A Brief History of Chopsticks.
We've discussed the story of knife and fork, but there's another set of utensils(器皿) used by billions of people around the world—and it has a truly ancient past. The Chinese have been wielding chopsticks since at least 1200 B.C., and by A.D. 500 chopsticks (sweep) the Asian continent from Vietnam to Japan. From their humble beginnings cooking utensils to paper-wrapped bamboo sets at the sushi counter, there's more to chopsticks than meets the eye.
Chopsticks (develop) about 5000 years ago in China. The (early) versions were probably twigs used to get food from cooking pots. When resources became scare, around 400 B. C. ,crafty chefs figured out to conserve fuel by chopping food into smaller pieces that required less cooking fuel, and besides, it could be cooked more quickly. This new method of cooking made it unnecessary to have knives at the dinner table—a practice that also matched the non-violent teachings of Confucius (孔子)，expressed in one of his numerous quotations:" the honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse(屠宰房) and the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table." As a vegetarian, he believed that knives' sharp points evoked(诱发)violence (kill) the happy, contented mood that should reign during meals. Thanks in part to his teachings, chopstick use quickly became widespread throughout Asia.
Different cultures adopted different chopstick styles. Perhaps in a nod to Confucius, Chinese chopsticks featured a blunt rather than pointed end. In Japan, chopsticks were 8 inches long for men and 7 inches long for women. In 1878 the Japanese became the first (create) the now-ubiquitous disposable set, typically made of bamboo or wood. Wealthy diners could eat with ivory, jade, coral, brass or agate versions, while the most privileged used silver sets. It was believed that the silver would corrode and turn black it came into contact with poisoned food.
Throughout history, chopsticks have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with another staple of Asian cuisine: rice. At first glance, you'd think that rice wouldn't make the cut, but in Asia most rice is of the short- or medium-grain variety. The starches(淀粉质食品) in these rices create a cooked product that is gummy and clumpy, unlike the fluffy and distinct grains of Western long- grain rice. chopsticks come together to lift steaming bundles of sticky rice, it's a match made in heaven.
