Chinese sticks - a must-have attribute of Asian cuisine

It is impossible to imagine any Chinese restaurant without such a cutlery as Chinese sticks. They have for centuries helped to enjoy delicious dishes of Asian cuisine.

Traditional food in the Chinese cuisine is a whole ritual, the attributes of which are not only the dishes themselves, but also furniture and utensils. As a rule, the Chinese take food for special round tables, in the middle of which there is a special rotating stand, on which there are a variety of dishes and sauces. Thanks to such a delivery, anyone can easily reach out to any dish without disturbing anyone sitting next to them. On the table, food is served in large portions, designed for all present and cut into small pieces, which you can not bite to send to the mouth with the help of traditional sticks.

The history of this table instrument is estimated at 3-4 thousand years. Initially, Chinese sticks resembled tweezers in their form, which it was convenient to take favorite pieces of food. Separate, they became much later. Usually their length ranges from 15 to 25 cm. The variety of shape and length depends on the material from which the Chinese sticks are made and the country in which they are made. The market includes sticks made of bamboo, ivory, plastics, plum, pine, jade, turquoise, jasper, silver and some other materials. Some of them are a real work of art, but most are for mass use and they are quite cheap.

Wooden chopsticks, designed for regular restaurants and daily use of the house, are made of bamboo and several types of wood. They are usually disposable, so after eating they are not accepted to be washed and reused. Such cutlery is called "kuaizu". Sometimes even such simple sticks are decorated with various patterns and ornaments that make them more luxurious and elegant. The most valuable are products made of expensive ebony wood. 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 their owner good luck.

The first "quaizu" appeared exactly in China, from where 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 into this cutlery. Thus, traditional Japanese sticks, called "Hasi", are made of wood, they are slightly shorter than Chinese and their ends are more pointed. Very thin Korean sticks make, basically, from metals.

The use of such a cutlery is not easy for everyone. Some people, even those far from Chinese culture, easily master "kuaizu", and some fail even after many attempts. The main condition for the successful use of such a tool is the lack of tension in the hand. The brush needs to be relaxed, movements are made calmly and smoothly. The finger and the little finger are pressed against each other, and the forefinger and the middle are stretched slightly forward. One stick is placed in the hollow, which is between the thumb and the brush. The thin (lower) end rests on a 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 food intake, the lower stick all the time remains practically immobile, and manipulations are carried out by the upper rod.

There are a number of traditional rules that must be observed according to Chinese etiquette. So the Chinese chopsticks can not be compressed in a fist, "scribbled" by them something on a plate, to stick food on them. After eating, "kuaizu" is put in front of a plate, with thick ends to the right. It is not proper to lick your wands.