Jo demonstrates his 'anything goes' method |
HISTORIC CHOPSTICKS
It is impossible to discover when chopsticks were first used but records show that they were in use by the Shang dynasty in China in 1766 BC - 1122 BC. Chopsticks have been the utensil of choice throughout all of China since the Han dynasty - approx. 200 BC to 200 AD.
As a comparison, personal eating knives first appeared in Britain in the 14th Century. However, individual forks to be used with the knives were not in widely used until the end of the 16th Century in Britain.
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Their enduring popularity since that time may actually be linked to Chinese cooking traditions.
Extensive regions of China didn't have big forests and it was always hard to find fuel to cook with. Chinese people learned to cut up their food very small, so it would cook quickly on a small fire, this tradition is maintained today making Chinese cuisine easy to manipulate with chopsticks.
There are several differences between Chinese and Japanese chopsticks:
Chinese chopsticks:
are normally made of unfinished wood or bamboo.
Japanese chopsticks:
are normally made of lacquered wood or bamboo.
Chinese chopsticks:
made for adults are normally about 10 ˝ inches (shorter chopsticks for young children are available).
Japanese chopsticks:
are normally about 9 inches
Chinese chopsticks:
taper to a blunt end.
Japanese chopsticks:
taper to pointed ends.
Chopsticks for rookies,
Long Chinese chopsticks which read 'wishing happiness',
Chinese chopsticks with the '8 Immortals' (below)
Decorated Japanese chopsticks,
Japanese chopsticks with exquisite wood grain (for men & women)
Chopsticks for cooking.
Chang Kuo-lao:
Seated backwards on a mule, holds a feather of a phoenix, or bamboo tube-drum, or again the peach of immortality. A hermit, patron of old men.
Lan Ts’ai-ho:
With a basket filled with flowers or peaches of immortality. Hermafrodite, wandering musician. Patron of florists.
Li T’ieh-kuai:
Lame, with an iron leg and a gourd filled with magic herbs. Patron of the sick.
Lu Tung-pin:
With a magic sword and a fly-whisker. A scholar (lived 755-855 AD). Patron of barbers.
Han Hsiang-tzu:
Plays a flute or castanets. Nephew of the famous author Han Yu (768-824 AD), clairvoyant. Corpulent, with a naked belly. Patron of musicians.
Chung li Ch'uan:
Has a fan or the peach of immortality. A military man.
Ho Hsien-ku (the only woman):
With magical lotus blossom, peach or basket with flowers, sometimes with reed-organ. Drinks wine. Said to have lived in the 7th century.
Ts’ao Kuo-ch'iu:
Keeps his hands reverential crossed before the breast, holding a small jade tablet of admission to court, or has castanets. Eldest brother of empress Jen-chung (1023-1064 AD), hermit, patron of actors.
HOW TO USE CHOPSTICKS
Chinese food seems to taste better when eaten with chopsticks. It is usually an awkward first experience for westerners to use chopsticks with their meal. Fortunately, learning to eat with chopsticks is not difficult.
There are two important things to remember for effective use of chopsticks.
1. The two lower ends must be even, that is, one must not protrude over the other.
2. The two chopsticks must be in the same plane.
Place the first (lower) chopstick in the base of the thumb and index finger and rest its lower end below on the ring finger as shown. This chopstick remains fixed.
Hold the other (upper) chopstick between the tips of the index and middle fingers, steady its upper half against the base of the index finger, and use the tips of the thumb to keep it in place.
To pick up food, move the upper chopstick with index and middle fingers.
With a little practice, you will be able to use chopsticks with ease.
CHOPSTICKS . . . SUPERSTITIONS
If you find an
uneven pair at your table setting, it means you are going to miss a
boat, plane or train.
Dropping chopsticks will inevitably bring bad
luck, as will laying them across each other. Crossed chopsticks are,
however, permissible in a "dim sum" restaurant. Your waiter will cross
them to show that your bill has been settled, or you can do the same
to show the waiter that you have finished and are ready to pay the
bill.
Embedding your chopsticks in your bowl of rice is very bad luck.
Never waive the chopsticks over food when having a meal because it is considered poor manners.
Never spear or poke food with the tips of the chopsticks because it is bad manners. Certain things may be more difficult to pick up with chopsticks, but chopsticks are designed to pick up food, not to spear and stab it. Equally forbidden is using chopsticks to pull a dish forward. Use only hands.
If you need to rest your chopsticks, leave them on a chopsticks rest or by the side of your bowl or plate. Do not stick them into a bowl of rice because it resembles ancestral offerings and is frowned upon.
If the table settings include serving spoons or chopsticks, use them instead of your own set to get yourself food.
Do not suck on the tip of the chopsticks.
Don't beat your bowls while eating, since the behavior used to be practiced by beggars.
Want to get some chopstick practice? Come down to see us at the North Sea Restaurant - here you can find a friendly atmosphere to practice your chopstick skills and beautiful authentic Chinese food to practice on. Come and have some fun! (Knives and forks available!!!)