If you’re a fan of Japanese food, chances are that you’re a fan of ramen!
If you’re wondering how to use chopsticks for ramen, we’ve got you covered.
In this article, we will provide you with a clear guide on how to use chopsticks to eat ramen.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Ramen is a delicious dish, and chopsticks are the ideal utensil to grab your ramen noodles and separate the perfect mouthful out of the mass of noodles in your bowl.
How To Use Chopsticks For Ramen
Step One – Get The Position Right
Hold the chopsticks between two of your fingers. You will need to hold the top chopstick with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger, imagining that you are holding a pencil.
You will then need to place the bottom chopstick in the nook of your thumb and index finger, resting it on your ring finger.
Step Two – Pick Up A Few Noodles
Next, you will need to pick up a few noodles with your chopsticks in the position that we discussed in the step above.
Be careful not to grab too many noodles in one go whilst you are mastering the technique. Your aim should be to grab a bite-sized portion of noodles to make the process easier for yourself.
You will need to make sure that the chopsticks are aligned and that you pinch them together in order to grab the noodles.
Step Three – Lift The Noodles Above The Bowl Of Ramen
Once you have picked up the noodles, lift them up over the bowl of ramen to separate them (see also, ‘What is Ramen?‘).
Step Four – Dip The Noodles Into The Broth
You can dip your mouthful of noodles into the bowl to soak up some of the broth. Just make sure that you don’t twist the noodles in the bowl as this will result in them becoming tangled with the rest of the noodles.
Step Five – Put The Noodles In Your Mouth
Now, put the noodles in your mouth by pinching them together again.
While slurping is often considered rude in western culture, it is largely unavoidable when eating ramen and is encouraged in Japanese culture.
This comes down to the fact that it shows that you’re enjoying your meal!
Step Six – Have A Sip Of The Broth
After you have finished chewing your noodles, take a sip of the broth and eat some of the delicious garnishes before you take your next bite!
If your ramen comes with nori (see also, ‘What is Nori?‘), Japanese seaweed, then you will want to make sure that you eat this before it gets soggy!
Step Seven – Practice Makes Perfect
It’s normal to not be able to eat ramen with chopsticks straight away. However, do not be disheartened by this and have patience!
Practice makes perfect, and the more you hold and use your chopsticks, the closer you will be to eating a delicious bowl of ramen with them!
Alternative Methods To Eating Chopsticks With Ramen
Use Your Spoon As A Base
Step One – Hold A Spoon Alongside Your Chopsticks
Hold your chopsticks in your right hand and your spoon in your left (see also, ‘How to Use Chopsticks Left Handed‘).
Have patience, it will take a little bit of coordination to use your soup spoon and chopsticks simultaneously.
Step Two – Pick Up A Small Bite Of Noodles With Your Chopsticks
Lift the noodles out of your bowl until they separate from the rest of the noodles and broth.
Step Three – Place The Noodles In Your Spoon
Next, you will want to place your noodles in the spoon in your hand.
Twirl your chopsticks slightly as you place them in a pile in the spoon and let go of the noodles with your chopsticks.
Step Four – Fill The Spoon With Broth
Now that you have the noodles in your spoon, lower the spoon back into the soup to fill your spoon with a mouthful of the delicious broth.
Step Five – Carefully Lift The Spoon To Your Mouth
Now you’ve got the perfect mouthful, carefully lift the spoon to your mouth and take a slurp!
Tips For Using Chopsticks To Eat Ramen
Have Patience
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and eating chopsticks to eat with ramen will likely take you a little while if you’ve got little to no experience with them.
If you’re really struggling, forget the ramen for now. Just strip it back to basics with your hand positioning.
Practice holding your chopsticks in the right position so they become more familiar in your hand.
Once you feel ready to do so, reintroduce ramen into the equation and see how far you get with your practiced technique.
Eventually, the process of eating ramen with noodles (see also ‘Are Ramen Noodles Fried?‘) will become like second nature to you! You’ve just got to remain patient with yourself, and try to not get frustrated when it doesn’t work the first couple of times.
Use A Spoon To Aid You
Using a spoon alongside your chopsticks is a good idea when you’re still getting the hang of using them.
As you begin to gain confidence the more you use your chopsticks, you will slowly find that you no longer have the need for the spoon!
Alternatively, you can chuck yourself into the deep end without the spoon. However, it’s nice to have it next to you as an option in the beginning to prevent yourself from getting frustrated with your chopsticks!
Consistency Is Key
The key to gaining confidence using chopsticks is to keep using your chopsticks. Even if you’re not eating ramen, practicing with your chopsticks is important.
Consistency is the key to success. This means when you have an excuse to use them, ditch that fork and force yourself to!
This goes for ordering Chinese food, making ramen, or any other time that you have a need for them!
It’s a similar process to learning how to eat with your knife and fork properly when you’re a kid. Once you’ve got the hang of it, they’ll just become a part of your hand as you eat. You’ll be surprised that there was ever a time that you couldn’t use them!
In Summary
So, that’s how you use chopsticks to eat ramen!
Hopefully, after reading this article you have a better understanding of how to use chopsticks to eat ramen.
The more you use your chopsticks, the better you will become at using them to eat an array of foods, not just ramen.
Good luck learning how to eat ramen with chopsticks!
So, if you’re planning a trip to Japan anytime soon, do exactly that - plan! Read up on all of the amazing things to do here to make the most of your time. I can bet that you’ll still return home feeling like you could’ve explored much more.
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