Chopsticks

Chopsticks were developed about 5,000 years ago in China and are an important part of Asian culture. People would retrieve their food from the large pots that hung over the fire using sticks or branches broken from trees. Later, as the population grew and resources became scarce, people would cut food into smaller pieces to save fuel because the smaller portions cooked faster. This eliminated the need for knives at the dinner table, and chopsticks became the utensil of choice. It is also thought that Confucius, a vegetarian, advised people not to use knives at the table because knives would remind them of the slaughterhouse. He said, “The honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse and the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table.” Confucius’ dislike for the presence of knives at the kitchen table, coupled with the popularity of his teachings no doubt contributed to the expanding use of chopsticks among the population. Chinese chopsticks are called kuai-zi, which literally means “quick little fellows”, and are usually 9 to 10 inches long and rectangular with a blunt end.
By 500 A.D., chopsticks had spread from China to other countries such as Korea, Vietnam and Japan. In Japan, chopsticks were originally considered precious and were used exclusively for religious ceremonies. The earliest chopsticks used for eating looked like tweezers; they were made from one piece of bamboo that was joined at the top. By the 10th century they became two separate pieces. Japanese chopsticks differ in design from Chinese chopsticks as they are slightly shorter than their Chinese counterparts (7 to 8 inches long), are typically rounded and taper to a point. The Japanese were the first to lacquer wooden chopsticks, making them slippery but usable and they were also the first to create disposable wooden chopsticks. Chopsticks quickly gained popularity throughout Japanese society and their use became as widespread as in the rest of Asia.
Chopsticks come in many different forms. Bamboo tends to be the most popular material to make them from. There is lots of it in Asia, it is easy to split and it is especially resistant to heat. They could also be made of various types of wood as well as plastic, porcelain, animal bone, ivory, metal, coral, agate and jade. The wealthy Chinese used to have chopsticks made of silver, as it was believed they would turn black upon contact with poisoned food. This has since been disproved.
Although chopsticks are used in China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan elsewhere in Asia, in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Central Asia, most people have traditionally eaten with their hands.