Why did Asian cultures invent and continue to use Chopsticks?

Question

Ok, heres my problem. One of the staples of the Asian diet is rice, now I know they serve it more gluggy than in Australia, but still, to eat it I believe they hold the bowl close to their mouth and shovel it in. It seems to me like chopsticks weren't the best invention.

Adding to my curiosity is the fact that they also eat a lot of soup. And they eat this with a spoon. Surely it makes sense to also use a spoon for the rice, it would be a lot easier.

Finally, in years past, the Asian region has has a significant flow of trade , with explorers trading for exotic spices and materials to bring back to Europe (not to mention it is linked to several fork and spoon using countries). Surely during this time, the fork would have been seen in use.

So, can someone please explain to me how, with all these factors the chopsticks have survived. Thanks

Oh, and if any of my assumptions are incorrect, please feel free to let me know.

Answer 1

eating rice with a spoon is no faster than eating with chopsticks (or maybe i'm deft).

Answer 2

I'm a typical white American and I use chopsticks whenever I have the chance.  I find them easier to use than silverware in many situations and they're much easier to clean by hand than a bunch of forks and spoons.  They're also cheaper.  And don't forget, silverware was for the upper class in Europe for a very long time.  The sailors on trade ships would have had wooden spoons only.  Why would the Chinese want to switch from a pair of easily made sticks to complicated to carve spoons when they already had a perfectly functional system?

Answer 3

According to this Y!A question, the Chinese used chopsticks to eat with because knives and forks were considered weapons and shouldn't be used at the table.  So European traders using knives and forks at the time probably weren't making any friends by using them.

I've also seen people eat soup with chopsticks and a spoon.  Larger pieces of food are picked up off the spoon and eaten, then you eat the rest of the soup off the spoon.  From the shape and the fact that it's really hard to fit into your mouth, my guess is the broth is meant to be slurped off the spoon.  (which from what I understand is not considered rude as it is in North America)  Rice is made with a stickier consistency so that it's easier to eat with chopsticks out of a bowl.  I've tried eating Minute rice with chopsticks; it isn't so easy!

Food preparation allows a meal to be eaten without a knife and fork, cultural differences in table manners means that spoons are meant for soup, and the notion that weapons are not to be used at the table.  I think nowadays though it's just a matter of how you were raised.  :)

Answer 4

My wife is Chinese and her relatives have no problem shovelling rice into their mouths.  My wife and I aren't so tallented with chop sticks.  I think they are used because they are cheap and clean.  Chinese also have a tradition of tea that is boiled.  While all the Irish railroad workers got sick, the Chinese generally stayed very healthy because of the chopsticks and tea to a large extent IMO.

Answer 5

Chop sticks are actually very easy to use once you get used to them. Most Chinese families eat their meals "family style" which means everyone shares the main dishes in the center of the table... meats, vegitables... the only dish that is served individually is the rice. How sanitary would it be if everyone dug their spoons into the plate full of vegetables or sweat and sour pork. Chop sticks allow you to pick up food items with relatively little disturbance to other items in the dish.

Also some asian women use really fancy chopsticks in their hair when up in a bun. Now what kind of a silly fashion statement to have a spoon and fork sticking out of your hair.

Answer 6

Well, they're easy to make, light in weight (great for a nomad like me), effectively a throw-away product (if you happen to be that lazy) and, depending on how food is presented, quite versatile, which are all distinct advantages over the more metally stuff.

You do have a point with the soup and rice though, if the rice is not to be served in a shape.

I have issues with metal grating on my teeth, so I find chopsticks quite useful.

Answer 7

They do not pickup rice with chopsticks. Rice is served in  small bowls lified to their mouth. They then push it into their mouth wth the sticks.  Two sticks are far easier to find and were around long before spoons and forks were invented.

Answer 8

Because it is more convenient.A friend of mine on interracialmatch.com is Asian,he told me that though using a spoon would be a lot for rice,but it didn't work for dish

Answer 9

Beats using your hands.

Answer 10

They continue to use it today because it is still practical today, as Asians eat much of the same foods they ate centuries ago, partly because of availability, but also because of tradition. Tradition is a very strong issue in Asian cultures, particularly in China and Japan, and to do as their ancestors did is to honour them, which they believe in strongly.

Kimonos are actively worn in Japan still by men and women alike for ceremonial occasions and as formal attire, not because it's still practical, which it certainly isn't, but because of tradition.

Answer 11

they continue to use it because it is part of their culture. we're just looking at this from the western view. then how come europeans and their descents are still using forks and not chopsticks? btw, asian people use spoon for soup too!