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The History of Chopsticks

23 April 2018

Chopsticks enhance the Asian cuisine experience; somehow your rice or noodles will always taste a little better with these utensils in hand. Whether you know how to use them properly or not, there is no denying that chopsticks are an integral part of the oriental food world. We take a look at the history behind them and differences in design!

Chopsticks have been used to aid the eating of Asian cuisine for so long that the exact origins of these handy utensils remain unknown. It is however thought that they originated as twigs or small sticks, used to spear up smaller parts of a piece of roasted meat. One thing that we do know is that chopsticks were definitely being used by people in the Shang dynasty, which was between 1766 BC and 1122 BC, so chopsticks have certainly been an essential part of Chinese cookery for a very long time! The popularity of chopsticks, particularly in Eastern Asian life, is thought to be linked to the way in which food from this area is cooked. Food that is stir-fried tends to be cut into tiny chunks before the frying takes place, and chopsticks make for an easier way of picking up such tiny pieces.

While people in the West probably can’t envisage eating their main meal with anything other than a fork now, things were not so set in the past, with the fork only becoming a dinner table staple relatively recently. America, for example, only adopted the fork in the 18century, after deeming the knife and spoon combination inadequate for all food types! In contrast, China has used the chopstick as their chosen utensil since around 200 BC!

Are there any differences between chopsticks?

Like cutlery in Western countries, there are often decorative differences between different chopsticks, with some left plain and others sporting colourful patterns and designs. As well as this, there are a number of differences between the actual shape, texture and size of chopsticks depending on whether they come from China or Japan – two countries which almost exclusively use chopsticks for food consumption.

Typically, Chinese chopsticks will be made from unfinished wood or bamboo, and will be 10 ½ inches in length, and feature a blunt end. Japanese chopsticks, on the other hand, are made from wood or bamboo that is lacquered. They will also be a little shorter in length, at 9 inches, and will have a pointed end. In addition to the traditional wooden sticks, cheaper versions made from plastic are also available, as well as more expensive ones made from jade, ivory, or other similar materials.

If you would like to give eating with chopsticks a go, or want to increase your collection of chopsticks, we have a range of Chinese tableware options available here at Oriental Mart!

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