How to… Eat with chopsticks

1. Starting position – Firstly, rest one of the chopsticks in the gap between your thumb and index finger. When positioning, ensure the chopstick sits roughly two-thirds up its total length (with the fat end at the top and the narrow end at the bottom). Once this is in place, you can rest the edge of the chopstick against your ring finger (as pictured) to secure it.

2. Get a grip – Secondly, grip the other chopstick between the tips of the index and middle fingers – again, do so roughly two-thirds up its total length so that the two sticks are roughly parallel. If you have positioned the second stick properly, its fat end should be resting against the upper index finger. Both chopsticks should now be aligned.

3. Pincer action – Now comes the tricky part. Use your index finger to bring the upper stick’s tip into contact with the lower, fixed chopstick. This is best achieved by gently squeezing the upper-side of the moving stick with your index and middle fingers. If done right, the two sticks should meet, allowing a pincer action to pick up food. The secret is never to move the lower stick.