Do you want to learn how to use chopsticks? Regardless of whether you happen to be right-handed or left-handed, there’s no denying that using chopsticks for the first time can be quite the challenge – especially when you have little to no experience of using them.
However, once you get the hang of using them, chopsticks are not only able to offer you the chance to enjoy an authentic Asian eating experience, but you will also be able to enjoy your food more.
Believe it or not, many people believe that chopsticks help to enhance the flavor of food!
If you are currently wondering how to use chopsticks, rest assured this is where we come in to lend you a helping hand (pardon the pun).
In this guide, you will find simple step-by-step instructions that will help you to easily learn not only how to correctly hold your chopsticks, but also how to use them as a left-hander, too.
Let’s begin!
How To Use Chopsticks Left Handed: Step-By-Step Instructions
While it’s not a secret that chopsticks can be pretty tricky to use (especially if you have never used them before), once you take the time to learn how to use them, they will provide you with the opportunity to both experience and appreciate an authentic East Asian eating style.
So much so, in fact, many people agree that sushi and other types of Japanese cuisine taste even more delicious when eaten with chopsticks as opposed to a fork! Below, let’s take a look at how you can use chopsticks as a left-hander:
Pick Up One Chopstick And Place It Loosely Between Your Finger And Thumb
Regardless of whether you happen to be left-handed or right, if you want to make sure that you are using your chopsticks correctly, you are first going to need to make sure that you are holding them correctly.
To start out, take one chopstick and place it gently in the space between your finger and your thumb. Once you have gotten to this point, you are then going to need to stiffen your hand so that the chopstick is firmly gripped.
To help make sure that you have done this correctly, ensure that the thickest part of your chopstick has been placed directly in the fold between your thumb and finger, right where they connect together. If you are gripping it correctly, it should be very stable and virtually unmoving.
Take The Second Chopstick And Grip With Finger And Thumb
Once you are satisfied that you are holding the first chopstick correctly, you will then be ready to incorporate the second chopstick
It is very important that you make sure that you are also gripping the second chopstick correctly, otherwise, you are going to find that you are unable to use them properly to pick up food when you begin to eat.
So, in order to do this correctly, take the chopstick and place your thumb over its side, this will naturally position the chopstick directly over the top of the first chopstick already nestled in your hand.
After you have done this and you are comfortable holding the two chopsticks in your left hand, you can then go ahead and make sure that both chopsticks are even.
If you notice that they are uneven, all you will need to do is simply tap them against a surface (such as a wooden table) to make sure that they are both even.
This is an important step to remember, as it is nearly impossible to use chopsticks correctly when they are perfectly matched.
Practice Using Your Chopsticks
After you are happy that you are holding your chopsticks correctly, you can then go ahead and begin practicing using them.
It’s important to keep in mind that using chopsticks isn’t necessarily the easiest of utensils to use at first, so don’t get discouraged or disheartened if you notice that you are struggling to get the hang of using them straight away.
To make sure that you are able to use them correctly the first time, make sure that your chopsticks do not cross over one another, as this will prevent you from being unable to pick up your food correctly.
Along with this, you might also find it helpful to practice varying levels of grip up and down the length of your chopsticks, as the more experienced that you become using them, the more you will find yourself using varying pressure.
Start Eating
When you’re feeling more confident holding your chopsticks and maneuvering with them (as well as being able to apply varying amounts of pressure up and down the length of the chopsticks), you can then go ahead and begin eating your delicious food.
As you are just getting started out, we recommend that you practice on just one kind of food to start out, as you might get overwhelmed trying to pick up various foods in one go.
Then, once you get good and pick up one type of food, you can then go ahead and introduce additional foods until you become proficient.
The Bottom Line
There we have it! You’ve made it to the end of the article. Now that you have taken the time to read through the instructions that we have provided you with above, we are hoping that you are now feeling a lot more confident about using chopsticks with your left hand for the first time.
Remember, practice makes perfect – so don’t feel disheartened if you don’t get it right the first time. The more that you practice, the better you will become at using chopsticks while you are eating.
Why don’t you bookmark this page? That way, if you ever wish to refresh your memory on how to use chopsticks with your left hand, you’ll know exactly where to find us. Thanks for reading, and good luck!
Hi, I’m Jason Patrick, and for as long as I have been alive, I have been obsessed with Japanese culture. From the sights and sounds of Japan’s many cities to its culinary delights that have become famous worldwide, I simply cannot get enough of this wonderful nation!
I hope that, by exploring this website, you all will develop a much deeper appreciation for Japan, and that it may even influence you to pay it a visit yourself eventually! It is definitely a trip of a lifetime, and whether you experience it firsthand, or through my own website, I’m sure you will become just as passionate as I always have been!
