I learned at camp, age 14 -- Japanese language immersion camp. No one would show me how to use them (lot of jerks at this camp), so for the first couple of meals I would spear strawberries or eat with my hands, while watching others. After that I got the hang of it pretty quickly -- nothing like hunger as a motivator. Then I lived in Japan for several years and got a lot of practice there. I don't hold them perfectly (my host mother used to remark on this), but I am very competent.

Also, it's customary in Japan to lift the food bowl toward your face so the food doesn't have as far to travel. You don't actually shovel it into your mouth, as another poster suggested (other than soup), but you do hold it somewhere between chest and chin, and pick things up from there.

I suggest watching youtube and practicing at home with reasonably sized items, like small chicken pieces. Rice can come later. The most important thing is not to hold them too far down. You want your hand to be somewhat close to the non-eating end, not halfway down the stick. Think of a see-saw -- you can't do much if you sit in the middle, you need to be toward one end or the other. This should also help with keeping the sticks from crossing. Finally, you need to practice not just to get the technique, but to develop hand/finger strength. It can be tiring to eat with chopsticks for a whole meal if you're not used to it. Maybe try using them at home one to two meals a week.

Not well. I'm definitely more comfortable with a fork/spoon.

My brother lived in China for a while (for work) and when I went to visit him he would ask for a fork for me in restaurants. It was just easier.

I'm terrible with chopsticks but enjoy using them. I love going to Pho 75 and struggling with getting the food into my mouth, not sure why.

OP, just practice at home. You'll get used to them sooner than you expect. When I was 13 I used them every day for dinner for about a week or so before it started feeling comfortable using them.

Yes, I have an Asian parent so I eat with chopsticks (only Asian foods) and so do my kids.

Don't worry, I really don't care if people ask for a fork in an Asian restaurant. Unless you grow up using chopsticks they can be pretty tough to manage.

And yes, in Japan we shovel food directly from the (small) bowl (designed for this purpose) and slurp our noodles.

If you really want to learn, practice first with popcorn.

I learned as a kid because we traveled in Asia. The way we learned/practiced was to pick up peas with chopsticks. You might want to try that. My kids learned really young too because we often eat at japanese restaurants.

Eating styles are different. The shoveling is pretty common, as is bringing the bowl to the mouth (they tend to be small individual bowls). Plus in some countries slurping is perfectly acceptable.

Rice is typically sticky so that helps with the chopsticks.

I do know some women who eat many meals with chopsticks to slow down the eating process.

Yes, but I still prefer to you spoon and fork. I'm Asian, BTW.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, although I can't eat rice (unless it is sticky) with them to save my life.

All the Japanese people I hang out with use the chopsticks to shovel rice and noodles straight from the bowl into the mouth, rather than using them to pick up food and convey it mouthward. Don't know if other cultures use the chopsticks like we use forks/ spoons, or if the shoveling is a common practice.

Koreans use spoons to eat rice. Very sensible.

So do the Thai. In Thailand they eat with a fork and spoon (shove food with fork onto spoon), and I think it's hilarious whenever someone asks for chopsticks in a Thai restaurant!

Thais eat noodles with chopsticks.....in Thai restaurants.

practice makes perfect. Started in my mid 20's now at 35 I can use them very well. I also married an Asian, but learned mostly by using while out to eat and we don't eat Asian food a lot.

DH can do it but he rarely chooses to do so with anything other than sushi. We have friends from Taiwan and they just use the chopsticks to shovel the rice in to their mouths. I can't use them to save my life and I'm almost 40.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, although I can't eat rice (unless it is sticky) with them to save my life.

All the Japanese people I hang out with use the chopsticks to shovel rice and noodles straight from the bowl into the mouth, rather than using them to pick up food and convey it mouthward. Don't know if other cultures use the chopsticks like we use forks/ spoons, or if the shoveling is a common practice.

Koreans use spoons to eat rice. Very sensible.

So do the Thai. In Thailand they eat with a fork and spoon (shove food with fork onto spoon), and I think it's hilarious whenever someone asks for chopsticks in a Thai restaurant!

I'm okay with chopsticks after visiting DH's hometown in Asia and practicing. There, though, it's considered totally legit to pick up a big piece of something and take bites off of it, or to use your chopsticks to shovel rice into your mouth -- I wouldn't do that in the US and am more comfortable using a fork if I'm expected to have US-style table manners.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, and I actually prefer it.

+1

I think there are many non-Asian dishes that would be easier to eat with chopsticks.

Yes I can use chopsticks but had a hard time in Korea with the metal ones. I prefer wood.

Yes I can, but like you said--only practice can help.

And eating slow is good, more mindful