Avoiding a sticky situation

Hunger and oriental food are a cruel combination if you struggle to use chopsticks.

The joy of tucking into a bowl of fried rice or fresh sushi quickly turns to frustration when the food lands on the table instead of in your mouth.

But help is at hand for the millions of people who fail to grapple with the two wooden sticks - well, it might be.

To celebrate Chinese New Year today, scientists have devised a mathematical equation to help banish consecotaleophobia - the new term coined to describe chopstick phobia.

In the formula, the comfort of using the utensils is determined by the number of meals eaten with them and the time it takes to get from bowl to mouth.

The shape, size and slipperiness of food, the angle of the chopsticks and their length are other factors, said Dr Jim Al-Khalili and Dr Qiang Zhao, of the University of Surrey.

However, they admitted using the equation was a lot harder than simply hold the utensils at a 45° angle, with the ends no more than 1cm apart.

The lower stick should rest on the bridge between the thumb and index finger and the second stick should be above, not beside, it.

Aileen McLaughlin, of rice firm Uncle Ben's which commissioned the formula, said: 'Considering we pride ourselves on our multicultural ethos, it's amazing we're so scared of an implement the Chinese have used for 5,000 years.'

About six in ten Britons give up on chopsticks and revert to a fork, she added.