
Chopstick here, chopstick there, lunch anywhere
Japan – a peculiar country where there’s a logical explanation for everything, including dining with wooden chopsticks. Why go simple when you can make it complicated, right? Well, not exactly, and here’s why…
Tradition rather than a trend
Chopsticks had been used in Asia before Christ was even born. At the time, tables were considered luxury while forks and spoons were not even in the plan. You can imagine the challenge one had to undertake to put something in the mouth with just one hand, holding the bowl with the other one. Until one day someone by chance (or maybe by the force of a hungry belly) took the first thing they could get their hands on – two pieces of thin branches. Given the fact beggars can’t be choosers, everyone followed. As Japan is known for its great appreciation of customs, the lucky coincidence kept passing from generation to generation and has lived up until today.
Grasp, hold… and then what?
If you think chopsticks serve only to eat sushi, you’re so wrong. They come in handy for everything: fish, meat, vegetables, even rice! Those who have tried know how much practice (and nerves, at least in the beginning) it takes to be successful in eating tiny bits and pieces with chopsticks. One must know how to place, hold, move, and, on top of everything, coordinate so the food gets into the mouth in one piece. If you have no idea whatsoever how to achieve it, try this: hold the sticks like you would a pencil and use your index finger to move only the tip of the stick that is not resting on your thumb. And that’s it!
The benefits of this technique
To the unskilled Western hand, this all might seem weird, complicated, and pointless but science has proven it to be anything but. Firstly, it tunes up the movement of the hand by using over thirty joints and fifty muscles. Secondly, a constant stimulation of several important hand pressure points activates the brain and has the effect of massage, making one relaxed and calm. Finally, it also affects hunger! Due to smaller pieces of food and more time to get them to the mouth, you’ll feel full pretty soon which means you’ll eat less. This may be frustrating for hungry eyes, but it is an excellent trick for the small waistline.
Visit us and test this skill on any of our delicious meals. Start with maki, nigiri, and sashimi and make your way towards itsy-bitsy bites of whatever, chunky or small. By the end of the meal, you’ll become as skilled as a proper samurai, we have no doubt!