It is believed that the Chinese have used chopsticks since 3,000 years ago. Archaeologists found evidence that chopsticks originated in ancient China as early as the Shang Dynasty. Now, chopsticks are widely used as the main eating utensils throughout East Asia, including Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
Chopsticks may be made of a range of materials, such as plastic or bamboo.
They may also differ in shape and length, coming to a point or a blunt tip, and ranging from 80 centimeters to 20 centimeters. No matter what chopsticks are made like, they can be used in the same way, picking up mouth-sized morsels and sweeping rice into the mouth directly from the bowl.
Before using chopsticks, you should know major chopsticks etiquette first:
1. Don't stick chopsticks vertically into food, especially into a bowl of rice because it resembles ancestral offerings and it implies an untimely death.
2. Never wave the chopsticks over food and don't pass food with your chopsticks to other people, because it is considered poor manners and not hygienic.
3. Do not suck on the tip of the chopsticks because it is considered rude.
I wanted to share an inspired Chinese story which is related to chopsticks. I heard that when I was an elementary student, but it was very impressive so I haven't forgotten it. Here is the story:
A wise old man has 5 sons. His sons always fought with each other. One day, their father gathered all of his sons and gave each one a pair of chopsticks. The old man asked his sons, "Can you break the chopsticks that you have?" His sons said, "Of course, they can be broken easily." Then, their father asked them to put the five pairs of chopsticks together and let each of his son try to break it, however none could do it. The moral of the folktale is "In Unity there is Strength" and it is taught to most Chinese schoolchildren.
Please check the next article if you are interested in learning how to use chopsticks.
