Chopsticks

Chopsticks are shaped pairs of equal-length sticks that have been used as kitchen and eating utensils in most countries of the Sinosphere for over three millennia. They are held in the dominant hand, secured by fingers, and used to pick up food.

Originating in China, chopsticks later spread to other parts of the Sinosphere such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Today, they are often connected with East Asian food in the West, especially in cities with large East Asian diaspora communities.

Traditionally made of wood, bamboo, metal, ivory, and ceramics, chopsticks are now also found in modern materials like plastic, stainless steel, and even titanium. Learning to use chopsticks can take practice and skill, and in some places, there are special ways to use them that people consider polite.

Origin and history

Chopsticks have been used since at least the Shang dynasty (1766–1122 BCE). The earliest found chopsticks are made of bronze and were used for cooking. They were found near Anyang in Henan and date back to around 1200 BC.

At first, chopsticks were mainly used in cooking to stir and serve food. Later, during the Han dynasty, they began to be used for eating as well, especially when rice became a common food. Over time, chopsticks spread from China to other countries in East and Southeast Asia, such as Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Today, they are used in many places around the world where East Asian food is enjoyed.

Styles of chopsticks

Chopsticks come in many different styles, with variations in size, shape, and material. They can be as short as 23 centimeters or as long as 40 centimeters, depending on their use. Some are round, while others are square or have other shapes. The tips can be blunt or pointed, and some have special textures to help grip food better.

Chopsticks can be made from many materials, including bamboo, wood, plastic, metal, bone, and even jade. Bamboo and wood are common for everyday use, while plastic is often used in restaurants. Metal chopsticks, like those made from stainless steel, are durable and easy to clean. Some fancy chopsticks are made from materials like gold or silver for special occasions.

Using chopsticks

People around the world hold chopsticks in different ways, but they all aim to use them like an extension of their hand. Whether using the standard grip or another way, the goal is the same: to hold the two sticks with the fingers so they can pick up food easily.

The standard grip is often considered the most efficient. In this grip, the top stick is held by the tips of the thumb, index finger, and middle finger, almost like holding a pen. The bottom stick stays still, held in place by the base of the thumb against the ring finger's knuckle. This way, the thumb helps move the top stick while keeping the bottom one steady.

Learning to use chopsticks

In places where people use chopsticks, learning how to use them is an important part of growing up. Families usually teach children the right way to hold chopsticks, but kids often find their own ways at first. Parents may buy special tools to help their children learn the proper way.

For adults learning to use chopsticks, they might get help from friends or instructions on disposable chopstick wrappers. There are also many videos online that show how to use chopsticks. Even adults sometimes find their own ways to hold them.

Learning tools try to guide people toward the usual way of holding chopsticks. They show or help enforce the correct grip and how the chopsticks move. The process starts with placing fingers correctly and holding the chopsticks like extensions of the fingers. Next, learners need to understand how to move the top chopstick from a closed position, where the tips touch, to an open position where the tips spread apart to pick up food. Keeping the thumb flat helps hold the bottom chopstick steady while moving the top one. This flat thumb position helps keep the chopsticks in place and allows for better control when picking up food.

The most common learning aid is a wrapper sleeve with a rubber band, often found in East Asian restaurants. While these help pick up food, they don’t teach the standard grip. Other inventions, like Kwik Stix, and tools that combine chopsticks with other utensils, such as The Chork or Fork and Knife Chopsticks, are also available.

Some learning aids help with placing fingers correctly by labeling spots on the chopsticks or carving grooves to guide finger placement.

Other tools let users move the chopsticks like extensions of their fingers without needing the exact finger movements of the standard grip. These might use hoops or tabs to help move the chopsticks, sometimes connecting them with a bridge or hinge to keep them in the right position.

Chopstick customs, manners and etiquette

Chopsticks are used in many parts of Asia, and there are special ways to use them politely. These rules can change a little from place to place, depending on the food and how people usually eat. For example, some places might eat alone on the floor, while others sit at a table together.

In some places, it’s normal to lift a bowl close to your mouth when using chopsticks. But in other places, this can seem rude because people there prefer to use chopsticks for solid foods and a spoon for liquids.

In countries where chopsticks are used, holding them the wrong way can reflect on your family. Some news stories talk about young children not knowing how to use chopsticks properly.

Generally, chopsticks should never be stuck upright in a bowl of rice, as this reminds people of a tradition that honors those who have passed away.

Sinosphere

China

Further information: Customs and etiquette in Chinese dining

• When eating rice from a bowl, it’s normal to hold the bowl close to your mouth and use chopsticks to push the rice in.
• It’s okay to use your own chopsticks to give food to close family members. But these days, many people use special serving chopsticks to keep things clean.
• When not using chopsticks, they should be placed either to the right or below your plate.
• Tapping chopsticks on your bowl is considered rude, as it’s something beggars might do.
• It’s impolite to dig through your food looking for something, as this is seen as very bad manners.

Japan

Further information: Customs and etiquette in Japanese dining

• When not using chopsticks, place the ends on a chopstick rest. If you don’t have one, you can fold chopstick wrappers to make a rest.
• You can turn chopsticks around to use the clean end for sharing food from a common dish, but only if there are no special sharing chopsticks. Turning them around is usually frowned upon because it can remind people of a special celebration item.
• Crossing chopsticks on the table is seen as symbolizing something unlucky.
• Chopsticks should be placed horizontally with the tips pointing to the left.
• In formal settings, disposable chopsticks should be put back in their wrapper when the meal ends.
• It’s rude to stick chopsticks upright in rice or pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another, as this reminds people of traditions related to remembering those who have passed away.

Korea

• In Korea, chopsticks are used together with a spoon, called a sujeo set. The chopsticks go on the right side, parallel to the bowl of rice (bap) and soup (guk). Chopsticks should always be on the right of the spoon, and only on the left during special family meals for those who have passed away.
• Like in China and Japan, chopsticks should not be stuck upright in food, as this looks like something done for those who have passed away.
• The spoon is used for rice and soups, while chopsticks are used for most side dishes (banchan).
• It’s rude to pick up a bowl or plate to eat from it with chopsticks. If food drips when lifted, use a spoon to catch it. Holding both a spoon and chopsticks at the same time is generally not preferred.

Vietnam

Many Vietnamese people use chopsticks, and their customs are very similar to China’s. For example, it’s normal to hold the bowl close to the mouth while eating.

Some special taboos in Vietnam include:

• Placing uneven chopsticks on the table, as this is thought to bring bad luck.
• Tapping bowls with chopsticks, which is seen as rude.
• Pointing with chopsticks, which is considered disrespectful.
• Crossing chopsticks on the table, which is thought to bring bad luck.
• Using chopsticks to plug a rice bowl, which is like a tradition for remembering those who have passed away.

Southeast Asia

Cambodia

In Cambodia, people use chopsticks, spoons, forks, and their hands to eat. Chopsticks are mainly used for noodle dishes, but many Cambodians use them for all meals. Forks are only used to help guide food onto the spoon, not to eat directly. For noodle dishes like kuyteav and num banhchok, chopsticks are used. Forks are never used to put food in the mouth because they’re seen as unsafe near the face. The spoon is used for broth.

Indonesia and Malaysia

In countries where Malay is spoken, such as Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, chopsticks are mostly used for eating noodles, like mie goreng or mee goreng. For rice dishes, people usually use a spoon, a fork, or sometimes just their hands.

Thailand

Historically, Thai people ate with their hands and sometimes used a spoon and fork for curries or soup, influenced by Western customs. Many Thai noodle dishes eaten from a bowl use chopsticks. Unlike in China and Vietnam, chopsticks aren’t used with a bowl of rice. Making noise with chopsticks is impolite. It’s also rude to point chopsticks toward someone, as pointing is seen as disrespectful.

Global impacts

Environmental impacts

In Japan, people use about 24 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks each year, which is almost 200 pairs for every person. In China, around 45 billion pairs are made each year. This use of wooden chopsticks takes up a lot of trees—about 1.66 million cubic meters, or 25 million fully grown trees, every year.

To help save trees, China added a 5% tax on disposable chopsticks in April 2006. This tax helped reduce the use of wooden chopsticks, especially in Japan, where most of their chopsticks come from China.

Some American companies now make chopsticks in the United States using sweet gum and poplar wood. These woods do not need extra chemicals to make them lighter, which many people like. A famous singer from Taiwan, Wang Leehom, has encouraged people to use reusable chopsticks made from sustainable materials. In Japan, reusable chopsticks are called maihashi or maibashi, which means "my chopsticks."

Effects on health

A survey in Hong Kong in 2006 showed that more people were using separate serving chopsticks or other utensils when sharing food. Since 2003, the number of people doing this grew from 46% to 65%.