It is impossible to imagine any Chinese restaurant without such cutlery as Chinese chopsticks. For centuries, they have helped to enjoy delicious Asian cuisine.
Traditional Chinese foodIt is a whole ritual, the attributes of which are not only the dishes themselves, but also the furniture and dishes. As a rule, the Chinese take food at special round-shaped tables, in the middle of which there is a special rotating stand, on which there are various dishes and sauces. With this delivery, anyone can easily reach any dish without disturbing anyone sitting next to each other. Food is served on the table in large portions, designed for all present and cut into small pieces, which can be eaten into the mouth with the help of traditional chopsticks.
The history of this dining tool is calculated3-4 thousand years. Initially, the Chinese sticks in their form resembled tweezers, which were convenient to take favorite pieces of food. Separate they became much later. Usually their length ranges from 15 to 25 cm. Varieties of form and length depend on the material from which Chinese sticks are made and the country in which they are made. The sticks made of bamboo, ivory, plastics, plums, pines, jade, turquoise, jasper, silver and some other materials are on the market. Some of them are a real work of art, but most are intended for mass use and they are quite cheap.
Wooden chopsticks designed forordinary restaurants and daily use at home are made from bamboo and several types of wood. They are usually disposable, so after a meal they are not taken to be washed and reused. Such cutlery is called "quaizu". Sometimes even such simple sticks are decorated with various patterns and ornaments that make them more luxurious and elegant. The most valuable products are made of expensive ebony. Such Chinese sticks look great on the festive tables in combination with Chinese porcelain. In China, it is believed that products decorated with images of cranes, pines and turtles bring good luck to its owner.
Первые «куайцзу» появились именно в Китае, откуда they first spread to Korea, Japan, Vietnam and other Asian countries, and then conquered the whole world. Each of these countries has brought something of its own in this cutlery. So, traditional Japanese chopsticks, called "hashi", are made of wood, they are a little shorter than the Chinese and their ends are more pointed. Very thin Korean sticks are made mainly from metals.
The use of such cutlery is not for everyoneis easy. Some people, even those who are far from Chinese culture, easily master quaizu, and some fail even after many attempts. The main condition for the successful use of such a tool is the absence of tension in the hand. The brush must be relaxed, the movements are done calmly and smoothly. Ring finger and little finger pressed together, and the index and middle pull a little forward. One stick is placed in the hollow between the thumb and the brush. The thin (lower) end rests on the relaxed ring finger. The second stick is based on 1 phalanx of the index, 3 phalanx of the middle and adheres to 1 phalanx of the thumb. During the meal, the lower stick remains almost stationary all the time, and the manipulations are carried out with the upper stick.
There are a number of traditional rules thatneed to adhere to Chinese etiquette. So the Chinese chopsticks cannot be clenched in a fist, they can “draw” something on a plate, impale food on them. After eating, the quaizu is placed in front of the plate, with thick ends to the right. Indecent lick sticks.
