Chopsticks

It is believed that the first chopsticks were developed over 5000 years ago in early China. Early Asian men would retrieve his food from the fire using sticks or branches broken from trees. Later as the population grew and sources became scarce people would cut food into smaller pieces to save fuel and this eliminated the need for knives and chopsticks were the new fad.

Chopsticks were used in the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC - 1100 BC) and Zhou, the last king of the Shang Dynasty (around 1100 BC), used ivory chopsticks. Experts believe the history of wood or bamboo chopsticks can be dated to about 1,000 years earlier than ivory chopsticks. Bronze chopsticks were invented in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC - 771 BC). Gold and silver chopsticks became popular in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). It was believed that silver chopsticks could detect poisons in food.

Chopsticks can be classified into five groups based on the materials used to make them, i.e., wood, metal, bone, stone and compound chopsticks. Bamboo and wood chopsticks are the most popular ones used in Chinese homes.

Chinese chopsticks are called Kuai-Zi which means quick little fellows. It has been said by using chopsticks it improves memory increases finger dexterity and can be useful in learning and improving skills such as Chinese printing and painting. Dropping a chopstick is a sign of bad luck to come!

There are a few things to avoid when using chopsticks. Chinese people usually don't beat their bowls while eating, since the behavior used to be practiced by beggars. Also don't insert chopsticks in a bowl upright because it is a custom exclusively used in sacrifice.

For more information check out:

http://www.asianartmall.com/chopstickshistory.htm