Maybe forks, knives and spoons are easier for YOU to use. The idea that they are more efficient is simply an opinion. I'm guessing that if you moved to Asia, you'd keep using what you've know all your life.
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Name : Brian22985, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 33, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, The answer may be as straight forward as chopsticks are what Asians know how to use. It is what they are raised with, it's cultural. I know, that for myself, I cannot use chopsticks as I find them to unwieldy and I always resort to the utensils I can manage.
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Name : Bill23238, Gender : M, Age : 41, City : Burlington, State : VT Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Why do Asian people persist in using chopsticks (especially in the United States) when knives, forks and spoons are available and so much easier and more efficient to use?
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Name : Greg P., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 22, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I beg to differ that knives and forks are easier to use. I grew up using chopsticks, and I think they are elegant and very intelligent utensils. Instead of stabbing your food with a fork, we pick up the food delicately between two chopsticks. Most Asian foods are delicately put together and do not lend themselves to be mauled apart by knives and forks. For example, how would you eat sushi with a knife and fork? I guess you can, but you would destroy the whole point of sushi - it should be eaten whole in one bite. Almost all our foods are prepared so that they are already bite-sized when served on the table, so there's no need to cut. All that is done in the preparation stage, in the kitchen. In that sense, I think knives and forks are less efficient and cumbersome. I have a similar question for you: Why do Westerners insist on using knives and forks when they travel to Asian countries, even though chopsticks are available and are so much easier and more efficient to use? You are looking at things from only one viewpoint - very dangerous.
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Name : Cindy, Gender : F, Age : 25, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I use chopsticks when dining Asian. When I started, I found them no harder to master than using a spoon (which if you look at a two-year-old at dinner can be quite messy). It's perfectly fine from an etiquette perspective to use either in the United States - just like using the correct Spanish pronunciation of 'Viejo' (or do you say vai-ee-joe?)
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Name : Michael20647, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 38, City : Houston, State : UT Country : United States, Occupation : Intranet Manager, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, One reason to use chopsticks, is that a lot of Asian food is easier to eat if using Asian dishes & utensils. #2: actually, a fork & knife can be rather difficult to manipulate with no prior experience, and sometimes even when you've 'done it all your life'.
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Name : kaytee, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Buddhist, Age : 47, City : San Diego, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Actually the history of the chopstick as I heard it was that in Asia they used to use forks, etc. (or a form of them) and they found the chopstick to be more effective. The chopsticks were designed for social dining. The traditional asian meal would have been served on a round table, where all bowls could be reached by all members. You then use the chopsticks to reach the food you desire. So our practice of using forks, etc. is really ancient to them and may seem backward. Besides, I find it hard to eat noodles with a fork.
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Name : Jordan29094, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 20, City : Thousand Oaks, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Computers, Education level : High School Diploma, This is an addendum to my previous response. A major, culturally based reason many "old country" Asians resist using forks and knives when eating is that they consider it extremely barbaric to bring weapons to table.
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Name : kaytee, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Buddhist, Age : 47, City : San Diego, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Asian food in general is prepared in a much healthier way than the 'traditional' American or even European food. I think we all agree that the fast-food culture does not do our bodies any good. Asians have been aware of that for centuries. Using chopsticks forces you to eat more slowly, which allows you to enjoy the flavor, gives your stomach a chance to respond to the food and lets your brain know you've had enough before you overeat. All in all, I believe it's not only a part of ancient tradition, but also a way of healthier living.
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Name : Tina, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : software specialist, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, How do you know it is easier to use a knife and fork for Chinese, Thai or other Asian foods? These dishes were created to be eaten with chopsticks; once you get the hang of using the utensils, it really is easier to eat with them.
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Name : Leah26108, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : Biracial, Religion : Catholic, Age : 23, City : San Francisco, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Marketing, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, In Australia, Asian foods are part of everyone's cuisine. Most of us - whether Asian or European in background - use chopsticks in Asian restaurants, and sometimes at home, too. Wnen I was in Kuala Lumpur for the first time, my Malaysian host was surprised when I picked up chopsticks and started eating. He was waiting to interpret for me that I wanted knife and fork! Eating with chopsticks means adopting the Chinese pattern of use of a small bowl that can be raised to the lips when foods are messy.
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Name : Paul30473, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 50s, City : Melbourne, State : NA Country : Australia, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, Try using one, and only one, eating utensil to shovel down chicken, rice, noodles, beef, fruit and finger foods. You can use a fork to pick a chicken leg, but using a spoon for it would be silly. You can use a fork to roll up noodles, but with a spoon, the noodles just fall over. I can do all of the above with one utensil -- the chopstick. I can also manufacture a chopstick with my own hands wherever I can find wood. I can't forge a tin fork and spoon that easily.
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Name : Original Poster, Gender : M, Race : Asian-American, Age : 26, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Law Clerk, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Maybe a fork and knife are easier and more efficient for you to use, but that is probably because you grew up using them. For people who grew up using chopsticks, they are easier to use. I'm sure that for many people from Asia, trying to eat with a knife and fork is just as awkward as many Americans trying to use chopsticks. Asians don't use chopsticks because knives and forks aren't available to them, they use them because they want to.
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Name : Julianna-C, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Age : 25, City : Santa Clara, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Systems Analyst, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, There is no law saying Asians and Asian Americans must give up part of their culture because they are in the United States.
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Name : Nicole W., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 20, City : Birmingham, State : AL Country : United States, Occupation : College Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, Having traveled to Asia, I find chopsticks are easier to use. The food is presented in such a way that a fork and knife would be harder to use and cumbersome.
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Name : Robyn, Gender : F, City : Lansing, State : MI Country : United States, 
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