[ahbian]

Chopsticks,Chopsticks,Chopsticks...


http://times.hankook...16022411690.htm


All About Chopsticks


By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter




Just as local embryonic stem-cell pioneer Hwang Woo-suk attributed the breakthrough in his study to chopsticks, these everyday utensils have particular significance for many kinds of people.

Hwang said that one of the keys to his cloning success was a mastery of wielding steel chopsticks that enabled him to do the delicate work of cloning human embryos.

Whether or not it was just a humble response to explain his success or really a point about the necessity of hand dexterity, there are many people who want to learn how to handle chopsticks properly to know the secrets behind the humble implements.

Out of Hands

Chopsticks are used by more than 1.5 billion people in Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan and Korea, and about 80 percent of people in Korea, Japan and China are known to use chopsticks.

However, the number of those using chopsticks properly is in decline as the significance and merits of the utensils have been overlooked by many from those Asian countries.

A survey conducted last year by professor Kim Pil-su at Daelim College revealed that 62 percent of adults and 80 percent of children in the nation cannot use chopsticks properly.

The reason was thought that Western fast foods such as hamburgers and pizza are more widely loved among the young generation and most children with working parents do not have a chance to learn how to use the utensils due to a lack of instruction from their elders.

Merits of Chopsticks

Last April, about 200 children and foreign English teachers gathered at an elementary school in Socho-dong, southern Seoul. They were engaged in the task of trying to shift small beans from one plate to another with chopsticks in a competition to promote the proper use of chopsticks.

``Chopsticks have numerous merits but they have been neglected or people don't learn the proper way of using them,'' said Cho Nam-ho, mayor of Socho, who organized the competition. ``Using chopsticks helps children develop mentally and physically.''


Children use chopsticks to move beans from one plate to another during a contest at Socho Elementary School in Seoul in April. Korea Times Photo by Hwang Jae-sung
According to research, when held correctly, the sticks are manipulated between the thumb and fingers of the right hand, using about 30 joints and 50 muscles in the palm, forearm, wrist and elbow. And depending on what you have to pick up, different levels of concentration are needed to maneuver the sticks.

``Using chopsticks properly was also associated with table manners taught by our elders in the past, so we could tell the personality and manners of people by seeing them using chopsticks,'' the mayor said.

As he believes that chopsticks are not only implements to dine with but also represent Korean dining culture, Cho plans to hold more events to promote the use of chopsticks.

Origin of Chopsticks

It is known that chopsticks were developed about 5,000 years ago in China, and by A.D. 500, chopstick use spread from China to other Asian countries including Vietnam, Korea, and Japan but varied in their shapes and styles depending on their food culture.

In those countries, food was prepared small enough to negate the need for knives at the dinner table.

Just as the famous philosopher Confucius advised that knives or forks should be not used at the dinner table because they would remind of the slaughterhouse, those carving implements were not common at the dinner table in Asian countries.

As the largest users of these ordinary instruments, the Japanese, Koreans and Chinese have evolved the basic design to suit their respective eating habits and cultural development. Chopsticks are usually made of bamboo, sandalwood, pine or plastic, and more expensive sets are made of lacquered wood, silver or even jade.

How to Use It

The basic rule of using chopsticks is to hold one chopstick in place while pivoting the other one to pick up individual portions.

First, place the first chopstick so that the thicker part rests at the base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the lower side of your middle fingertip. Then bring your thumb forward so that the stick will be firmly trapped in place.

At least 2 or 3 inches of chopstick of the thinner end should extend beyond your fingertip. Next, position the other chopstick so that it is held against the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb. Check whether the ends of the chopsticks are even. If not, then tap the thinner parts on the plate to make them even.

Just place a little pressure on the upper chopstick, the top one against your index finger, to make it pivot on the index finger while keeping the bottom chopstick stationary.

After a little practice, you can use them to enjoy any meal and easily pick up tiny grains of rice from your bowl, and you may even get smarter.

Differences in Chopsticks

All East Asian countries use chopsticks, but that doesn't mean that they are all the same. Here are some ways you can tell apart chopsticks from Korea, Japan and China.




Korean Chopsticks



Koreans' chopsticks normally measure about 25 centimeters and are unique in that they are commonly made of stainless steel and are flat. Koreans also use them in conjunction with a spoon. Both Chinese and Korean chopsticks are not tapered at the ends.

But as they are of stainless steel, users feel more weight and have to use more strength to handle them. Since there are various side dishes at table, more sophisticated handling is needed, for example cutting and separating are required in addition to picking up very tiny pieces of food.




Japanese Chopsticks



Japanese chopsticks are shorter than those from Korea and China, decorated with various patterns, and normally made of lacquered wood. They are sometimes elaborately painted and personalized for their owners.

Short chopsticks suit a diet rich in noodles and fish. Japanese chopsticks differ in design from Chinese chopsticks in that they are rounded with a point at the base, and are frequently distinguished by color. Women generally use bright red chopsticks for luck, while men opt for black. His-and-hers chopstick sets are common wedding gifts in Japan.




Chinese Chopsticks



Chinese chopsticks are longer than those from neighboring countries since they are developed to share main dishes at the center of the table.

The styles vary from region to region, but they are usually made of wood, squared at the tip and round at the end with the tips as thick as the upper part.

When it comes to eating rice, Chinese people bring the rice bowl close to their mouth and quickly scoop the rice into the mouth with the chopsticks, as do the Japanese.

This post has been edited by ahbian: 04 June 2005 - 11:17 AM

[DaMo]

I had a nice patterned wooden Japanese-type pair of chopsticks until last year. But I lost them, so I now have to make do with plain white plastic Chinese-type chopsticks (they're the only ones I can find at the moment). I kind of prefer the Chinese type, but I would like to find a more colorful/stylish pair.

[Kulong]

I personally find it difficult to eat with the Korean metal chopsticks...

[lobster]

Kulong, on Jun 3 2005, 11:14 AM, said:

I personally find it difficult to eat with the Korean metal chopsticks...

Heh, I still haven't seen those. But it still sound like something in martial arts novels to me.

I've only used wooden or plastic ones.

[Kulong]

lobster, on Jun 3 2005, 10:24 AM, said:

Heh, I still haven't seen those.  But it still sound like something in martial arts novels to me. 

I've only used wooden or plastic ones.

Just go to your local Korean restaurant... I'm sure they'll have them...

[lobster]

Kulong, on Jun 3 2005, 11:32 AM, said:

Just go to your local Korean restaurant... I'm sure they'll have them...

No, every restaurant uses wooden ones, reusable chopsticks are unhygienic and troublesome (to wash).

EDIT: wood is freaking cheap in Canada.

This post has been edited by lobster: 03 June 2005 - 10:37 AM

[Kulong]

lobster, on Jun 3 2005, 10:36 AM, said:

No, every restaurant uses wooden ones, reusable chopsticks are unhygienic and troublesome (to wash).

EDIT: wood is freaking cheap in Canada.

Heh, you live in Canada, that might explain why...

Reusable chopsticks are unhygenic and troublesome to wash but our local Korean restaurants still use their metal chopsticks... Just because YOUR local Korean restaurants don't use them, it doesn't mean no one else does...

[Gubook Janggoon]

Kulong, on Jun 3 2005, 07:14 AM, said:

I personally find it difficult to eat with the Korean metal chopsticks...

Hm..for me they're difficult to use only for eating rice. That's why I usually use a spoon for that.

[ahbian]

Kulong, on Jun 4 2005, 12:14 AM, said:

I personally find it difficult to eat with the Korean metal chopsticks...

i tried them a few times and i liked the feeling of cold metal on my fingers.
certainly heavier than the wooden or plastic ones i use regularly but when one gets the hang of it, they're not too bad. my only complaint is they're usually not thick enough.

[Kulong]

Gubook Janggoon, on Jun 3 2005, 08:03 PM, said:

Hm..for me they're difficult to use only for eating rice.  That's why I usually use a spoon for that.

I've always used spoons to eat rice because it's more efficient

I also love how Koreans mix soup with rice, namely 두부지개 Dooboo Jigae I've always done that since I was a kid.

[lobster]

Heh, all my seniors have told me not to mix rice with soup since day one.

Probably a Cantonese tradition.

[Kulong]

lobster, on Jun 4 2005, 10:44 AM, said:

Heh, all my seniors have told me not to mix rice with soup since day one. 

Probably a Cantonese tradition.

Probably.

I don't see why not though. Makes no sense.

[DaMo]

I'd like to try them someday. Korean chopsticks, that is. However, the chances of me finding a genuine Korean restaurant in Mumbai are slim to none.

[AhMan]

you don't mix rice with soup because you don't know how much soup you can eat. If you put too much soup then that soup is not likely to be consumed, which will be a waste.
I heard North Chinese don't eat noodle soup. They prefer dry noodle for the same reason.
I have no problem eating rice in soup.

[lobster]

The reason why Cantonese people put soup in rice is sometimes they fill too much rice in the bowl, and when they want to finish it instead of wasting it, they fill in soup and swallow the rice with the soup. Or it may be because they run out of time to eat.

Some people think people will tend to just swallow the rice in soup without chewing it, which makes the rice harder to digest, and ends up either wasting the nutrition in the rice anyways and/or causing harm to the digestive system.

I have no idea if there is any scientific reasoning behind it.

Another reason is that rice is a product of all the hard work of the rice farmers, so trying to swallow them with soup in a haste instead of chewing and enjoying it is a disgrace and disrespect to the rice farmers.

Northern Chinese do eat noodles in soup. In fact they may do it more often than southerners because it's a good way to get warm in the winter.