Chinese chopsticks. Chinese chopsticks: rules of etiquette

History and cultural aspects

China

Archaeological research in China suggests that chopsticks, which in China are called kuaizi(Chinese: 筷子) appeared in the Shang era (about 3 thousand years ago). They say they were invented by the legendary ancestor Yu when he wanted to get hot meat from a cauldron.

Word kuaizi consists of two parts: kuai(筷) - “soon, fast, dexterous”, and zi(子) - a sign of an object. 30% of people use them - the same number as use a fork. Others eat with their hands.

Kuaizi are square at the base so that they do not roll on the table. Their length is approximately 25 cm, and kitchen ones, usually bamboo, are one and a half times longer.

They are made from wood, metal, plastic, bone. Common in China weisheng kuaizi- disposable wooden ones, not very well processed, so before use they need to be rubbed against each other to avoid splinters. In the 7th century, silver sticks were sometimes used to test food for poison; in those days, one of the common poisons was arsenic, upon contact with which silver sticks darkened.

Japan

Chopsticks (Japanese 箸, Hashi) came to Japan from China in the 12th century and were made from bamboo. It was believed that immortal gods and emperors eat with chopsticks. There are many variations in shapes and sizes of reusable sticks (nuribashi), which sometimes represent a real work of art: they are painted, varnished, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and decorated with various patterns. Modern hashi are made of bone, wood (bamboo, pine, cypress, plum, maple, black or purple sandalwood), round or square in cross-section with a conical or pyramidal point.

It is believed that sticks train fine motor skills, which develops mental abilities, which is why in Japan they are taught to handle hashi from an early age. Japanese scientists consider instilling in children a desire to master chopsticks an important and relevant task for their country. Confirmation of the effectiveness of “exercises” with chopsticks is the statement of researchers that children who began to eat with the help of hasi immediately after they turned one year are ahead in development of their peers who were unable to part with spoons.

By the way, in Japan, dishes (bowls for rice, soup, plates for other food) and serving items are divided into “male” and “female”. Sticks are no exception.

For the Japanese, chopsticks are not only an everyday personal item (it is not customary to share them with others), but also a sacred symbol (the Japanese respectfully call them o-hashi, Japanese 御箸). According to legend, they bring good luck to the owner and long life, and therefore Khasi are considered good holiday gift. For example, hashi is presented to newlyweds, implying the desire to be as inseparable as a pair of sticks. They are given to a baby on the 100th day of his birth, when, during the First Chopsticks ceremony, adults give him the first taste of rice using chopsticks. They also make gift sets of chopsticks for the whole family.

In addition, there are hashi for the New Year, the tea ceremony, and for sweets. There are chopsticks invented by Rikyo, the founder of the tea ceremony. It is said that one morning he went into the forest to collect pieces of trees and cleared them in order to enjoy the smell of fresh wood.

Wooden and plastic chopsticks

There are special stands for chopsticks in Japan: hasioki. This name is formed by adding the verbal noun oki from the verb oku - to put. The chopsticks should be placed on the hasioki with their thin ends, so that they point to the left. If there is no hashioka on the table, the hashi can be placed nearby on the edge of the plate or on the table.

The chopsticks are served in a special paper case (hashi bukuro), which often turns out to be a real decoration and collectible. It can be painted with fancy designs, or it can contain a restaurant logo.

With the help of chopsticks, you can not only hold food and put it in your mouth, but also perform a lot of other more complex operations: mix sauce, separate pieces, chop and even cut. These steps usually do not have to be performed during a traditional meal, since Japanese culinary rules dictate that food be served in small pieces so that they are easy to put into the mouth.

Modern tendencies

Nowadays, most restaurants serve disposable chopsticks (割箸, Waribashi), made of plastic or wood. Disposable chopsticks are a relatively recent invention that appeared at the end of the last century. Often, before use, they need to be broken lengthwise, if this has not already been done.

Technique of use

1. The ring finger and little finger must be pressed together, the index and middle fingers should be slightly extended forward.
2. The lower stick is placed in the hollow between the hand and thumb, while its lower, thin end rests on the ring finger, and the thick end protrudes about ¼ beyond the palm.
3. Then the upper stick is placed on the third phalanx of the middle finger, the first phalanx of the index finger, and is held with the tip of the thumb; The stick should be held roughly like a pencil.

The lower stick remains motionless when eating, all manipulations are performed with the help of the upper one: when the middle and index fingers straighten, the sticks move apart. Accordingly, bending the middle and index fingers, bring the chopsticks together, grabbing pieces of food. The main condition that guarantees successful use of chopsticks is not to strain your hand. The hand should be relaxed, and the movements should be light and calm. To develop skills in handling chopsticks, it is recommended to practice on small objects - peas, grains of corn.

Etiquette

Sticks are part of culture and history; their use is surrounded by a lot of conventions and ceremonies. There are many rules and good manners related to chopsticks, and etiquette in different countries has its own character traits. The general part of the rules generally looks like this:

• Chopsticks are only used to pick up food and put it in your mouth or on your plate. Any other manipulation with chopsticks may be considered inconsistent with etiquette. In particular, you should not:
  • knock with chopsticks on the table, plate or other objects to call the waiter;
  • “draw” with chopsticks on the table;
  • “wander” around food with chopsticks;
  • dig around in the bowl with chopsticks in search of the best piece- you need to take food from above.
• You should choose a piece in advance. Having touched a piece with chopsticks, you need to take it and eat it.
• You can't put food on sticks.
• Do not shake the chopsticks to cool the piece.
• It is ugly to lick chopsticks, and, in general, to hold chopsticks in your mouth just like that.
• You should not point with chopsticks, you should not wave them in the air.
• Do not move dishes using chopsticks. The dishes should only be handled by hand.
• Before asking for more rice, chopsticks must be placed on the table.
• You can't stick chopsticks into food. This is considered bad manners, as it resembles the sticks of incense that are given to deceased relatives.

Chinese etiquette

The Chinese often use European utensils for food, in particular forks and spoons. Eat with chopsticks traditional dishes, the most convenient for taking with chopsticks.

• When picking up food with chopsticks, your palms should always face down. Turning your hand over with your wrist and palm facing up is considered uncivil.
• The Chinese traditionally eat rice from a bowl. The bowl of rice is brought to the mouth and the rice is then eaten with chopsticks. If the rice is served on a plate, as is customary in Western culture, it is acceptable and even considered more practical to use a fork or spoon.
• Unlike Japanese tradition, it is quite acceptable to pass food with chopsticks to loved ones (children, parents, relatives) if it is difficult or inconvenient for them to take food themselves. In relation to elders, it is considered a sign of respect to pass food to them first, even before the meal begins (which corresponds to the Confucian tradition of respecting elders).
• After finishing the meal, the chopsticks should be placed across the bowl, with the ends to the left - this is a sign that the meal is completed and no supplements are required.

Japanese etiquette

Sticks on a stand

• You should not clench chopsticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening.
• You should not pass food with chopsticks to another person’s plate or to someone else’s chopsticks. This gesture is used for close relatives to transfer the bones of the deceased into an urn after cremation, and is taboo in all other cases.
• Do not place chopsticks across the cup. When you finish eating, you need to place your chopsticks on a stand, on the table or on the edge of the plate, parallel to the edge of the table.

Korean etiquette

• In Korea, it is customary to eat rice with a spoon, especially in the presence of elders.

Environmental impact

In China alone, about 45 billion pairs of disposables are used and thrown away every year. wooden sticks, which is approximately 1.7 million cubic meters of wood or 25 million trees destroyed per year. For protection purposes environment Since April 2006, China has introduced a 5% sales tax on disposable chopsticks.

• Many Asian manufacturers

Food sticks -a pair of small chopsticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia.

The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

In Thailand, with the introduction of European cutlery into circulation in the 19th century by King Rama V, only noodles or soups are eaten with chopsticks.

Sticks are usually made of wood, metal, bone, ivory, and nowadays also plastic.

It was believed that in imperial palace In China, silver sticks were used to detect poisons in food.

Chinese chopsticks

Archaeological research in China suggests that chopsticks, which in China are called kuaizi (Chinese: 筷子) appeared in the Shang era (about 3 thousand years ago). They say they were invented by the legendary ancestor Yu when he wanted to get hot meat from a cauldron.

Word kuaizi consists of two parts: kuai(筷) - “soon, fast, dexterous”, and zi(子) - a sign of an object. 30% of people use them - the same number as use a fork. Others eat with their hands.

Kuaizi- square at the base so that they don’t roll on the table. Their length is approximately 25 cm, and kitchen ones, usually bamboo, are one and a half times longer.

They are made from wood, metal, plastic, bone. Common in China weisheng kuaizi- disposable wooden ones, not very well processed, so before use they need to be rubbed against each other to avoid splinters. In VI -VII centuries sometimes silver sticks were used to test food for poison; at that time one of
The most common poison was arsenic, upon contact with which the silver sticks darkened.

Japanese chopsticks

Chopsticks (Japanese 箸, hashi) came to Japan from China in the 12th century and were made from bamboo. It was believed that immortal gods and emperors eat with chopsticks.

There are many variations in shapes and sizes of reusable chopsticks (nuribashi), which sometimes represent a real work of art: they are painted, varnished, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and decorated with various patterns.

Modern hashi are made of bone, wood (bamboo, pine, cypress, plum, maple, black or purple
sandalwood), round or square in cross-section with a conical or pyramidal point.

It is believed that chopsticks train fine motor skills, which develop mental abilities, which is why in Japan they teach how to handle
Khasi from an early age. Japanese scientists consider instilling in children a desire to master chopsticks an important and relevant task for their country.

Confirmation of the effectiveness of “exercises” with chopsticks is the statement of researchers that children who began to eat with the help of hasi immediately after they turned one year are ahead in development of their peers who were unable to part with spoons.

By the way, in Japan, dishes (bowls for rice, soup, plates for other food) and serving items are divided into “male” and “female”. Sticks are no exception.

For the Japanese, chopsticks are not only an everyday personal item (it is not customary to share them with others), but also a sacred symbol (the Japanese respectfully call them 御箸).

According to legend, they bring good luck and long life to the owner, and therefore Khasi are considered a good holiday gift.

For example, hashi is presented to newlyweds, implying the desire to be as inseparable as a pair of sticks.

They are given to the baby on the 100th day from the moment of his birth.
birth, when, during the First Sticks ceremony, adults
Let him taste the rice using chopsticks.

They also make gift sets of chopsticks for the whole family.

In addition, there are hashi for the New Year, the tea ceremony, and for sweets. There are chopsticks invented by Rikyo, the founder of the tea ceremony. It is said that one morning he went into the forest to collect pieces of trees and cleared them in order to enjoy the smell of fresh wood.

There are special stands for chopsticks in Japan: Hasioki .
This name is formed by adding the verbal noun oki from the verb oku - to put. The chopsticks should be placed on the hasioki with their thin ends, so that they point to the left. If there is no hashioka on the table, the hashi can be placed nearby on the edge of the plate or on the table.

Chopsticks are served in a special paper case (hashi bukuro),
which often turns out to be a real decoration and object
collecting. It can be painted with fancy designs, and
may contain a restaurant logo.

With the help of chopsticks, you can not only hold food and put it in your mouth, but also perform a lot of other more complex operations: mix sauce, separate pieces, chop and even cut. These steps usually do not have to be performed during a traditional meal, since Japanese culinary rules dictate that food be served in small pieces so that they are easy to put into the mouth.

Eating with chopsticks nowadays

Nowadays, most restaurants serve disposable chopsticks (割箸, Waribashi), made of plastic or wood. Disposable chopsticks are a relatively recent invention that appeared at the end of the last century. Often, before use, they need to be broken lengthwise, if this has not already been done.

In China alone, about 45 billion pairs of disposable wooden sticks are used and discarded annually, which equates to approximately 1.7 million cubic meters of wood or 25 million trees destroyed per year. To protect the environment, China introduced a 5% sales tax on disposable chopsticks in April 2006.

More than 300 hotels in Beijing have joined the campaign called "Save the forest - say NO to disposable chopsticks!" launched in conjunction with Greenpeace and several private sites to stop the use of disposable chopsticks.

Ma Lichao, Greenpeace's forestry program director, speaking to local media, said they hope their advertising campaign will make people aware of the environmental crisis and thereby lead to a reduction in the number of disposable chopsticks used in restaurants. According to Ma Lichao, more than 300 restaurants and hotels in Beijing have formed an alliance and vowed to stop using these eating utensils, which are harmful to the environment.

Campaign organizers say their goal is to get 2,000 hotels to join the alliance and change their restaurants' policies on disposable chopsticks. However, some citizens and restaurateurs believe it will be difficult to change people's habits due to the convenience of disposable chopsticks
and their sanitary and hygienic functions.

It's interesting that: Many Asian manufacturers of microcircuits and LCD monitors, when hiring personnel to the factory, conduct a motor coordination test: you need to quickly assemble small beads with chopsticks.

Eating etiquette with chopsticks

Sticks are part of culture and history; their use is surrounded by a lot of conventions and ceremonies.

There are many rules and good manners related to chopsticks, and the etiquette in different countries has its own characteristics.

The general part of the rules generally looks like this:

Chopsticks are only used to pick up food and put it in your mouth or on your plate. Any other manipulation with chopsticks may be considered inconsistent with etiquette. In particular, you should not:

• knock with chopsticks on the table, plate or other objects to call the waiter;

  “draw” with chopsticks on the table;

  “wander” around food with chopsticks;

  digging with chopsticks in the bowl in search of the best piece - you need to take food from above.

You should choose a piece in advance. Having touched a piece with chopsticks, you need to take it and eat it.

You can't put food on sticks.

Do not shake the chopsticks to cool the piece.

It is ugly to lick chopsticks, and, in general, to hold chopsticks in your mouth just like that.

You should not point with chopsticks, you should not wave them in the air.

Do not move dishes using chopsticks. The dishes should only be handled by hand.

Before asking for more rice, chopsticks must be placed on the table.

You can't stick chopsticks into food. This is considered bad manners, as it resembles the sticks of incense that are given to deceased relatives.

How to eat with Chinese chopsticks

The Chinese often use European utensils for food, in particular forks and spoons. Traditional dishes are eaten with chopsticks; they are most convenient for eating with chopsticks.

When picking up food with chopsticks, your palms should always face down. Turning your hand over with your wrist and palm facing up is considered uncivil.

The Chinese traditionally eat rice from a bowl. The bowl of rice is brought to the mouth and the rice is then eaten with chopsticks. If the rice is served on a plate, as is customary in Western culture, it is allowed and even
It is considered more practical to use a fork or spoon.

Unlike the Japanese tradition, it is quite acceptable to pass food with chopsticks to loved ones (children, parents, relatives) if it is difficult or inconvenient for them to take the food themselves. In relation to elders, it is considered a sign of respect to pass food to them first, even before the meal begins (which corresponds to the Confucian tradition of respecting elders).

After finishing the meal, the chopsticks should be placed across the bowl, with the ends to the left - this is a sign that the meal is completed and no supplements are required.

How to eat with Japanese chopsticks

You should not clench chopsticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening.

You should not pass food with chopsticks to another person’s plate or to someone else’s chopsticks. This gesture is used to
the transfer by close relatives of the bones of the deceased after cremation into an urn, and is taboo in all other cases.

Do not place chopsticks across the cup. When you finish eating, you need to place your chopsticks on a stand, on the table or on the edge of the plate, parallel to the edge of the table.

Technique for eating with chopsticks. How to take chopsticks in your hand, hold them correctly and eat successfully.

Relax your hand and extend your index and middle fingers forward, and bend your ring and little fingers slightly.

Place the thick end of one of the sticks about a third of its length into the hollow between
thumb and forefinger right hand, so that the second point of the stick (approximately the middle) rests on the ring finger. Secure the “tool” by pressing on it with the base of your thumb.

Place the second stick on the first phalanx at the base of the index finger, and with the tips
medium and large, hold it closer to the middle

Squeeze and unclench the ends of the sticks, manipulating them like tongs.

The lower stick remains motionless when eating, all manipulations are performed with the help of the upper one: when the middle and index fingers straighten, the sticks move apart. Accordingly, bending the middle and index fingers,
bring the sticks together, grabbing pieces of food.

The main condition that guarantees successful use of chopsticks is not to strain your hand. The hand should be relaxed, and the movements should be light and calm.

To develop skills in handling chopsticks, it is recommended to practice on small objects - peas, grains of corn.

Chopsticks - traditional cutlery South-East Asia. These unique tweezers have been used by residents of Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam for several centuries. But their homeland, according to researchers, is China. Sticks appeared in the Celestial Empire 3000 years ago. According to legend, they were invented by Great Yu, the founder of the first imperial dynasty. He wanted to get pieces of meat from a cauldron of hot broth. He managed to do this only with the help of two bamboo sticks. Since then, cooks have used “tweezers” to deftly turn pieces in pans. After some time, chopsticks became the main cutlery. In the 12th century, they came from the Middle Kingdom to Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

The first Chinese chopsticks, or kuaizi, were made of bamboo. To obtain this cutlery, it was necessary to split the trunk in two. That is why they resembled tweezers. The Kuaizu separated only a few years later. Today, Chinese chopsticks are made from wood, metal, plastic and bone, usually with a square base. Their length is approximately 25 cm.

In Japan, chopsticks are called o-hashi. Initially, they were also made of wood and were quite simple in appearance, but over time they began to be varnished and designs were applied to them - pine as a symbol of longevity, bamboo, meaning vitality, etc. Japanese chopsticks are shorter than Chinese ones and have more pointed ends to make it easier to remove the bones from the fish. In the 16th century famous master tea ceremony, Sen no Rikyu invented o-hashi with pointed ends on both sides in order to taste several dishes at once without mixing flavors. By the way, the Japanese also came up with miniature stands for chopsticks - hasioki.

Koreans have thin devices 15-20 cm long. They are made mainly of metal. Previously, brass was used, but now, as a rule, stainless steel.

Interesting

Some Asian companies conduct a basic motor coordination test when hiring personnel. They offer the applicant to quickly transfer small beads with chopsticks. Most often, workers at enterprises that assemble chips and liquid crystal displays are subjected to this test.

Rules of etiquette

1. Do not shake chopsticks to cool food.

2. It is better to choose a piece in advance, because, according to the rules of Eastern etiquette, if you touch it, take it and eat it.

3. Under no circumstances should you poke around the plate in search of the best piece.

4. Stirring the broth with chopsticks is the height of indecency.

5. According to Japanese etiquette, if you have finished lunch or decided to take a break, place your chopsticks on a special small stand - hasioki - with the pointed ends to the left. If you don't have hasioki, leave them on the edge of the plate. And according to Chinese traditions, chopsticks can be placed across the bowl with their ends to the left.

6. Never stick chopsticks into food, especially rice. This is how they remember the dead in Japan.

7. You cannot lick chopsticks, use them to move dishes towards you, or spear food on them.

8. Before asking for some more rice, chopsticks must be placed on the table.

9. If you clutch an exotic cutlery in your fist, a Japanese person will think that you are threatening him. However, Europeans won’t like it either if you do this with a fork or knife.

10. According to Japanese traditions, you cannot pass food to another person using chopsticks. This is how relatives usually transfer the bones of the deceased after cremation to an urn. The Chinese, on the contrary, do not prohibit feeding your neighbor with chopsticks. Moreover, it is a sign of respect.

I think of the three points, the question can only arise about how to hold chopsticks for sushi and rolls.

But first

A little history...

Food sticks(hashi/hashi)- a pair of small chopsticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia. The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

In Thailand, with the introduction of European cutlery into circulation in the 19th century by King Rama V, only noodles or soups are eaten with chopsticks

Hashi came to Japan from China in the 12th century and was made from bamboo.
The current separate form of chopsticks appeared in Japan during the Asuka period (593 - 710). By this time, their use had not yet become widespread. It was believed that immortal gods and emperors eat with chopsticks. According to Chinese chronicles, at that time only the imperial court and the Japanese aristocracy enjoyed Khasi, and the common people still ate with their hands. It was only by the Nara period that ordinary people also began to eat with chopsticks.

Since then, chopsticks for the Japanese are not only an everyday personal item (it is not customary to share them with others), but also a sacred symbol (the Japanese respectfully call them o-hashi). According to legend, they bring good luck and long life to the owner, so it is not surprising that Khasi are considered a good holiday gift.
For example, hashi is presented to newlyweds, implying the desire to be as inseparable as a pair of sticks.
They are given to a baby on the 100th day of his birth, when, during the “First Chopsticks” ceremony, adults give him the first taste of rice using chopsticks.
They also make gift sets of chopsticks for the whole family.

There are many types of hashi sticks: for regular food, for culinary purposes, for cakes and desserts. In addition, there are hashi for the New Year, the tea ceremony, and for sweets.

Modern khasis are made of bone, wood (bamboo, pine, cypress, plum, maple, black or purple sandalwood), and the material for them can also be silver, iron and aluminum. IN Lately Plastic is often used. Occasionally there are sticks made of such exotic materials as ivory or deer antler, but this is rather an exception.
Metal chopsticks are used primarily for cooking and not as cutlery.

In Japan, one of the advantages of chopsticks over European cutlery is that “you don’t have to scratch your teeth with the pieces of iron.” Therefore, even catering establishments do not serve practical and durable metal chopsticks. Disposable chopsticks are used instead Waribashi, which are made from a single, relatively roughly processed piece of wood, sawn along a little not completely - a sign that no one has used the chopsticks, so they need to be broken before use.
By the way, now most restaurants serve waribashi sticks made of plastic. They are designed for one-time use and are served along with the dish in a sterile sealed paper envelope ( hashi bukuro), which often turns out to be a real decoration and collectible. It can be painted with fancy designs, or it can contain a restaurant logo. This is much more hygienic than using reusable European cutlery.

There are many variations in shapes and sizes of reusable chopsticks ( nuribashi), which sometimes represent a real work of art: they are painted, varnished, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and decorated with various patterns. , round or square in cross-section with a conical or pyramidal point. Appearance The sticks are quite diverse: their cross-section can be round, oval, square, or with rounded corners. They come in pyramidal shapes, with thick or thin ends, flat...

Usually hashi is placed across in front of the device, horizontally. But, as a rule, there are special stands for chopsticks in Japan - Hasioki. This name is formed by adding the verbal noun oki from the verb oku - put, leave.

The chopsticks should be placed on the hasioki with their thin ends, so that they point to the left.
If there is no hasioka on the table - Khasi can be placed next to the edge of the plate or on the table.
Hasioki appeared in ancient times, when during ritual sacrifices, sticks intended for the gods were laid out on special stands so as not to desecrate them.
Hasioki are made from ceramic, wood and bamboo and often feature artistic value. Japanese chopstick stands are a collector's item in the West.

Choosing sticks

Use the sticks that suit you best. Just like every person needs their own clothing size, size and shape Khasi It’s also better to choose individually.

Previously, chopstick length was calculated based on the average height and palm size of men and women during the Edo period (1603 - 1867). Now people have become somewhat larger than then, and, accordingly, standard sizes have changed Khasi.
How to choose sticks of your size? Their usual length is one and a half times longer than the chitoate - the length of the imaginary hypotenuse formed when you fold your thumb and index finger at a right angle. The same value is used when determining where to take the sticks with your hand: for this, the distance of the chitoat is counted from the thin ends.

Instructions for use

Currently, about a third of the population uses chopsticks globe: People from China, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, where glutinous rice is traditionally the staple food. Chopsticks are quite difficult to master, but for those who have learned to master them perfectly, they are a convenient and versatile cutlery.
The peculiarities of working with chopsticks determined the way of cooking Japanese cuisine, served mainly in the form of small individual pieces, which you just need to pick up and put in your mouth.

Think of the chopsticks as a pair of tongs, consisting of two various parts. One stick is held motionless, and the second one moves.

Use chopsticks like this:

So..

And the main rule is not to strain your hand and fingers. Try to use the chopsticks freely - one stick should be motionless, and the other should move freely.

In practice it looks something like this :o)

Chinese/Japanese chopsticks for beginners and children

And for clarity, you can watch these videos

Of course, until you once try to hold the chopsticks in your hands, no instruction will teach you this. So practice eating with hashi chopsticks at home first. And if you don’t have chopsticks, pick up pencils and go ahead and explore Eastern culture.

Etiquette

Chopsticks have become an integral part of Japanese culture and history; their use is surrounded by a lot of conventions and ceremonies. Countless rules and good table manners in Japan cluster around chopsticks.

Chopsticks are only used to pick up food and put it in your mouth or on your plate. Any other manipulation with chopsticks may be considered inconsistent with etiquette. Etiquette related to chopsticks has its own characteristics in different countries. The general part of the rules generally looks like this:

Do not knock on the table, plate or other objects with chopsticks to call the waiter

Don't draw on the table with chopsticks, don't wander aimlessly around the food with chopsticks. Before reaching for food with chopsticks, select a piece (this taboo behavior is called "mayoibashi")

Always take food from the top, do not poke around in the bowl with chopsticks in search of the best piece. If you touch food, eat. ("saguribashi")

When picking up food with chopsticks, your palms should always face down. Turning your hand over with your wrist and palm facing up is considered uncivil.

Do not stick food on chopsticks ("sashibashi")

Do not shake the chopsticks to cool the piece.

Don't put your face in the bowl or bring it too close to your mouth and then use chopsticks to push food into your mouth.

Do not compact food brought to your mouth using chopsticks.

- Try not to drip sauce from your chopsticks or food.

Don't lick the chopsticks. Don't just put chopsticks in your mouth

When not using chopsticks, place them with the sharp ends to the left

Never pass food with chopsticks to another person. ("futaribashi") into a plate or into someone else's chopsticks. This gesture is used for close relatives to transfer the bones of the deceased into an urn after cremation, and is taboo in all other cases.
And in Chinese etiquette, unlike the Japanese tradition, it is quite acceptable to pass food to loved ones (children, parents, relatives) with chopsticks if it is difficult or inconvenient for them to take the food themselves. In relation to elders, it is considered a sign of respect to pass food to them first, even before the meal begins (which corresponds to the Confucian tradition of respecting elders).

Never point or wave chopsticks in the air

Do not pull the plate towards you using chopsticks. Always pick it up. ("yosebashi")

Place your chopsticks on the table before asking for more rice

Do not clasp two chopsticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening

Never stick your chopsticks upside down into the rice. This is how they place it on the altar (including at home) during a memorial service. If you stick chopsticks in like this while eating, the Japanese become gloomy - according to legend, this means that someone will die soon... ("tatebashi")

Do not place chopsticks across the cup. After you have finished eating, place your chopsticks on the stand.
Well, in a Chinese restaurant, on the contrary, after finishing the meal, the chopsticks should be placed across the bowl, with the ends to the left - this is a sign that the meal is completed and no additional food is required.

- Use Khasi It’s not easy when you’re not used to it, so to avoid inconvenience, don’t hesitate to ask the waiter to show you how to use chopsticks correctly, and if it’s really hard, bring more familiar utensils - a fork or spoon.

But remember that, that you cannot eat sushi with a knife, this shows the owner that the prepared dish is tough, and it is impossible to do without a knife.

Or at a restaurant you can simply ask for training sticks. Such sticks are connected, and between them there is something like a spring. So these are more tongs than sticks. But they are very convenient to operate.

Knife and fork are used only for Western food. Spoons are sometimes used for Japanese dishes that are difficult to eat with chopsticks, such as Japanese curry rice. For soups, a Chinese-style ceramic spoon is used.

Interesting Facts:

It is believed that chopsticks train small muscles that develop mental abilities, which is why in Japan people are taught to handle hashi from an early age. Japanese scientists consider instilling in children a desire to master chopsticks an important and relevant task for their country. Confirmation of the effectiveness of “exercises” with chopsticks is the statement of researchers that children who began to eat with the help of hasi immediately after they turned one year are ahead in development of their peers who were unable to part with spoons.

Many Asian chip manufacturers, when hiring personnel to the factory, conduct a motor coordination test: you need to quickly assemble small beads with chopsticks.

By the way, in Japan, dishes (bowls for rice, soup, plates for other food) and serving items are divided into “male” and “female”. Sticks are no exception.

In China, chopsticks are called kuaizi. Kuaizi are square at the base so that they do not roll on the table. Their length is approximately 25 cm, and kitchen ones, usually bamboo, are one and a half times longer.

In Korea they eat with thin metal chopsticks. This is a unique custom of its kind - no other country Far East Where chopsticks are used, they are not made of metal (although chopsticks for cooking may be made of metal). Previously, Korean chopsticks were made of brass, now they are mainly made of stainless steel.

I hope that now you can easily use hashi chopsticks :o)

Based on materials from ru.wikipedia.org, izum.darievna.ru

Today, chopsticks are used all over the world due to the popularity of Asian cuisine. This cutlery has existed in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam for thousands of years. Tied with chopsticks different legends And folk customs. /website/

According to one legend, chopsticks were invented by a mythical Chinese emperor in an era when the country was threatened by flooding.

Yu was busy building dams to hold back the water, so he did not have enough time to eat dinner with his wife and children.

One day he participated in construction work on the island. He cooked the meat in a pot. Yu wanted to eat quickly and get back to work, so he decided not to wait for the meat to cool down. He cut off several twigs and stabbed meat directly from the boiling water onto them. His associates followed his example. This is how chopsticks were born.

The first sticks date back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). They were made of metal and found at the excavation site of the Yin Ruins.

Gradually, sticks spread throughout Asia. Cutting food before cooking saved wood (small pieces cooked faster) and eliminated the need for table knives, which the Chinese considered barbaric tools.

Confucius, who lived in VI BC. believed that well-mannered people “don’t keep knives on the table.”

Symbolic meaning

Chopsticks illustrate ideas Chinese philosophy, especially the theory of yin and yang. The sticks are used in pairs - one of them is in a fixed position, and the second is movable. This reflects the idea of ​​both passive and active beginnings, which form a single whole.

Typically, sticks have a round shape and square ends, symbolizing the sky (circle) and the earth (square). This idea originates in the eight trigrams. The fingers located in the center symbolize humanity, which is supported by heaven and earth. Since the sticks symbolize the union between heaven and earth, they are believed to bring good luck. That's why they are included in wedding gifts.

The standard length of sticks is 7 cun (1 cun equals approximately 2.5 centimeters) and six fen (approximately a centimeter). This reflects the concept of the seven passions and six desires described in Buddhist theology.

When the chopsticks are held correctly, the thumb and index finger naturally end up on top, and the little finger and ring finger on the bottom. Middle finger located between the sticks. This symbolizes the traditional Chinese concept of the connection between heaven, earth and humanity.

The ring finger and little finger supporting the chopsticks from below signify the Tao of the earth or the interaction of people living in the mortal world. Index and thumb represents flexibility and stability or heavenly laws. The middle finger is associated with the difficult but honorable position of the monarch, who in China was called the son of heaven.

The ancient Chinese believed that there was a connection between heaven and humanity. This idea permeated every aspect of life and culture, from the religious rituals performed at the emperor's court to the customs passed down from generation to generation among the people.