The Chopstick Cultures

(Published in Small World Ezine on 13 May 2002)

"The honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the 

slaughterhouse and the kitchen.  And he allows no knives on 

his table."  (Confucius)

Same tradition as a Westerner should not hide his hands under

the table, Chinese dining table will not allow anything that

can be used as a weapon on it (knives/forks).

Actually the invention of chopsticks is not quite an event as

many believe. They are just the perfect tools for picking 

noodle. Longer chopsticks are also pretty handy deep-frying 

meat and vegetable.

It is believed that Chinese started using chopsticks around

1700s BC. (It's like forever, isn't it?) Now it is widespread

throughout the world.  

"Kuai zi" is how Chinese call Chopsticks. "Kuai" is 

translated as fast ("Chop"), and "zi" means "pick up". 

Chopsticks are usually made of bamboo, wood, ivory, or 

plastic, although more expensive sets, made of lacquered 

wood, silver or even jade, are available.  In martial arts

tales, heroes often carried a pair of chopsticks made of 

ivory or silver when he travelled. According to the belief, 

ivory and silver chopsticks would change colors when there's 

poison in the food.

Slight differences exist between Chinese and Japanese 

chopsticks. Chinese chopsticks are longer, about 10 inches, 

and blunter than Japanese chopsticks, which are tapered at 

the ends. 

Japanese believe that individuals should not share chopsticks

with someone else. If you use a pair chopsticks after 

somebody, you'll be transferred bad luck (in the old time, 

somebody probably used somebody else's chopsticks and turned 

ill with the same disease?). Even in a family, everyone has 

his/her own pair. Never mix. And that's why they use these 

wooden-disposable chopsticks in Japanese restaurants. If you 

have to detach the chopsticks into two pieces, you are the 

first person who uses them.

Actually there are three major ethnic groups in the world

who eat with chopsticks -- Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The

rest of Asians only use chopsticks when they eat Chinese 

food. Mongolians and Vietnamese also use chopsticks 

while eating.

Being PERFECT tools for noodle, chopsticks are something else

for eating rice. To eat rice with chopsticks, you'll have to 

rest the edge of the bowl on your lower lip, and pat the rice 

into your mouth with your chopsticks. And that's the manner 

too. It's the only way you don't spill the rice around.

Japanese rice is more sticky. You can probably make a ball of

rice for it's easier to be picked up with your chopsticks. 

But to pat it from the bowl into your mouth is also the thing 

to do.

More:

Some "DON'Ts" in using chopsticks.

 - Do not point with your chopsticks (esp. to people)

 - Do not suck, lick or bite your chopsticks

 - Do not stick chopsticks in your food (e.g. dumpling, 

   wonton) in order to pick it up.

 - Do not hold the chopsticks with all your fingers

 - Do not rest the chopsticks on the table if you are not 

   finished with them yet

 - When Chinese offer food to the death, they lean the 

   chopsticks against the side of the bowl. When Japanese

   offer food, they stick chopsticks in the rice bowl

   upright (like inscent sticks). So, don't do those.

More to read on chopstick manners, there is this hilarious 

article at San Francisco's China Town Web Site.