chopsticks
| chopsticks | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Chinese name | |
| Chinese letters | 筷子 |
| Pinyin (Mandarin) | kuàizi |
| Jyutping (Cantonese) | faai3 zi2 |
| Japanese name | |
| Kanji | 箸 |
| Katakana | ハ シ |
| Hiragana | は し |
| Hepburn | hashi |
| Korean name | |
| Hangeul | 젓가락 |
| Revised Romanization | jeotgarak |
| McCune-Reischauer | chŏtkarak |
| Thai name | |
| Thai script | ตะเกียบ |
| IPA | takìap |
| Vietnamese name | |
| Quốc Ngữ | đũa |
| Chữ nôm | ? or ? |
Chopsticks are a pair of chopsticks of equal length that are used as cutlery in East Asia ( China , Japan , Korea , Vietnam ) and partly in Thailand . In these countries, the food is prepared in such a way that a knife is not needed. The food is not speared with chopsticks, but grasped. Just like on the fork, things can also be “spooned” on them.
Chopsticks can be used as the sole cutlery for eating or, as in Korea, can be supplemented with a spoon.
history
Grave finds show that this form of cutlery was used in China as early as 3500 years ago. In the 7th century, the chopsticks were brought to Korea and Japan from China by Buddhist priests and missionaries . Generally speaking, chopsticks are common in those countries that have been culturally influenced by China.
Size and material
Chopsticks were made from bamboo in historical times. Princes and wealthy merchants often used elaborately carved chopsticks made of jade or ivory . The common chopsticks are made of wood, plastic or metal, and their design is adapted to traditional eating habits.
National customs
- Chinese chopsticks are often made of wood or bamboo and are comparatively long at around 25 centimeters. According to Chinese table manners, the dishes lined up in the middle of the dining area are shared and everyone grabs the desired dish in their rice bowl. This requires longer chopsticks to reach the more distant food. The chopsticks are also angular on the hand side and round on the gripping side. Gripping the food by inserting it is considered impolite in China and is avoided.
- Like in Europe, the Japanese serve the food to each participant individually and the chopsticks are shorter. The Japanese and Taiwanese influenced by it bring the rice bowl to their mouth and long chopsticks are a hindrance. Rice is traditionally expensive in Japan and is often combined with other grains. This way the rice sticks together less and is harder to grasp. Fish plays a major role in Japanese cuisine. Chopsticks have a sharp point so that they can be inserted into the fish to prevent the soft parts from sliding out.
- In Korea, chopsticks are mostly made of metal, medium-length and very oval, so that softer foods such as fish or tofu can be broken up more easily. On the other hand, grasping the food with the smooth metal surface of Korean chopsticks is much more difficult than with wooden chopsticks. For this reason, some chopsticks are grooved in the gripping zone. In Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam, spoons are also used to eat soup and rice (including bibimbap ) .
Usage habits
- It is common to bring your own chopsticks with you to eat outside your home. They are often kept in diaper bags or small boxes with sliding lids. The use of your own chopsticks is welcome because it helps to avoid waste from disposable chopsticks (Japanese: waribashi ).
- In kitchens, extra long chopsticks (Japanese: saibashi ) are often used to work in pans and woks . Elaborately crafted chopsticks with stainless steel tips (Japanese: moribashi ) are used for serving food .
- Although sticks can be placed on the edge of the Essschüssel are small storage benches, chopstick rest , similar to a knife rests , in use.
Optimal treble length
In Japan, the optimal chopstick length is determined by the length of the span of the user's thumb and forefinger . This measure gives two thirds of the optimal length, the rod length is accordingly desirable with one and a half span length. According to the eating habits , the Chinese chopsticks are sometimes more than two spans long.
handling
One way of handling chopsticks is described below.
- With the help of the thumb , the thick end of a stick is clamped into the fold of skin between the thumb and index finger , while the middle part of the stick rests on the middle finger (China) or ring finger ( Southeast Asia ) or on the tip of the respective finger. This rod is not moved.
- The second stick is held with the tips of the thumb and index finger (possibly the middle finger), like a pencil. When you touch the bowl for the first time, a stick that may protrude is pushed back so far that "a pinch tip" can be formed with both sticks. Experienced eaters only grasp the chopsticks with one hand.
- The second stick is now moved to the fixed stick every now and then away from it. In this way, even large things can be easily grasped.
The use of chopsticks is said to exercise the brain . Children are taught in kindergarten to pick up small objects such as peas with chopsticks. Before teaching children how to eat with chopsticks, they will often eat with a spoon. You won't learn to use chopsticks until later. To teach children how to eat with chopsticks, the ends are separated with a piece of cardboard and wrapped tightly with a rubber ring several times so that the chopsticks can be held and used like tweezers .
Sometimes the chopsticks are used to skewer fried pieces of dough. Rather with the lower social classes or when you want to eat quickly, the eating bowl or bowl is brought to the mouth and the tightly held chopsticks are used to push the food into the mouth or to "spoon" it.
Table manners
Many rules of table manners are internationally comparable. In Thailand, chopsticks are only used when eating noodle soup . The solid components are fished out using the chopsticks and the liquid is eaten with a spoon that is also served.
Taboos
- The tips of the chopsticks placed before or during the meal should point away from the person eating.
- Chopsticks are placed on the tray, a storage bench, the edge of the bowl or plate. They must not be placed on the table, as it is generally considered to be "unclean", especially in China.
- Chopsticks must not be pulled through the lips or mouth or licked; this can only be done with a napkin if necessary.
- It is unacceptable that something picked up with chopsticks or sauce falls onto another dish or onto the table.
- Moving chopsticks over different dishes or spooning them continuously in a dish is considered "ill-mannered".
- Chopsticks are not placed crossed: "It brings bad luck".
- Nothing should be pushed aside with the chopsticks on a platter to get the best.
- As with other cutlery, chopsticks are not pointed at other people or “waved around” with them. Chopsticks are "not a toy".
- It is considered primitive to skewer food on a platter with a single chopstick.
- The chopsticks should not be hit against bowls, glasses or plates. This is associated with the sign of beggars common in East Asia.
- It is not polite to leave chopsticks vertically in a rice bowl. This is reminiscent of incense sticks at funeral ceremonies. In addition, nothing is passed with chopsticks. This is common with the remains of a cremation (cremation) among relatives.
Public use
Eating together is widespread in East Asian cultures (except in Japan). In order to avoid hygiene problems, chopsticks are usually made available for "public use". With these, the food is grabbed into your own rice bowl, then eaten with your personal chopsticks. In Japan it is accepted to put food into your own bowl with the back of the chopsticks.
Ecological damage
About 45 billion chopsticks are used in China every year. This corresponds to 1.7 million cubic meters of wood or 25 million fully grown trees.
China introduced a five percent tax on disposable chopsticks in April 2006. A large proportion of the disposable chopsticks made in China are exported to Japan.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Call to abandon wooden chopsticks China Daily, August 10, 2007.
- ^ A b Tax On Chopsticks Shows Environmental Concern . Inter Press Service, April 4, 2006.