How to Eat Rice with Chopsticks

Hold your chopsticks sideways., Lift the rice from below., Lift the bowl up to your mouth., If you can, choose sticky rice.

5 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Hold your chopsticks sideways.

    Rice can be particularly difficult to eat even if you master the chopstick technique above.

    In this section, you'll learn a few tricks for making this task easier.

    Start by taking the basic chopstick form and turning your hand 90 degrees to the side.

    Your chopsticks should now rest above your hand, rather than beside it.

    You should still be able to move the chopsticks together and apart easily.

    This makes it easier to support balls of rice as you lift them up to your face.

    It's hard for the rice to fall between two horizontal sticks.

    On the other hand, it's a lot easier for it to fall to either side when it's balanced between two vertical sticks.
  2. Step 2: Lift the rice from below.

    Picking up rice with chopsticks isn't so much a "pinching" motion as it is a combined "scooping/pinching" motion.

    To pick up some rice, hold your chopsticks open so that one is on either side of a good-sized clump.

    Bring the chopsticks together near the bottom of the clump and gently squeeze as you lift it upwards.

    Lifting the rice from the bottom makes it easier to handle without dropping any.

    The more tightly-packed rice between the chopsticks supports the rice above it, turning your set of chopsticks into a sort of makeshift spoon. , This is usually a big piece of the puzzle for people who are struggling with eating rice.

    Use the hand that isn't holding chopsticks to pick up the rice bowl and bring it a few inches from your mouth.

    Now, transfer rice from the bowl into your mouth with the pinching and scooping method above.

    Use the bowl to catch any mistakes.

    This doesn't just make the task much easier.

    It's also considered more polite in many countries that use chopsticks.

    Note, however, that it's considered a little impolite to shovel food directly from the bowl into your mouth.

    Pick up pieces of rice and bring them into your mouth.

    Don't just put your lips to the bowl and move the rice toward your mouth. , Not all rices have the same weight and texture.

    For the easiest results, try picking a short-grained white rice, which tend to form "sticky" clumps that are easier to pick up.

    By contrast, brown rice and long-grained white rice tends to stick to itself less, so it's much easier to drop or spill.
  3. Step 3: Lift the bowl up to your mouth.

  4. Step 4: If you can

  5. Step 5: choose sticky rice.

Detailed Guide

Rice can be particularly difficult to eat even if you master the chopstick technique above.

In this section, you'll learn a few tricks for making this task easier.

Start by taking the basic chopstick form and turning your hand 90 degrees to the side.

Your chopsticks should now rest above your hand, rather than beside it.

You should still be able to move the chopsticks together and apart easily.

This makes it easier to support balls of rice as you lift them up to your face.

It's hard for the rice to fall between two horizontal sticks.

On the other hand, it's a lot easier for it to fall to either side when it's balanced between two vertical sticks.

Picking up rice with chopsticks isn't so much a "pinching" motion as it is a combined "scooping/pinching" motion.

To pick up some rice, hold your chopsticks open so that one is on either side of a good-sized clump.

Bring the chopsticks together near the bottom of the clump and gently squeeze as you lift it upwards.

Lifting the rice from the bottom makes it easier to handle without dropping any.

The more tightly-packed rice between the chopsticks supports the rice above it, turning your set of chopsticks into a sort of makeshift spoon. , This is usually a big piece of the puzzle for people who are struggling with eating rice.

Use the hand that isn't holding chopsticks to pick up the rice bowl and bring it a few inches from your mouth.

Now, transfer rice from the bowl into your mouth with the pinching and scooping method above.

Use the bowl to catch any mistakes.

This doesn't just make the task much easier.

It's also considered more polite in many countries that use chopsticks.

Note, however, that it's considered a little impolite to shovel food directly from the bowl into your mouth.

Pick up pieces of rice and bring them into your mouth.

Don't just put your lips to the bowl and move the rice toward your mouth. , Not all rices have the same weight and texture.

For the easiest results, try picking a short-grained white rice, which tend to form "sticky" clumps that are easier to pick up.

By contrast, brown rice and long-grained white rice tends to stick to itself less, so it's much easier to drop or spill.

About the Author

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Ronald Thomas

A seasoned expert in lifestyle and practical guides, Ronald Thomas combines 9 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Ronald's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.

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