The what, where and when of chopsticks: Here's why these common utensils are so indispensable in Asia

How well do you know that common eating utensils, chopsticks, that you often see in various dramas?

By Pinkvilla Desk

Updated on May 11, 2021 | 03:19 PM IST | 1.8M

An image of Jin from BTS, courtesy of BIGHIT Music

Have you ever been exposed to any drama which has no scenes where the characters are eating? That would not be possible. That means you are not new to the eating and kitchen utensil called Chopsticks. They're practically an extension to hands at dinner tables! But how well do you know this common household item?

History lesson!

When you're exposed to something repeatedly, it is natural to forget its origins and some very interesting history. We're here to aid you. The origin of chopsticks, as found by tangible proofs, is most probably in China. In China's Henan Province, along with the earliest forms of writing utensils, bronze chopsticks were found in tombs. These tombs date back to the Shang Dynasty (1766 - 1122 BC). Chopsticks, most likely, became popular as kitchen utensils. These long sticks were very useful to reach the bottoms of pots used for cooking. Food started to be cooked in smaller sizes as chopsticks could not hold larger pieces of food well. During the Han Dynasty (400 AD) the population increased rapidly and brought economic instability. People needed to reduce costs of living. It was probably during that time that the use of chopsticks as an eating utensil became popular. Since food was smaller in size, it required less cooking fuel and thus reduced costs. The credit for the increase in use of chopsticks also goes to Confucius. He believed that sharp edges of the knife evoked feelings of violence and warfare, both of which have no place in the happiness that surrounds a meal table. Chopsticks kicked out knives from dinner tables.

By this time, the use of chopsticks had spread to different parts of Asia and had become common in households of countries like Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Initially, chopsticks were the same everywhere. They, later, started to change forms depending on local situations.

China

Keeping in mind the beliefs of Confucius, the Chinese chopsticks have a blunt end. They're rather long too; around 25 cm in length. People in China, remember the parties/gatherings in Love O2O, use round tables for family dinners with large groups. Using long chopsticks is very handy if you want to reach out and grab the last piece of Peking duck. Don't be so excited to have the last piece that you forget to use communal chopsticks. That would be frowned upon.

Chinese Chopsticks Etiquette

Japan

Japanese chopsticks are slightly shorter than Chinese, they are typically rounded and taper to a point. This may be attributed to the fact that Japanese diet comprises large amounts of whole bony fish. Pointed ends are very helpful in picking out the small bones. The chopsticks have circumferential grooves at the eating end that makes food stop slipping. It is not uncommon in Japan for restaurants to offer different sizes of chopsticks. Females and children use shorter sized chopsticks. The longer chopsticks, reaching close to Chinese length of chopsticks, are used as cooking utensils.

Japanese Chopsticks Etiquette

Korea

As opposed to bamboo, plastic, wood or even ivory chopsticks of China and Japan, Korean chopsticks are made of metal. Although, it is not uncommon to see wooden sujeo, the chopsticks and spoon set, in some households or plastic chopsticks for training kids. Korean chopsticks are of medium-length (longer than Japanese and shorter than Chinese) with a small, flat rectangular shape. Many chopsticks from Korea are ornately decorated at the grip. Korean chopsticks are said to be more hygienic, as metal utensils are easier to clean at a higher temperature. Yet, metal is more slippery than wood. So using them can be a challenge as it requires more precision. Also metal is heavier. Hence the flatness of these chopsticks.

It has been found that the royal family, during the Baekje period (18 BC to 660 AD), used silver chopsticks; maybe for detecting poison in their food. Following the trend, the commoners started using metal chopsticks. Since Koreans use spoons to eat rice, wooden chopsticks are not that necessary.

Korean Chopsticks Etiquette

Other places

The chopsticks found in other countries like Taiwan, Vietnam and Nepal are common variants of the Chinese or Japanese chopsticks.

If you are thinking about buying chopsticks, begin with wooden ones as they are easy to use. You could also search for training chopsticks; made.of plastic. Once you master their use, feel free to switch to metal chopsticks.

But if you are one of those people who are still hesitating to invest in them, here's a chopsticks fun fact that might give you a push. When you are using chopsticks, fifty muscles of the finger, wrist, arm and shoulders are being used. Eating with chopsticks is an exercise!