The Stories behind Chinese Chopsticks (Part1)

It's typical for a Westerner to attempt using Chinese chopsticks out of curiosity when eating at a Chinese restaurant, particularly on their first visit, to understand how they work.

These slender utensils have a rich history, having witnessed China’s cultural and dietary development over millennia. This article explores the origins, evolution, practicality, naming, dissemination, and cultural significance of Chinese chopsticks. 

The Origins and evolution of Chinese chopsticks

The Book of Rites (a compilation of Confucian thought) says: "Use soil to coat raw food, roast and eat them." This means that the ancient Chinese would wrap food such as millet in leaves, cover it with mud, and roast it in the fire. An even simpler method involved placing grains in ashes and stirring them with branches to heat them thoroughly before eating. It is possible that this practice inspired the ancients to use branches as cooking tools. Over time,

one branch became two, and then bamboo and wood took its place, leading to the creation of the most primitive chopsticks used for cooking.

The later development and adoption of chopsticks may be linked to the lifestyle habits of the Chinese people. A characteristic of Chinese cuisine is its focus on cooked food. Except for fruits, all dishes are prepared using different cooking techniques. Boiling and steaming are the most traditional and essential cooking methods in Chinese cuisine. In ancient times, people used pots to prepare their meals and ate them while they were still hot. To manage the hot food, they ingeniously used tree branches at hand to retrieve food from the pot, as they lived in the primeval forest. Overall, the Chinese diet emphasizes the use of a significant amount of water and pottery containers, with continuous stirring using a branch or small wooden stick during cooking, and it prioritizes grains over fruits, meat, or dairy products, making the use of chopsticks a logical choice. The earliest chopsticks were irregular in shape, with varying lengths and thicknesses.

The oldest chopsticks discovered in China are bronze ones excavated from Yinxu in Anyang City, Henan Province, and were used as tableware during the Shang Dynasty (approximately 1600 BC-1046 BC).

King Zhou, the last monarch of the Shang Dynasty, was the first to use ivory chopsticks over 3,000 years ago. Known for his extravagance, he had ivory chopsticks made after an elephant was killed. This is the first pair of ivory chopsticks in China with written records.

Historically, it was thought that ivory chopsticks led to the downfall of the Shang Dynasty. When King Zhou took the throne, he indulged in a lavish lifestyle, using ivory chopsticks. In response, his uncle Jizi (a nobleman and served as Grand Master and was recognized alongside Weizi and Bigan as the "Three Sages of the Late Shang Dynasty.") complained: “Once he uses ivory chopsticks, he will abandon pottery containers for holding food. Eventually, he will desire rhinoceros jade cups. With such luxury items as rhinoceros jade cups and ivory chopsticks, will he still consume simple meals and wild vegetable soup? Certainly not. He will want brocade garments. If he continues down this path, his desires will grow, and even with the world's wealth, he won't be satisfied. Having collected rare treasures to adorn his palaces, he will inevitably face ruin. As his uncle, I cannot stand to watch him destroy himself."

King Zhou soon acted exactly as his uncle had foreseen. He embarked on constructing the Deer Terrace Pavilion and the jade-doored palace, both opulent and lavish, filled with dogs, horses, and rare artifacts. Additionally, he created the Lake of Wine and Forest of Meat to indulge his extravagant desires. Finally, his people turned against him. King Zhou was defeated by King Wu of Zhou. In the end, King Zhou wore jade robes, climbed the Deer Terrace Pavilion, and ended his life by self-immolation, marking the fall of the Shang Dynasty.

The practicality of Chinese chopsticks in dietary use

Prior to the Shang and Zhou dynasties （approximately 1600 BC-256 BC）, people primarily prepared their meals in large pots, which we now refer to as cauldrons or big pot dishes. These meals were cooked without much emphasis on colour, aroma, or flavour. However, during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, Chinese culinary techniques evolved from their basic origins to a more sophisticated culinary era. The "Eight Delicacies of the Zhou Dynasty" were iconic dishes favoured by the royal family and nobility of the Western Zhou Dynasty

(approximately 1046BC-771BC). These dishes demanded chefs to carefully prepare the ingredients beforehand, involving a detailed process. The ingredients were pre-cut to a size suitable for eating, enabling the cooked dishes to be easily picked up with chopsticks and consumed without needing further cutting with knives at the dining table.

Dietary differences lead to varied eating habits. China's food culture focuses on grains, with meat and vegetables as supplements. Additionally, due to scarcity of meat, "羹 (gēng)", a thick soup made with vegetables and a small amount of meat, became a common dish. Chopsticks are effective for picking up vegetables and meat in such soups, making them appropriate tableware.

Traditionally, Chinese dining often involves sharing food, emphasizing family values and kinship. Chopsticks, being simple, convenient, cost-effective, and practical, support this cultural practice of family gatherings around a large table.  

The Han Dynasty (202 BC to 220 AD) was the foundational era of Chinese food culture. According to the "Discourses on Salt and Iron", there were over ten cooking methods in use during that time, such as roasting, grilling, simmering, steaming, boiling, frying, deep-frying, braising, mixing, and shabu-shabu, which indirectly suggests the common use of chopsticks in the kitchen. As eating utensils, chopsticks are versatile in managing different food forms like pieces, strips, shreds, slices, and minced food, and are often seen as an extension of human fingers.