How to Eat Noodles with Chopsticks

Holding Chopsticks Properly

Place your first chopstick on the knuckle of your ring finger. Curl your pinky and ring finger in toward your palm and set the chopstick so that it is resting against the first knuckle on your ring finger. Then hold the end of the chopstick in the crease between your thumb and first finger. Hold the chopstick so that there is about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of chopstick sticking out between your thumb and first finger. Use your dominant hand to hold your chopsticks for the most control. Whichever hand you normally use for writing is the hand you'll use to hold your chopsticks. You may feel like you'll have more control if the point of the chopstick is closer to your fingers, but the proper way to hold them is to let the pointed ends extend out far past your fingertips.

Set the second chopstick against the knuckle of your middle finger. Curl your middle finger in toward your palm and settle the second chopstick against the first knuckle on that finger. Then hold the end between your thumb and index finger so that the two chopsticks are parallel. Keep the thick end of the chopstick about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) from your fingers. If your chopsticks are crossed, you need to readjust how you're holding them.

Move the top chopstick and keep the bottom one stationary. Move your middle finger up and down to maneuver your chopsticks. Think of the bottom chopstick as the anchor—it stays still. If you're at home practicing, use tape to secure the bottom chopstick so that it can't be moved. This will help you learn the right movements to move only the top chopstick.

Keep the bottoms of the chopsticks separate from one another. If you find that the chopsticks are becoming crossed as you eat, take a moment to readjust your position so that they are once again parallel. Be patient with yourself as you learn to properly hold and use chopsticks! It can take a lot of practice but it'll be worth it to be able to use them whenever you need to.

Grabbing the Noodles

Pull a small amount of noodles from the bowl with your chopsticks. When you eventually bring the noodles to your mouth, you're going to slurp them in through a pursed mouth, so the smaller the quantity, the easier that action will be. It's okay if you grab the noodles in the middle—it can be hard to find the “end” or “top” of multiple strands of noodles and you don't need to spend time on that.

Tug at the noodles until they are separate from everything else. Pull the noodles upwards and away from the rest of the dish—whether that is meat, vegetables, other noodles, or broth. If the noodles are very long (longer than your reach when your arm is lifted up over the bowl), you will just need to let it be. Eating noodles can be a little messy, especially if the dish is served in a broth. Wear clothes that you don't mind getting a little splattered with dripping broth.

Dip your noodles back into the dish to get more of the flavor onto them. If you are eating a dish served in broth, dip the noodles back underneath the surface. If there is a sauce, try brushing the noodles against it. If your dish is comprised of meat and noodles, don't try and eat these items together. Rather, focus on alternating bites of noodle with bites of meat.

Lift the noodles and slurp them rather than placing them in your mouth. Instead of spooning the noodles into your mouth, simply form an “O” with your lips (like how you would if you were drinking coffee or hot tea) and place the end of your chopsticks with the noodles into your mouth. Then remove your chopsticks from the noodles and start slurping! Slurping noodles fast and loudly is often seen as a sign of respect and shows that you're enjoying the dish. Also, you don't want your dish to get cold, so the faster you go, the better.

Use your chopsticks to lift the bottom of the noodles to your mouth. While you're slurping, use the ends of your chopsticks to keep your noodles away from your chest. If the noodles are particularly long, you can even grab the end of the noodles with your chopsticks and lift them to your mouth. Using your chopsticks to continue guiding your noodles to your mouth can also help stop the broth or sauce from making too much of a mess.

Use chopsticks and a soup spoon for dishes like pho. Settle the noodles into the spoon with your chopsticks rather than bringing them directly to your mouth. Follow the same practice of grabbing a small bundle of noodles and loosening them from the rest of the dish, but then gently place the noodles into the spoon and eat the noodles from there along with some broth. The great thing about knowing how to use chopsticks to eat noodles is that you'll be well-equipped to eat your meal no matter what! Even if there isn't a soup spoon provided, you will still have the techniques to enjoy your dish.