History Of Chopsticks

How did the Asian food utensils originate?

In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks. Chopsticks are two long, thin, usually tapered, pieces of wood. Bamboo is the most common material, but they are also be made of various types of wood, as well as plastic, porcelain, animal bone, ivory, metal, coral, agate, and jade.

During the Middle Ages, aristocrats often favored silver chopsticks since it was thought that silver would turn color if it came into contact with poison.

“Forkchops” are chopsticks for insecure Westerners and feature chopsticks at one end and forks and knives at the other, just in case the user can’t manage during the meal. Some believe Confucius championed chopsticks over knives. A vegetarian, Confucius believed knives would remind people of slaughterhouses and were too violent for use at the table.

Non-Chopstick Countries

Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Central Asia most people have traditionally eaten with their hands.