By Bernard Rowan
I don't know about you, but I still struggle with chopsticks. They fall between my fingers. I can't pick up an egg. I've improved over the years, but I still drop food on occasion. And I think Korean chopsticks are the hardest to use. Let's talk about chopsticks and Korea a bit.
I understand that chopsticks come from China. Archaeologists date them into the millennia, and then trace their spread to other Asian countries, including Japan and Korea. The use of chopsticks likely protected the hand from food, from the vessels in which food cooks, and to keep cleanness in eating habits. Wikipedia hazards guesses about the meaning of the English word as arising from "Chinese Pidgin English" words for moving quickly, as in "chop, chop," or from other words that mean food or food sticks.
I'm married to a Chinese lady, and that means I use Chinese chopsticks. They're generous to the hand and fingers. They're usually made of wood, originally bamboo, but today other kinds as well. I like to use the rough or plain wood and the more polished and shaped varieties equally. Their longer length suits my hand. If I give up, I must confess to stabbing the food like a skewer ― which is rude! Many chopsticks have beautiful patterns. I don't mind whether they do or don't if there are no splinters.
I don't have much experience with Japanese chopsticks. To my mind they're not different from Chinese, but what I read suggests otherwise. The Japanese have a specifying tendency in their chopstick arsenal, with various types for different uses. They also use different materials, with wood predominating. Wikipedia's entry notes that chopsticks also may be made from titanium, gold, silver, porcelain, jade, ivory, or brass. Of these fancier materials, I've only seen ivory chopsticks.
When we reach Korean culture, chopsticks differ. Of course, there are wooden and plastic chopsticks. There are several types. But with Korea, chopsticks characteristically are metal. And they are shorter. And they twin with an interesting, different long spoon for soup or rice consumption. The Korean word for spoon and chopstick sets (sujeo) combines the word for chopsticks (jeotgarak) and the word for spoon (sutgarak). These sets make suitable presents or souvenirs.
Korean chopsticks made from metal are a residue of the imperial concern to avoid foods that poison, or poisoned food. Nextshark.com says this stemmed from the Baekje Kingdom. Silver composed many royal chopsticks and changed color when arsenic or other poisons appeared in foods. Tasters had a dangerous burden. Gradually the use of many technologies diffuses from military and royal customs to the people.
Also, metal chopsticks have an environmental basis. Today, instead of chopping down trees or creating non-biodegradable plastic versions, metal chopsticks provide a better material for the work. We can clean, wash, and sterilize them to remove germs and use over and again. We don't have to litter the alleys and oceans with spent chopsticks, even if they're a bit harder to use for grasping foods.
Korean chopsticks feature grooves or notches at the ends to counter the effects of slippery metal. The spoon to my mind rivals and surpasses Western spoons for soup, rice, or general use. I like the longer stem. Metal also conducts heat, which works well for various types of Korean "tangs" or soups. I also like the rectangular ceramic or wooden stop for the utensils.
Now, there are many YouTube videos on using Korean chopsticks. I like the Life in Korea entry on Korean Table manners and chopsticks. A first no-no is never stick them in rice (it's rude and resembles a part of funeral tradition). There are rules, including several I didn't know. Some of the rules move into more general dining etiquette. Chopsticks shouldn't make noise or turn into a knife or skewer. They also shouldn't turn into sifting tools.
I still prefer wood chopsticks to metal, but I think I need more practice. Try using chopsticks, but don't expect to master them right away. Even the most dexterous need time to grow comfortable using them properly.
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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I understand that chopsticks come from China. Archaeologists date them into the millennia, and then trace their spread to other Asian countries, including Japan and Korea. The use of chopsticks likely protected the hand from food, from the vessels in which food cooks, and to keep cleanness in eating habits. Wikipedia hazards guesses about the meaning of the English word as arising from "Chinese Pidgin English" words for moving quickly, as in "chop, chop," or from other words that mean food or food sticks.
I'm married to a Chinese lady, and that means I use Chinese chopsticks. They're generous to the hand and fingers. They're usually made of wood, originally bamboo, but today other kinds as well. I like to use the rough or plain wood and the more polished and shaped varieties equally. Their longer length suits my hand. If I give up, I must confess to stabbing the food like a skewer ― which is rude! Many chopsticks have beautiful patterns. I don't mind whether they do or don't if there are no splinters.
I don't have much experience with Japanese chopsticks. To my mind they're not different from Chinese, but what I read suggests otherwise. The Japanese have a specifying tendency in their chopstick arsenal, with various types for different uses. They also use different materials, with wood predominating. Wikipedia's entry notes that chopsticks also may be made from titanium, gold, silver, porcelain, jade, ivory, or brass. Of these fancier materials, I've only seen ivory chopsticks.
When we reach Korean culture, chopsticks differ. Of course, there are wooden and plastic chopsticks. There are several types. But with Korea, chopsticks characteristically are metal. And they are shorter. And they twin with an interesting, different long spoon for soup or rice consumption. The Korean word for spoon and chopstick sets (sujeo) combines the word for chopsticks (jeotgarak) and the word for spoon (sutgarak). These sets make suitable presents or souvenirs.
Korean chopsticks made from metal are a residue of the imperial concern to avoid foods that poison, or poisoned food. Nextshark.com says this stemmed from the Baekje Kingdom. Silver composed many royal chopsticks and changed color when arsenic or other poisons appeared in foods. Tasters had a dangerous burden. Gradually the use of many technologies diffuses from military and royal customs to the people.
Also, metal chopsticks have an environmental basis. Today, instead of chopping down trees or creating non-biodegradable plastic versions, metal chopsticks provide a better material for the work. We can clean, wash, and sterilize them to remove germs and use over and again. We don't have to litter the alleys and oceans with spent chopsticks, even if they're a bit harder to use for grasping foods.
Korean chopsticks feature grooves or notches at the ends to counter the effects of slippery metal. The spoon to my mind rivals and surpasses Western spoons for soup, rice, or general use. I like the longer stem. Metal also conducts heat, which works well for various types of Korean "tangs" or soups. I also like the rectangular ceramic or wooden stop for the utensils.
Now, there are many YouTube videos on using Korean chopsticks. I like the Life in Korea entry on Korean Table manners and chopsticks. A first no-no is never stick them in rice (it's rude and resembles a part of funeral tradition). There are rules, including several I didn't know. Some of the rules move into more general dining etiquette. Chopsticks shouldn't make noise or turn into a knife or skewer. They also shouldn't turn into sifting tools.
I still prefer wood chopsticks to metal, but I think I need more practice. Try using chopsticks, but don't expect to master them right away. Even the most dexterous need time to grow comfortable using them properly.
Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University.
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