Chopsticks, forks and spoons
Ok I have an admission to make.
I find it extremely amusing observing Caucasians eating in an Asian restaurant or food hall.
I know it’s the cultural difference, but it cracks me up everytime a Caucasian attempts to eat rice with just a fork. I know I’m making broad generalisations here, but I fail to, no wait, I think Caucasians fail to understand what a fork is used for. A fork is primarily used to spear a piece of food while it’s being cut. An Asian rice dish with meat, vegetables and gravy is often wet, pasty and breaks easily. Now wouldn’t a spoon be an ideal way of scooping the food into your mouth to?
Having lunch by my lonesome self today in Spicy Noodle Cafe along La Trobe Street, I was eating my favourite rice dish with my well-oiled spoon and fork working in full throttle. In South-East Asia, you push the food into the spoon with the fork; you eat from the spoon and you spear hard to spoon food with the fork.
I haven’t seen any variations from Caucasians as to how they eat Asian rice dishes since I arrived in Melbourne. But I knew I could keep myself mildly amused just looking at them negotiating a rice dish with just a fork.
So imagine my surprise when I saw a Caucasian businessman who had the bloody fidgety knee, tackle a wet rice dish with a pair of chopsticks. I almost passed out. No, this guy wasn’t just tackling, he was really good at it as well. In fact, he ate the rice dish so well, he did it better than I do!
He didn’t eat it the traditional chopsticks way (holding the dish close to your mouth and scooping the contents into it) but picked up every rice deftly. Like a true master. Geez.
Then it got worst. My stereotype was shattered when I saw another Caucasian man eating a rice dish similar to mine with spoon and fork. He tackled the dish in the exact same manner as I did. I was so surprised, I didn’t realise some gravy had spilled onto my pants.
How peculiar. One lunch, two different ways of eating and three spots of gravy that cannot be cleaned.
I’ll definitely keep a look out for more un-Caucasian ways of rice eating in future.
Image from thewe.cc
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This is why we have the mighty spork :)
dude, the photo looks like it might’ve been you when you were in the suit. was it you in your younger days, john?
No you moron wtf haha. That looks like a recruit from China. As far as Singapore Armed Forces is concerned, no rice was eaten with chopsticks. That bloke on the left has long hair anyway.
But I guess it’s true. As the old saying goes,
“Seen one Asian, seen them all.”
All Asians look the same.
Oh yeah go racist me.