Sticks, Skewers and Small Hands: The Joy of Simple Kitchen Tools

Two small tools sit behind some of the happiest eating in the world: a pair of sticks and a thin bamboo spike. Neither needs a plug, a manual or much money — and both change how a meal feels.

The story

Chopsticks have been part of East and Southeast Asian eating for centuries, and the etiquette around them is quietly elaborate: never stand them upright in rice, never pass food from stick to stick. For a small child, though, the first hurdle is simpler — getting two loose sticks to behave like one pair. Training helpers solve that by joining the chopsticks at the top so the tips meet at the same point every time, which turns a fiddly grip into a small, satisfying click. The children's training chopsticks do exactly that, with a cute character at the hinge and sticks that lift out of the feet for washing.

Skewers tell a different story — the street-corner one. Satay sellers across Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand thread marinated chicken or beef onto bamboo, grill it over charcoal and hand it over with peanut sauce. In Japan, *yakitori* turns skewered chicken into an after-work ritual; in China and across Southeast Asia, kebabs and grilled snacks follow the same logic. Bamboo is the constant: cheap, light, and just charred enough at the tip to smell like a holiday.

The flavours

The flavour family here is smoke, char and savoury depth — the taste of something cooked fast over high heat, with a marinade that catches and caramelises at the edges. Satay leans sweet-savoury with turmeric, lemongrass and coconut; yakitori leans salty-sweet with soy and mirin. Both reward the same thing: a skewer thin enough to cook through before the outside burns.

That's why the two skewer sizes earn their place. The 15cm bamboo skewers suit small, quick pieces — satay strips, prawns, chunks of pineapple — while the 18cm skewers give you a little more room for loaded kebabs and party platters. Both packets hold 100 sticks and are pitched at BBQs, parties, chocolate fountains, fondue, satay and kebabs. And the training chopsticks? Their flavour story is the grin on a five-year-old's face while she spears her own dumpling.

Try it at home

Build a satay night. Thread chicken or beef onto the 15cm skewers, marinate in coconut milk, turmeric and a little brown sugar, then grill hot and fast. Serve with peanut sauce and cucumber — and let smaller diners join in with the training chopsticks at £3.49.

Do a chocolate fountain or fondue spread. The 18cm skewers (£1.49) are long enough for strawberries, marshmallows and cubes of banana without fingers getting sticky.

Skewer a vegetable barbecue. Halloumi, peppers, red onion and cherry tomatoes on the 15cm sticks (£1.49) make a quick meat-free round.

*Allergen note: allergen information isn't published for these products — please check each product page before buying, especially if you're cooking for anyone with allergies.*