why I want to add the information about how to use chopsticks.



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AsyaDate: Saturday, 18.06.2011, 11:46 | Message # 3
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When you know how to use chopsticks, it seems the easiest thing to do actually. But when you try for the first time - it's difficult to cope with them. 10 minutes of practice was enough for me to get used to them)) But! The circumstances forced me to do that! My friends took me to the sushi-bar. And I wanted to eat with a fork there. They were not against but none of them wanted to use that shameful fork. So, I was the only person who had never tried to eat with chopsticks. Of course, I decided to join my friends. It was not an easy thing to do but they appeared to be very good teachers of eating-with-chopsticks.
 
vanillaDate: Tuesday, 18.09.2012, 23:02 | Message # 4
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In our country the most popular meal is suchi. So main rules how to eat it:
Pour some soya sauce into the small dish provided. It is considered bad manners to waste soya sauce, so try not to pour more sauce than you will use.

You do not need to add wasabi into the soya sauce, because the sushi pieces may already contain it, or may be eaten plain. However, if you choose to add wasabi, use only a small amount so as not to offend the sushi chef. If you do not like wasabi, you can request that none is added into your sushi.

In general, you are supposed to eat a sushi piece in one bite. Attempts to separate a piece into two generally end in the destruction of the beautifully prepared sushi. Hands or chopsticks can be used to eat sushi.

In case of nigiri-zushi, dip the piece into the soya sauce upside-down so that the fish enters the sauce. A few kinds of nigiri-zushi, for example, marinated pieces, should not be dipped into soya sauce.

In case of gunkan-zushi, pour a small amount of soya sauce over the sushi piece rather than dipping it into the sauce.
 
AriesDate: Saturday, 29.12.2012, 09:20 | Message # 5
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I never eat with chopsticks. It look so beautiful.
 
PerilovaDate: Sunday, 31.03.2013, 22:03 | Message # 6
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I like Japanese food. In my opinion, it is very delicious and useful for health. Especially, I love sushi and Japanese soups. Sometimes, i cook it myself.
What is about chopsticks, it is really hard to eat in this way! To be honest, i still prefer to eat Japanese food with a fork.
 
Forum » JAPANESE WORLD - OVER THERE BUT SO CLOSE » Japanese Cuisine - Food or Thought or Art » Chopsticks!!! (Talking about "hashi"...)
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