Sushi and rolls, so popular today, require gourmets to master the art of using Chinese chopsticks. You can master it through hard training, the main thing is to remember a few simple rules.
Chinese sticks, or hasi (they are also called Japanese, and also hashi) are used by millions of people around the planet. This means that the science of eating treats with their help is not so difficult. And if in the old days sticks served as cutlery only for the nobility, today it has become the norm for everyone to use them for eating Japanese dishes.
Modern hasi are made of wood, plastic, ivory and even metals - silver, gold. There are also designer options for sticks, decorated with patterns, inlaid with Swarovski crystals or diamonds. The most common Chinese sticks are made of wood, for example, bamboo or pine, sandalwood.
How to hold a hasi in your hand
Chopsticks can have different sections - square, oval, round, with rounded corners. These cutlery can be long or short, with pointed ends, so each eater can choose the appropriate Chinese chopsticks for their meal.
You can meet Chinese reusable or disposable chopsticks, and in Japan it is customary to give chopsticks to a baby when it turns 100 days from his birth.
To start eating with hasi, you need to relax your hand as much as possible and place the stick between your index and thumb. The device should be lightly held with the middle and ring fingers, while the thumb, index and middle fingers should fold into a ring. The sticks should be parallel to each other, the distance between them should be approximately 1.5 cm.
It is more convenient to hold the sticks as if they were pencils. To move the sticks apart, it is necessary to periodically straighten the middle finger. And in order to bring the hasi back together, you need to bend your index finger.
Chinese sticks and etiquette
When you take a piece of food with Chinese chopsticks, you need to manipulate the upper chopstick. If necessary, the roll or sushi can be divided using the same hasi. But sticking chopsticks into food is unacceptable. This is considered the height of indecency. If you are uncomfortable having dinner or lunch using chopsticks, please, you can take the roll with your hands. At the restaurant, you can ask to bring the usual cutlery.
You don't need to put chopsticks in the cup while eating. If you have finished your meal, the hasi must be placed on a special stand. It is considered bad form to bang with chopsticks on a glass or plate, to choose the best piece, wielding hashi in a common dish. You need to choose a suitable piece and only then take it with Chinese chopsticks, transfer it to your plate.
Chopstick holders are called hasioki. If no special device is provided, the hasi can be placed directly on the table.
Be sure to master the art of using Chinese chopsticks, handling hashi will help develop fine motor skills of the hands, which is especially important for young children. In addition, it is believed that sticks allow you to eat food more slowly, chewing the pieces thoroughly, this has a beneficial effect on the digestion process.
