why farang/foreigners use chopsticks with Thai food

Hi

I’m Thai and I just got doubt that why farang try to manage the chopsticks with Thai food
When they see that we don’t use it, we use spoon and fork with rice

Why? it's hard to use chopsticks too

Because tjjey think all asians use chopsticks just because Japanese and Chinese use chopsticks. Thais have been using spoons and folks for over 100 years.

Thais use chopsticks for noodles

troll?

moving on

And also for certain other dishes like pad pakachet.

Thais used to use chopsticks until Rama II saw people using cutlery while in England and decided it was far more civillised. Having sausage fingers I can't use the things at any cost so spoon and fork works for me.

what do you care what the farang eats with as long as he pays the bill

FYI---I live in canada and i eat with chopsticks all the time............even salad.......ohhhhhhhh weird

get a life

because eating rice with a metal spoon is disgusting, as most rice-eating nations have long known.

Never mind, chopsticks or forks, some rural areas like Ban Nong Pradu use standard fingers.

{quote:title=lilyatlonely wrote:}{quote}
why farang/foreigners use chopsticks with Thai food

Because they are clueless.
I see this all the time. I think it's an ego thing. "Look at me. I eat like the locals". Like I said. Clueless.

I think it's an ego thing

I eat with chopsticks at home with most of my dishes, and it certainly has nothing to do with ego (my wife stopped being impressed with that many years ago). The reason I use chopsticks is they make more sense for certain dishes. In addition, they eliminate the taste of metal you get using cutlery.

Using a spoon for rice looks infantile quite frankly, something my baby will do before she is able to use chopsticks.

I use chopsticks regularly in New York. Wood feels nice to eat with.
I eat with a spoon a lot in Thailand. To be honest, I picked up the habit from hanging around with bar girls.
It looks crass, but I don't care. I'm on vacation.
My favorite chopsticks are from Thailand. Hard wood, not slick and with gently curved ends.

For the same reason they wear fisherman's pants

It's simply lack of knowledge on Thai customs - the same thing that sees newly-arrived morons, sorry, I mean tourists, making a Wai to hotel doormen, or turning up at wats in boob-tubes or shorts and thongs, or repeating requests in louder and louder voices when it's simply the case that there's a language barrier. Still, just keep on collecting their money, as #5 points out, and the world will keep turning.t

It's simply lack of knowledge on Thai customs - the same thing that sees newly-arrived morons, sorry, I mean tourists, making a Wai to hotel doormen, or turning up at wats in boob-tubes or shorts and thongs

give me a break... the question in the OP should be why don't Thais use chopsticks to eat their rice, not why do foreigners do so.

The idea that someone would use chopsticks simply to try to impress someone is ridiculous. Actually, the idea that anyone would be impressed that someone can use chopsticks is even more ridiculous.

Sounds to me like there are a few people out there that are feeling inadequate because they haven't mastered something as simple as using chopsticks, hence their criticism of those people...

Don't know about Europe, but many "Thai" restaurants in the States put chop sticks on the table. It's one the tells as to whether to hope for any authenticity.

it takes years to master the thai fork and spoon technique. Why can't they just use one or the other, they are both doing the same job. I like to take my food take out just so I can go home and eat it with a spoon only, and spare myself the painstaking fork and spoon routine.

#14. Know what you mean. Whilst there are obviously notable exceptions, Thai food outside Thailand is mostly very ordinary. Recipes are toned down for foreign tastes, and often padded out with extra non-authentic ingredients to maximise profits. I had a memorably awful Kaeng Kari Kai (Chicken Yellow Curry) in a Brisbane Thai restaurant on a visit last year - it had at least 6 varieties of in-season (i.e. cheapest) vegies, and about 5 scrawny bits of chicken, and tasted nothing like its Thailand version, which of course has no vegies at all except for onion and garlic. Yuk.

Chinese food outside China and Vietnamese food outside Vietnam tend to survive closer to original recipes than Thai does, sadly. Whether you eat Thai with choppies or spoon/fork makes no difference in making iffy food taste better!

My wife worked in a Thai restaurant in Vancouver, Canada for a while. They would give people a fork and spoon as is normal in Thailand. She used to get customers complaining about this, saying 'because I'm white you think I can't use chopsticks, give me some chopsticks now!'. Needless to say all the staff would then be laughing at the guy trying to eat his green curry with a pair of chopsticks.

taysahai, can we assume you are being sarcastic?

Most noodle shops have chopsticks, but also spoons and forks, so you can decide what you prefer. I eat noodles with chopsticks and a spoon. Never use chopsticks for rice except in the Japanese restaurant we go to sometimes... they only give you chopsticks.. and the rice is very sticky. My goodness, a lot of answers for a troll!

sometimes Thais definitely do use chopsticks and not just for noodles. I remember being at this outdoor catering children's day event once and the various dishes that kept turning up were all eaten using chopsticks, including the rice. Everything except the soup was eaten with chopsticks. The only implements available to use at least that night to use were chopsticks and plastic spoons.

Thai food outside Thailand is mostly very ordinary.

I hardly eat Thai food in a resto at least outside Thailand. It's just so disappointing, also they seem to think that they're entitled to charge 20% more than what Chinese and Indian food sellers charge, at least in the UK.

#18 yes sarcastic, how else can you answer that question :)

"Chinese food outside China and Vietnamese food outside Vietnam tend to survive closer to original recipes than Thai does, sadly"

BangkokBoy, have you been to the US? Or the UK?

Americans eat a lot of Chinese food, and it has been 'Taco Belled', it's sweetened, disgusting, horrible. (Of course you can find good Chinese restaurants in the US, but the mass marketed version is a perversion.) The largest chain: http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/. See also: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1808496,00.html

The average Chinese takeaway in the UK, with its menu of gloopy sweet and sour, lemon chicken, and a menu a mile long consisting of a choice of five different meats for each dish (each loaded with MSG and thickeners), is little better.

I always laugh when i see Thais in a restaurant which has knives and forks and they dont know how to use them properly. They're almost as bad as Americans. Absolutely clueless!

~~~sometimes Thais definitely do use chopsticks and not just for noodles. I remember being at this outdoor catering children's day event once and the various dishes that kept turning up were all eaten using chopsticks, including the rice. Everything except the soup was eaten with chopsticks. The only implements available to use at least that night to use were chopsticks and plastic spoons.~~~

Perhaps they were Chinese Thais. Just a thought as there are millions of ethnic Chinese living in Thailand.
Anyway from Singapore to Chiang Rai the fork and spoon technique is the method of choice for the vast majority of dishes, nations, locals and ex-pats.

Because I like using them. and I don't give a ***k! Who cares?

"~~~sometimes Thais definitely do use chopsticks and not just for noodles. I remember being at this outdoor catering children's day event once and the various dishes that kept turning up were all eaten using chopsticks, including the rice. Everything except the soup was eaten with chopsticks. The only implements available to use at least that night to use were chopsticks and plastic spoons.~~~

Perhaps they were Chinese Thais. Just a thought as there are millions of ethnic Chinese living in Thailand.
Anyway from Singapore to Chiang Rai the fork and spoon technique is the method of choice for the vast majority of dishes, nations, locals and ex-pats."

Chopsticks are like a badge of pride for some Thai-Chinese!

“Using a spoon for rice looks infantile quite frankly, something my baby will do before she is able to use chopsticks.”

“give me a break... the question in the OP should be why don't Thais use chopsticks to eat their rice, not why do foreigners do so.”

Pretty pinheaded view of the world I’d say.

“Sounds to me like there are a few people out there that are feeling inadequate because they haven't mastered something as simple as using chopsticks, hence their criticism of those people...”
Oooo... and an amateur psychologist too!

"Using a spoon for rice looks infantile quite frankly, something my baby will do before she is able to use chopsticks."

Could you illustrate the proper method of eating rice with chopsticks?

"Using a spoon for rice looks infantile quite frankly, something my baby will do before she is able to use chopsticks."

So if I am eating some Laab Gai with my fork and spoon as this is a dish even Mr Miyagi would struggle with using chopsticks, I should then completely switch eating utensils to chopsticks to eat the rice portion of my dinner? What if I am in a Thai restaurant that only has forks and spoons and no chopsticks (a regular occurance) should I refuse to eat there ebcause all the people eating their own food in their own country look infantile?

Rice eating snobbery. Thats a new one.

I simply employ a prossie to feed me thus removing any need for cutlery.

If this post is a troll then it's been quite an effective one, generating quite a lot of earnest discussion with only occasional sarcasm! If not then I apologise to lilyatlonely, but it's a bit suspicious to me... first post by a newly registered user, and it just looks to me like deliberate words out of place but otherwise perfect spelling and grammar.

Just my impression...

I like to eat rice (and most other things) with a large spoon, thereby allowing me to shovel large quantities of food into my mouth at once .... and it helps me avoid having to scrabble around on my plate like a retard, trying in vain to pick up the last few grains with chopsticks.

I have an amusing image in my mind of JJack attempting to teach his infant offspring how to use chopsticks to eat rice.

It annoys me when I go for lunch in a Thai restaurant in the UK and they give me a fork and spoon to eat rice noodle based soups. That's just impractical.

Amusing how its acceptable to go to a thai restaurant in the West but if anyone mentions a Western restaurant in Thailand the backpackers are all up in arms.

I have become so accustomed to eating with a fork and spoon that it feels abnormal to eat 'farang' style. I feel lost without my spoon in my right hand!!

you just disclosed you're right handed. Left handers use their left hand for their spoons in Asia.

^^Indeed, I am.

Well I'm bored so I'll join the rest of the bored folks and respond.

losing_touch said:
I feel lost without my spoon in my right hand!!

callippo replied:
you just disclosed you're right handed. Left handers use their left hand for their spoons in Asia.

I'm 'right-handed' and when I am using 2 implements eg: Spoon and Fork or Spoon and Chopsticks I always have my spoon in the left hand.
This is only practical I think, lets look at Noodle soup:

Holding my fork or chopsticks in my right hand, I pick out nice pieces of stuff from the soup and place them in the spoon (preferably Asian style spoon) in my left hand.
I then gently dip the spoon in the broth and then I have the perfect mini noodle soup in a spoon. Yum

I do much the same for many dishes, selecting what I want and placing it in the spoon so that every mouthful is perfect.

If you think it's weird, I don't care.
If you couldn't be bothered, then that's up to you, I don't care.

Now I'm hungry.

#34 It's different though isn't it? A westerner in a Thai restaurant in the west cf. a westerner in a western restaurant in Thailand.

Personally, I don't have a problem with western restaurants in Thailand. I just don't go to them

No there isn't any difference. They are both just restaurants. It's silly that you wouldn't go to a good western restaurant in Thailand just because it's western.

Hi Guys,
If you want to loose some weight use chopsticks, you get that fed up dropping your food you just give up!!!!
Regards,Dawn.

There is a big difference. A westerner eating foreign food in their own country is very different from a westerner eating western food in a foreign country.

Like I said I don't have a problem with western restaurants in Thailand, but for me it's pointless. Why would I travel all that way just to eat the same food I normally eat? Personally, I want to take every opportunity to try new food and food that I can't get cooked authentically in the UK.

I agree it's silly to avoid western restaurants in Thailand purely because they are western but that's not why I avoid them.

While I agree this is probably a troll it has turned into a good discussion......
I have seen Thais (in Thailand and here in Oz) eating with chopsticks many times,but it mainly seems to be with the noodle type meals.But having a Thai wife means that for the past 9 years I have been using mainly the fork and spoon and now whenever I have to use a fork and knife I need to be retrained :)
And I also agree that Thai food at restaurants outside of Thailand is generally crap.I always start to get worried when I am presented a meal with peas in it

"I always start to get worried when I am presented a meal with peas in it "

That baffles me too. Along with som tam without chilli, completely unrecognisable versions of pad grapao, tom yam served as a separate starter course and curry served with egg fried rice.

Why not just mind your own business about who's eating what with what?
Yes, many travellers laugh at other travellers disparagingly - it's a way of trying to establish superiority to some who need that stuff,sadly. Like "I've been here longer than you have, see how cool I am"
Sadly, the Brothers on the Road Together cameraderie is pretty rare these days - why is this?

Because its been firmly established that 'The Road' is actually a well beaten tourist trail that millions have trod before with extraordinary ease. Most people dont need to make 5 minute friends.

Because 'The Road' = Khao San Road, where people eat their Thai food with chopsticks as an integral part of their cultural experience.

THe only thing Thais eat with chop-sticks is soup! - which of course is a Chinese food originally.

Most westerners eat a lot of Chinese or Chinese style food at home - and I would suggest that just as the Thais like to eat Gwai Teow with Chop-sticks so Westerners like to eat rice and chopped up food with them too.

personally I find it very awkward eating noodles WITHOUT chop-sticks and spoon.

I went through a phase years ago of eating almost exclusively with chop-sticks, and afterwards when changing back, found it very unpleasant at first eating with metallic utensils.

~~~THe only thing Thais eat with chop-sticks is soup! - which of course is a Chinese food originally.~~~

Not strictly correct. Some dry noodle dishes are also served with chopsticks.

"it takes years to master the Thai fork and spoon technique. " - OK - what am I missing here???

PS - have you ever watched a Thai person trying the master a knife and fork??????

Like the preprepared pad thai stalls

Chinese" Thai or Thais eating "Chinese" food will use chop-sticks.

wow, 51 replies and not one of you comes to the conclusion that these disposable chopsticks are made of non-regenerative rain-forest-trees in malaysia / borneo. What a waste!

I use plastic chopsticks at home to stir paint.

Wouldn't a chop stick be a very inefficient way of stirring paint. An old knife would be much better, you see metal utensils again come out top again.

It's Chinese paint.

Why do Thais pick their nose with finger and not use chopstick?

"I use plastic chopsticks at home to stir paint."

I prefer to use a fork and spoon to stir paint :)

“Why would I travel all that way just to eat the same food I normally eat?”

I agree, when it comes to McDonalds, KFC, etc., but I’ve always found it fun, and a bit adventurous to order “Western” food in restaurants in Thailand. It usually represents what the Thai cook thinks the dish is supposed to be, and only vaguely resembles what one would be served in the west. You never really know what you’re going to get!

"I’ve always found it fun, and a bit adventurous to order “Western” food in restaurants in Thailand."

Hahaha, every once in a while I order sausages with my breakfast that turn out to be hot dogs.
Then I remember why I don't have sausages with my breakfast in Thailand.
And I don't eat my breakfast hot dogs, not even with chop sticks.

i thought chopsticks were made from bamboo, I am sure the hardwoods of the rainforests of borneo are saved for furniture.

Saved...??

I have read every one of these posts, and laughed at half of them! what a fantastic, fun and useless thread!

I"m still looking forward to JJack's explanation of the "proper" way to eat rice with chopsticks.

Yep, me too. Although I'm not holding out for much.

It depends on the country and the kind of rice. The Chinese tend to shovel it, but the Japanese have a whole series of manners and codes surrounding how you hold and use chop-sticks - the must think westerners are a bunch of animals when they see them eating with chop-sticks.

Chop-sticks are usually made from the bones of baby seals.

Hi

Thank you for yr inputs I'm OP :) and I'm 100% Thai woman I'm just skeptical thank you again

skeptical about what? motives, reasons? - have you any conclusions / theories you'd like to share?

hi Khunwilko ,69

I've got NO theories that's why I asked yr guys :)

Please!

Its 'sceptical' not 'skeptical' unless you're an illiterate American baboon. Please be faithful to the mother tounge Mainwaring.

Why is it when people correct others they almost always get something wrong?

That's tongue ( as in mother tungyoo )

Tooshay

Quick report: I just ate lunch - a very nice curry with tofu, potato, tomato and onion, and rice. I mostly used a spoon with a bit of fork action. No chopsticks, certainly no knife.

Tooshay indeed! I think you'll find skeptical is a word of greek origin and as there is no c in the greek alphabet, is spelt with kappa (k) hence skeptical.

As for lilyatlonely, you've convinced me, i apologise for my skepticism and congratulate you for inciting such spirited discussion about an otherwise pointless point!

Dickfingers...

THREAD ALERT!!
New depths of boring attained......

nice one bleako...

So you're saing the American mispelling is a result of a direct link to the ancient Greek....

Ah! Right! I see!

I just didn't realise you're the only one that's entitled to be critical and pedantic.

Who says the american is "mispelling"? (I think you mean misspelling... that's a good one though!) I'm just saying it's a greek word and I'll spell it as the greeks did!

But keep up the self-righteous tone. It suits you...

Thank you!

So why don't you spell it 'skeptik' then, if there is no 'c' in the Greek alphabet?

Just curious?

Good luck rewriting the English Language!

"Batfish • 13-Jan-2010 17:54
#74
Quick report: I just ate lunch - a very nice curry with tofu, potato, tomato and onion, and rice. I mostly used a spoon with a bit of fork action. No chopsticks, certainly no knife"

I feel a new Batfish blog coming on.

My chopsticks, are made of ivory. Best material.

Mine are carved from the thigh bone of my Grandfather's favourite punkawalla.

mine are made of ivory as well. but only taken from the middle-piece of a baby-elephants- nicer color. I have 8 sets for my guests and use to change them every two months.

I was hoping, OP, that by now you might have formed an opinion - or have we all posted in vain?

Noodles are fun with the sticks, my wife is chinese and refuses to use chop sticks, says it for the peasants...

THere are many things that start a spirited reply on these threads and the way the "arguments" go is often acrimonious etc etc...but there is ONE kind of criticism that seems to be universally condemned a no-no observed by all but the most nit-picky and that is the "SPELLING NAZI" - it is made all the more pathetic when the criticism itself is not only erroneous but mis-spelt.

Had I been picking on general spelling mistakes as others have here (you included so I guess that kind of makes you a SPELLING NAZI too Mainwaring) then I would indeed accept the criticism.

However, I wasn't picking up people upon their spelling ability, just their choice of spelling.

American 'spelling' especially by non-Americans is not only unsightly, but pathetic and wholly unnecessary.

Apologies for my own mistakes, mainly due to being a tad busy today and having to thrash out my time wasting posts somewhat.

Of how unnatural and bemadding sorrow bleakopath hath cause to plain.

Huh?
I do believe though, the p is silent in swimming pool.

Speaking of unnecessary, why do Brits spell water with an "r"?

Good troll. I'm surprise no one mention Thai words for chopsticks yet…know what to ask will be helpful.

"taa giap"

Oh I see, so bleako says criticising someone for their general spelling mistakes is unacceptable, but it's alright to call someone an illiterate baboon for choosing an american spelling.

there's no law that says words have to spelt in a particular way. American and British spelling is only part of it.

who am I to say that somebody is an impost[b]er[/b] or an impost[/b]or[/b]? You'll find both spellings routinely used. Neither is 'right' or 'wrong'.

Be not lost so poorly in thy thoughts.Thou hast spelt impostor most egregiously with a knavish measure of B's.

"Correct" spelling, indeed, is one of the arts that are far more esteemed by schoolma'ams than by practical men, neck-deep in the heat and agony of the world” - N.Bonaparte

Tim, if your wife thinks chopsticks are for peasants, you should send her to a re- education camp. Nothing like an uppity Chinese wife with no clue.

Damn right. Singapore is full of 'new money' chinese who display some rather crass behaviour now they have a few dollars in their little claws.

Wooo...wife insults now!

The plot sickens...

In short, if you're eating from a bowl you can use chopsticks, if you're eating from a plate, use fork and spoon. Just my very subjective opinion of course ;)

Kananga's great eating directive 2010

Where there are multiple utensils containing a fork such as a knife and fork or a fork and spoon the fork must be placed in the left hand. Never use the knife to deliver food to the mouth or to come in direct contact with the oral area.
The utensil used to bring the food to the mouth is always the fork unless there is a spoon present where it would superscede the fork. The fork must still be placed in the left hand, however it must not come in contact with the oral area when the other utensil is a spoon.
If there are chopsticks and a spoon the spoon must be held in the left hand, although both the spoon and the chopsticks may be used to deliver food to the mouth.
Do not underany circumstance attempt to use a spork in public. With any hand.

You know what really gets my goat is Westerners (mainly UK) who seem to think you should hold you knife like a pen.

Fart's eating directive #1:

You should always hold your knife like a pen.

Actually... and I'm surprised it's taken me this long to ask this question...
When you get a fork and spoon in thailand, which hand are you meant to hold each of them in and which one is meant to go in your mouth?

Is Kananga right or is he just having us on??

What if someone ifs left-handed?

The spoon is supposed to go in your mouth but I see people use the fork all the time. Which hand you use is of no importance.

left-handers such as myself will usually use their left hand for the spoon. When they eat with just a fork, they will also usually use the left hand. Same goes for chopsticks.

because left handers are used to living in a world that is designed for the 90% of people that happen to be right-handed, they often have greater dexterity with their 'other' hand than right-handers do, so sometimes they might eat with sticks in their right hand rather than their left. This doesn't make them either right handed or ambidextrous though. True amibdexterity, when somebody is equally proficient with either hand, is exceptionally rare though quite a lot of left-handers suffer from the delusion they are ambidextrous when they are just better at using their 'other' hand than nearly all right-handers are.

It is a scientific fact that left handed people live on average 8 years less than right handed people.

You might find that left-handers are way over 90% - I've heard as high as 40 % - one problem is that a lot of left-handers don't know they are left -handed.
In many cultures doing things left-handed is regarded as suspicious or evil - so I wouldn't b at all surprised if you get some raised eye-brows especially amongst older folk.

Thats why I always use my right hand when I masturbate in public. I still seem to get the raised eyebrows though.

Poor technique Mr K.

Haha.. that's actually the first funny or useful thing you've said bleako :)

I myself always use spoon+fork for steamed rice and fingers for Sticky rice, allthough, you can actually use chopsticks for these :)

I use a chainsaw and wheelbarrow apart from when I eat Romanian food then I use a cauliflower.

Farty, where's Fergs, Have you cut yer hair and divroced SBE????

I alwas thought SBE was your gal Uncle Badgerface!

Fergs is here and sound of wind and limb.

Poor technique and poor public nuisance!

Hetman still in Vegas?

Alright to share then nephew, give me best to Fergs, hope to be along shortly.

Hacky, no chow fun for you.