If you’re a fan of Chinese and Japanese take-out meals, you may have used chopsticks several times. If you’re dining at some fancy Asian restaurant, you may have been given a pair of non-disposable chopsticks.

But most of us who have used the disposable ones are familiar with that little tab at the end of the chopsticks.

We usually break the sticks apart, coupled with rubbing them together to remove any loose splinters, and proceed to chow down the delectable sushi or that sumptuous dumpling you ordered from the local Chinese restaurant. But what if you’ve been wrong all your life and learned that there’s actually a purpose for that little tab there?

That little tab was not placed there to keep those sticks together. The chopsticks are not meant to be broken apart just yet without doing this first, important (clever) step that Twitter user Trash Panda discovered.

Refer to the image below and let your mind be blown away.

Who would’ve thought that that little bit of wood may actually be useful? The tab needs to be separated from the chopsticks and then it doubles up as a chopsticks holder.

This should give you some place to put the sticks while you enjoy your drink. This way, it should keep your table and chopsticks clean. If you think you’ve been living a lie your whole life, you’re not alone.

A lot of people expressed their amazement at the new discovery and most of them were like, “Wait, What?”

Even this photo shows that this guy got it wrong.

Then again, if you use those fancier plastic- or metal-made chopsticks, you always have holders that have cute designs to depend on. Just like these:

Now that you’ve learned a new lesson, why not share this post and let other people know what that little tab’s real purpose is.

H/T: First to Know, Metro