What dishes are eaten with Chinese chopsticks? How to hold Chinese chopsticks correctly? How to eat with chopsticks? Chopstick options: Japanese and Chinese

History of Chinese chopsticks

The history of Chinese chopsticks goes back several thousand years. Scientists believe that they were first used in BC. According to one version, this happened during the reign of the Shang-Yin dynasty (approximately 1764 - 1027 BC). But the historical notes of Sima Qian, written during the Han Dynasty, say that Emperor Zhou used chopsticks made of Ivory about 4000 years ago. It follows from this that the first Chinese chopsticks appeared even before the Shang-Yin dynasty. Chinese chronicles indicate that in those days only the emperor and his entourage used chopsticks, and only in 700-800 AD did they enter the homes of the common people. There is a version that initially chopsticks were needed only when preparing food wrapped in leaves. It was with their help that cooks quickly and deftly moved hot stones and turned over pieces of meat, fish and vegetables. Later, sticks became a replacement for a long-handled scoop called a “bi.” If previously prepared food was removed from the dish with this spoon, then with the advent of chopsticks the need for it disappeared. Now the sticks are popular all over the world.

What types of chopsticks are there?

What the first chopsticks were made of can be guessed by their name " kuaizu", containing a root meaning "bamboo". The bamboo trunk was split in two, and its halves were folded, resulting in the sticks resembling tweezers. The separate form of kuaizu was acquired much later, and has remained in this form until our times.

Now chopsticks are made from the most various materials: plastic, bone, metal (including gold and silver). But most often, wood of various species is used for their production. Among them are pine, cypress, plum, maple, cedar, willow, black or purple sandalwood. Chopsticks can be disposable, like those served in Chinese, Japanese or Vietnamese restaurants, or reusable, which are purchased for constant use and stored at home along with other cutlery. Such kuaizu can be a real work of art: they are painted and varnished, decorated with ornaments and inlaid with metal and mother-of-pearl. Appearance chopsticks are also varied: pyramidal in shape, with thick or thin ends, flat. Their cross-section can be round, oval, square, with rounded corners.

The tradition of eating with chopsticks from the Chinese was adopted by the Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese and other peoples of the East, but this happened only in the 12th century. In each of these countries, chopsticks look different. Japanese hashi are also made of wood, but they are shorter than Chinese kuaizu and have more pointed ends. Koreans eat with very thin chopsticks, made mostly of metal.

How to hold Chinese chopsticks correctly?

Characteristic dishes have their own cutlery. You wouldn't eat soup with a fork, would you? In this article we will learn how to use Chinese chopsticks. It's not difficult at all.

1. First, take one stick (at a distance of one third from the upper end) between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. Hold the stick with the thumb and ring fingers so that the index, middle and thumb form a ring.

2. The second stick is taken, placing it parallel to the first, at a distance of 15 mm. When the middle finger straightens, the sticks move apart.

3. They bring the sticks together, bending the index finger, and pinch with the tips what they want to put into the mouth. In addition, if the piece is too large, you can use chopsticks to separate it, but only very carefully.

Table culture.

Since Chinese chopsticks are part of the culture, there are certain rules behavior at the table when using them.

Do not tap your chopsticks on the table, plate or other objects to call the waiter.
- Don’t “draw” on the table with chopsticks, don’t “wander” aimlessly around the food with chopsticks. Before you reach for your chopsticks, choose a piece.
- 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.
- Do not stick food on sticks.
- Do not shake the chopsticks to cool the piece.
- Do not put your face in the bowl or bring it too close to your mouth and then use chopsticks to stuff food into your mouth. Do not compact food brought to your mouth using chopsticks.
- Don't lick the chopsticks. Don't just keep 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.
- Never point or wave chopsticks in the air.
- Do not pull the plate towards you using chopsticks. Always pick it up.
- Before asking for more rice, put your chopsticks on the table.
- Do not clasp two chopsticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening.
- Never stick your chopsticks into the rice. This is prohibited and is only served to the dead before a funeral.
- Do not place chopsticks across the cup. After you have finished eating, place your chopsticks on the rack.

VIDEO LESSON

According to experts, all kinds of Chinese delicacies such as jiaozi dumplings or Peking duck seem even tastier when you eat them in a suitable environment. Moreover, according to them, for this it is absolutely not necessary to go to one of the cities of the Celestial Empire. You just need to learn how to eat with chopsticks correctly.

At first it seems impossible. But all the inhabitants of this big country somehow cope with such a task. And even babies after a year begin to use them. Our children, as one of the videos from this page shows, also try to keep up with them. (Even if they are not very good at this yet.)

Scientists say this benefits their development. By learning to eat with chopsticks, the child thereby trains fine motor skills of his hands. And the fact that it greatly influences the development of a child’s intelligence has long been proven. Adults no longer refuse these cutlery out of habit.

It’s strange for our people to imagine that you can even eat soups with Chinese chopsticks. Residents of East Asian countries are familiar with this. They eat the thick stuff with them, but they simply drink the liquid component of the dish from a bowl. Fast and convenient. You just need to be able to use Chinese chopsticks correctly, which is what we will learn now.

1. If you have disposable cutlery, they may be glued together. Break them in two.
2. Place one of the sticks in the deepest place between the thumb and index finger. Place it on your brought together ring and little fingers. With your straightened thumb, lightly pinch the stick.

At first, your movements will be hesitant, but very soon the food will stop falling out of these “tongs”. And then, over time, you will be able to give your friends and acquaintances a real master class on how to hold Chinese chopsticks.

From a young age

How to eat with chopsticks? The Chinese begin to teach their children this craft from the very beginning. early childhood, so even a two-year-old Chinese citizen is already aware of the basics. It is believed that children who use chopsticks are ahead of their peers who use spoons in their development, but this information has been questioned. But the point is not that it is difficult for a European to learn to hold two sticks with his hand. After all, eating with their help is not physiology, but a philosophy that reflects the process of transferring energy from food to a person. And the common phrase “The East is a delicate matter” is not suitable for understanding the essence of things here.

There are different sticks

In their homeland, China, chopsticks are called kuaizi. Their length is 20-25 cm, they are quite thick - such devices are easier to use. Also, thick utensils are easier for beginners who do not know how to eat with chopsticks to learn to use. Having moved to the Japanese islands, chopsticks received a new name - hashi. They became shorter by 5-10 cm and acquired sharp ends. These ends rest on hasioki - special stands. Hashi play an important role in a number of rituals and ceremonies in Japanese culture. Finally, the Korean version of chopsticks is jokkarak. Such devices are made of stainless steel instead of wood. Chokkaraks are very thin, so only very experienced eaters can handle them correctly. If you are served chokkarak in a Japanese restaurant, do not hesitate to ask the waiter for kuaizi or hashi.

Chopstick skills: Chinese version

Before you learn how to eat with chopsticks, you need to learn how to hold them. No one succeeds the first time, so try, try and try again. Here's how to hold kuaizi correctly: one stick with a thick end should be placed at the base of the thumb. The thickening should be next to the thumb. The lower phalanx of the middle finger will serve as a stand for the thin end. Now you need to press the stick a little with your thumb to fix it. The function of this stick is passive, supporting. A second stick is placed between the thumb and index finger, which is held as you would normally hold a pencil. This is what they move when they take food.

Chopsticks: Japanese version

Khasi are held somewhat differently. Here the passive stick is placed at the base of the thumb, but so that the upper third of it remains free. Approximately halfway along its length, this stick rests on the upper phalanx of the ring finger. Thus, the thumb, index and middle fingers form a kind of ring. An active stick is inserted into it, held like a pencil and resting on the upper phalanx of the middle finger. All movements are made with the index finger. Before mastering how to properly eat sushi with hashi chopsticks, practice thoroughly. Don't squeeze your fingers too hard - they will get tired quickly. But don’t loosen them too much - the chopsticks will fall out, an embarrassing situation will arise, and you will be embarrassed and may lose any desire to continue learning to eat with chopsticks.

Subtle and very subtle nuances

To avoid their appearance, knowing and being able to eat with chopsticks correctly is only half the battle. It is necessary to thoroughly study the peculiarities of eating etiquette in both China and Japan. There are significant differences here too. For example, to signal that the meal is over, kuaizi should be placed across the bowl with the sharp ends to the left, and hashi should be placed on the hasioki or edge of the plate. During a meal, before taking a piece, you must first select it, and not pick at the bowl. Food should not be pinned onto chopsticks, they should not be licked, and food should not be pushed into the mouth with them. In Japanese tradition, clenching chopsticks in a fist is regarded as a threatening gesture. And stuck vertically into rice - like a direct insult: such a dish is intended for the dead before a funeral... In general, it’s not for nothing that the skills of how to eat with chopsticks are called art. But whoever masters this art receives more than just the pleasure of eating.

IN Lately Asian cuisine is becoming more and more popular. There is hardly a person among us who would not like to try exotic cuisine. Who doesn't love sushi? But it’s difficult to use them without the help of chopsticks. Well, remember the first time you picked them up and tried to grab the rolls with them? How to hold Chinese chopsticks correctly?

How to hold Chinese chopsticks

There are instructions for mastering this cutlery:

1. 1. You need to relax your hand, straighten your index and middle fingers and bend your little and ring fingers.

As you can see, it's not all that complicated. Improve your chopstick technique.

Food sticks. And now a little history

According to scientists, the use of chopsticks began even before the Shang-Yin Dynasty, which is 1764-1027. BC, and only the emperor and his entourage used them. In 700-800 AD, chopsticks also appeared among mere mortals.

It is believed that at first this cutlery was needed when preparing wrapped food: it could easily carry hot pebbles or turn over pieces of food. Later, even the scoop was replaced with chopsticks.

The first chopsticks were made from bamboo. Nowadays they are made of plastic, metal or bone, but more often wood of different species is still used.

Chopsticks can be either disposable or reusable, and they have different shapes. They are also decorated, so the sticks can turn into a real work of art.

In the 12th century, other eastern peoples also began to use chopsticks.

Code of conduct at the table with chopsticks

1. 1. Do not knock them on the table or other objects;
2. 2. Don’t try to “draw” with them;
3. 3. Don’t pick at your food with chopsticks, just take a piece and eat it;
4. 4. Chopsticks are not a fan; you should not shake them to cool the food;
5. 5. Do not lick or hold them in your mouth just like that;
6. 6. You shouldn’t compact food with them; you can simply choose a smaller piece initially;
7. 7. If you do not use chopsticks, place them with their sharp ends on the left side;
8. 8. Do not give your chopsticks to other people;
9. 9. Do not point or wave them, chopsticks are not weapons;
10. 10. Don't use chopsticks to pull the plate towards you, you have your hands for that;
11. 11. You cannot clench chopsticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this as a threat;
12. 12. Do not stick chopsticks into rice: this is what is served to the dead at funerals;
13. 13. Don't put them on the cup;
14. 14. When you have finished your meal, place your chopsticks on a special stand.

The Chinese learn to use chopsticks from infancy, because fine motor skills contribute mental development child. Scientists have even derived a formula: if an inexperienced person eats at least 1000 dishes with chopsticks, then he will be no worse at using chopsticks than using his hands.

Follow these simple tips, and then no Chinese restaurant is scary for you!

Eat Chinese food with a fork is great if you have the day off and plan to treat yourself to some rolls in front of the TV in your living room. But, if you ever go to a fancy restaurant where chopsticks are the norm, but forks are not even offered as cutlery, then you will absolutely need to read the following instructions.

Learn how to hold your chopsticks and move your fingers correctly to enjoy Chinese cuisine properly. Let's start!

To move the second stick (remember that the first stick is stationary), apply light pressure with the tip of your thumb, and be careful not to move the first stick with your finger. Also, use your index and middle fingers to push the sticks apart or loosen them.

The hardest thing will be to synchronize your thumb with the middle and index fingers so that everything works in unison, but this skill will definitely come with practice.

Once you feel like you've mastered the technique of using chopsticks, start with large pieces of food, such as shrimp and sushi, then move on to smaller dishes that require confident coordination, such as rice and noodles. Good luck!