Japanese Food

Chopsticks. No idea where I learned how to use them, but somehow I have become quite adept at manipulating these little sticks. I was once asked to eat in front of an entire kindergarten classroom filled with children, so they could watch how I did it. “See, if he can do it this well, so can you!” was essentially how the lesson went. Mortifying, really, but at least it was in the service of children? Anyway, on your journey to dining excellence, there are a few rules to keep in mind when eating with “ohashi” in Japan. In particular, there are 10 things you should never do with them. Rub Them Together You may be accustomed to rubbing your chopsticks together before you start eating — it’s a common practice in some western countries to remove any splinters before you start eating. Do this in Japan, though, and the host or restaurant will be insulted that you think the chopsticks are low quality. Stab Them into Food   There may be a learning curve to using chopsticks, but you’ll get the hang of it much faster if you at least try to use them properly. Stabbing at food will make you look like…