Struggling with chopsticks? We tell you how to use them

Eating with chopsticks is not tricky. You just need to know how to hold them and you are good to go.

Chopsticks are showing up on tables everywhere. Chef Nikhil Chib gives us a refresher course on using them. Before the friendly server at your neighbourhood Chinese restaurant hands you a pair of chopsticks, here’s our five-step guide on using them. We promise your food won’t go flying off the plate.

Step 1
Rest one of the sticks on the ring finger and hold it between the base of your thumb and the middle finger. This is your anchor chopstick and should remain stable at all times.

Step 2
Hold the second chopstick between the index finger and the thumb (like holding a pencil).

Step 3
Tap the chopsticks on the table to level the ends; uneven chopsticks won’t scoop easily.

Step 4
Ensure the chopsticks don’t make an 'X’. Lift the stick on top when picking up a morsel and lower it back as you pick up the bite. Any eatable, for instance, a morsel of rice, will remain pinched in the space created between the two chopsticks.

Step 5
Lift the bowl of rice or noodles close to your mouth and work from there to prevent a messy table.