Historians believe that the Chinese began to use chopsticks 5 thousand years ago. They used them in the cooking process. Long wooden rods are convenient for removing and lowering pieces of meat from pots of boiling oil or water. Chopsticks became cutlery in 400-500 AD. Let's find out in more detail why people eat with chopsticks in Asia.
Most likely, this was due to the rapid growth of the population in the country. There was not enough food for everyone, and the residents cut all the food into pieces, so that it would be easier to divide it into many people and cook faster. When the food is finely chopped, it does not need to be cut up and it is convenient to take it with chopsticks, which are simple and cheap. This innovation spread throughout the country.
Some historians associate the decline in popularity of the knife with the teachings of such a sage as Kun-Tzu. The Western world knows him by the name of Confucius. The philosopher considered himself a vegetarian and protested against the use of a knife.
The sage's ideas strongly influenced his contemporaries, so the "authority" of the sticks could well have been raised thanks to him. After several decades, the sticks spread to neighboring countries: Vietnam, Korea, Japan. The Japanese, on the other hand, originally made them from bamboo, using only for religious purposes.
When the great Chinese dynasties ruled, aristocratic families ate with silver chopsticks. This was done in the hope of avoiding poisoning. It was believed that the sticks would turn black on contact with something toxic. But this is not always the case, for example, upon contact with cyanide, the sticks would not react in any way. Arsenic and many other poisons would go unnoticed.
For many, it is surprising why Asians eat rice with chopsticks, because it is easier to take it with a spoon. In Asia, round grain rice is prepared, which can easily stick together into lumps, which means that it can be easily eaten with chopsticks.
Some companies in Asia that produce electronic devices and microcircuits, before hiring a person, check how he handles chopsticks. In this way, they will know how good his fine motor skills and hand coordination are necessary for assembling products.
