Japanese using chopsticks is like us (Americans) using fork and knives; we just do it. Most Japanese food is meant to be eaten with chopsticks; the rice is very sticky, meat is in big enough pieces to pick up and they drink soup right from the bowl- no spoons required. But the reason why they use chopsticks is because bamboo is plentiful in Asia and the early Japanese made simple eating utensils, chopsticks, that we can still use today.
In 400 A.D. people in Japan began to use chopsticks, or "hashi", in Japanese as eating utensils and they fit the job. In old Japan men had longer chopsticks then women; 8 inches for men and 7 inches for women. Unfair!
Cardinal Rules of CHOPSTICKS
- Never stick your chopsticks straight into your food. They do this to the bodies at funerals.
- Don't pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another, again they do this to bodies at funerals. (Notice a theme?!)
- Don't wave around your chopsticks or point them at people, just trust me on this one.
I hope you enjoyed these short little tidbits about chopsticks.
Itadakimasu!
Itadakimasu!