For many Westerners, using a chopstick is extremely difficult and almost impossible. There are many reasons why many in Asia prefer to eat with chopsticks and not with Western utensils.
Vietnam has been eating chopsticks for thousands of years, so the Vietnamese prefer to eat with chopsticks. Vietnamese food is cooked, prepared, and served to be eaten with chopsticks. Most Vietnamese food is prepared to be in bite-size pieces that can quickly be eaten with a set of chopsticks.
Table of Contents
- Why Vietnamese Prefer Chopsticks
- Vietnam, China, and Chopsticks
- Vietnamese Food and Chopsticks
- Related Contents
Why Vietnamese Prefer Chopsticks
Vietnamese food is cut, prepared, and cooked to be eaten with chopsticks. Most people in Vietnam will put their food in bowls on top of the rice in the bowl; this makes it easier to eat the food together with the rice.
It is considered polite in Vietnam to bring the bowl up towards your mouth as you’re eating; this is why if you ever go to Vietnam and you see people eating in a restaurant, you may find that they have a small bowl and a plate; when they are eating, they are putting the food on top of the rice that is in their bowl. Asian food, mainly Vietnamese food, is meant to be eaten that way.
We eat all our food on one plate in the West and eat off our plates. We do not bring our dish up to our mouth to put the food into our mouth.
You will notice that their dishes and plates are smaller for Vietnamese food. In other words, there may be a small plate, a bowl, and some chopsticks in front of you, with the main courses placed on larger plates or bowls in the center of the table.
Food and sharing food is a social experience in Vietnam. Food is usually about gathering together as a family or friends, sitting around a table, and sharing the food. Vietnamese like a meal to have a variety of dishes. The meal is more exciting and enticing with many foods and tastes.
We like to have our plate in the West, and we only eat off our plate. In Vietnam, food is about sharing and experiencing the food with everyone.
Some Vietnamese dishes are usually not shared, such as a bowl of Pho, Bun Cha, or Bun Ba Nam Bo. You will have just one bowl for those dishes and only eat from that bowl.
Vietnam, China, and Chopsticks
One of the first things you need to understand about Vietnam is that the Chinese ruled Vietnam for over 1000 years. The Chinese brought many things to Vietnam, including food and food utensils.
Chopsticks are the primary eating utensils in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Throughout most of Asia, Chopsticks are the primary eating utensil.
The Chinese started to use chopsticks in 1200 B.C. By 500 A.D., chopsticks were being used all over Asia, including in Vietnam. Asians, including the Vietnamese, have been using chopsticks for thousands of years.
Embracing Chopsticks: Practical Reasons Behind Their Use
Chopsticks, a staple in many Asian cultures, are more than just eating utensils. They embody a blend of tradition, functionality, and simplicity. While they might seem challenging to master for newcomers, chopsticks offer a range of practical benefits that go beyond cultural boundaries.
From their design that promotes mindful eating to their versatility in handling various types of food, chopsticks are a fascinating example of how a simple tool can have profound implications in daily life.
Here are some practical reasons for chopsticks
Cleaner Than Using Your Hands
In many parts of Asia, people still use their hands to eat. They will put some rice in their hands and then pick up the rice or bread to eat together with meat or vegetables. In Vietnam and other parts of Asia, chopsticks are considered cleaner, especially as traditionally, many Vietnamese were farmers whose hands got dirty working on the farm all day.
Confucious Believe in Chopsticks
The Chinese philosopher Confucius believed that sharp utensils like knives would remind eaters of the gruesome way meat came to be in the bowl. For most Asia dishes, as the meat was already in bite-size pieces and the chopsticks were not sharp, users of chopsticks would then be spared the images of the slaughter.
Chopsticks Are Easier Than Fork and Knife
For most Asians, including the Vietnamese, eating chopsticks is more accessible than using a fork and knife. If you give some Vietnamese forks and knives, they are unsure what to do with them or how to use them because they are so used to eating with chopsticks. Chopsticks are the preferred way of eating food.
Vietnamese Food and Chopsticks
There are many practical reasons why the Vietnamese and many Asians prefer chopsticks over Western utensils. One of the countries in Asia that uses Western utensils is Thailand.
But I know from first-hand experience, having lived in Thailand, they used a fork and a spoon; we rarely used a fork and a knife. Part of this is just the nature of Thai food: it was usually easier to eat with a spoon and a fork. Many times, you find yourself using a spoon more than a fork.
Thai dishes such as rice curry seem to do better when we use a spoon and a fork, but those dishes are easy to eat with a chopstick.
Chopsticks over Forks: Understanding the Vietnamese Preference for Traditional Utensils
In Vietnam, the widespread use of chopsticks over Western-style forks and knives is a cultural norm deeply rooted in history and tradition. This preference is not just a matter of habit or heritage; it is underpinned by various compelling reasons that resonate with the Vietnamese way of life and cuisine.
From the way meals are prepared and served to the philosophical and practical aspects of eating, chopsticks align seamlessly with the Vietnamese dining ethos.
Here are some reasons why Vietnamese eat with chopsticks and not Western utensils:
Bite-size Pieces
Food in Vietnam and Asia is usually in bite-size pieces. It is not like we eat in the west, where you have a large steak you must cut up. The meat is pre-cut or shredded into pieces for Vietnamese food before you ever serve it to anyone.
Rice Is Wet
In many parts of Asia, including Vietnam, rice is wet rice. When you eat rice with chopsticks, you pick up the rice in bite-size pieces also; being wet rice, you can easily do this with Vietnamese rice. Most rice in Asia is in the short or medium-grain variety that works well with chopsticks.
Salads Are Shredded
For many Vietnamese salads, the pieces are shredded into long, skinny pieces. It almost gives a noodle feel. The Vietnamese also eat salads with chopsticks.
Rice Noodles
Chopsticks work well with many Vietnamese dishes that include rice noodles. Even the Vietnamese soup dish known as Pho is eaten with chopsticks and, many times, a spoon. You will take some noodles, meat, and vegetables when you eat those dishes.
The broth is often left behind and not entirely eaten; the central part is the meat, vegetables, and noodles.
Used To Show Your Care
At the Vietnamese table, the host will take their chopsticks and give you food in your bowl before the host starts to eat. Many times, a host will reverse their chopsticks to provide you with food.
This is considered polite in Asia, and the host is showing you respect as they ensure you get the food first.
Using chopsticks for a Vietnamese meal also shows politeness or shows that you care. This is why chopsticks are used in Vietnam, especially for Vietnamese food. It is how the Vietnamese have been eating food for thousands of years, and like most of Asia, it is a way they will continue to eat their food.
Anyone planning to live, work, or travel to Asia must learn to eat with chopsticks. If you cannot use chopsticks in a restaurant, asking for a fork, knife, and spoon is okay.
Mastering chopsticks is a great way to eat Asian food. I’m unsure if the food tastes better with chopsticks, but it always seems chopsticks make it seem more Asian.
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One response to “Do Most Vietnamese Prefer To Eat With Chopsticks Or Western Utensils?”
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