I noticed that today is Chopsticks Day, honouring one of the world’s oldest eating utensils. And with the Lunar New Year coming up on Saturday, I could probably use the practice.
Every so often, I’ll break out the chopsticks. Although I’ll admit I’m not very good at using them. And since I’m reaching a point in my life where I’m starting to develop a bit of arthritis in my hands, it’s not getting any easier. But I still like to try.
I’ve seen various accounts of the history. There seems to disagreement on how far back they came into use. Somewhere between three and five thousand years ago.
According to what I’ve seen, it started with people being in a hurry to eat from large communal pot. Instead of waiting for food to cool, they would break off sticks and start eating. Although it could also be that some of those sticks were used to stir the pot in the first place. This evolved into using pairs of sticks. Eventually it caught on, and spread through much of east Asia, although there are many different versions of the types and shapes of sticks used.
If you’ve never tried it, there is a knack to it. Using chopsticks is like a lot of things. You tend to get better with practice. Although the fact you have to think about what you’re doing and it tends to take more time to eat while using them, is a plus for many people. It’s much harder to rush through a meal using chopsticks.
They even have chopsticks with the equivalent of training wheels. You get what are called tong chopsticks, which are joined at the top. Certainly a plus for those who aren’t practiced at keeping the angle just right.
Like I said, I may have to practice a bit tonight. What with the lunar new year coming up on the weekend. I enjoy using them. My dog enjoys it even more.
Did I mention I’m not very good with them?