Apparently the person who asked this has never been to Asia.
In Asia (and anywhere they eat rice with chopsticks), they make what was referred to me as “sticky rice.” Here in the US, we make rice that does not stick together, so you can’t eat it with chopsticks; but elsewhere, they make the rice so it sticks together, allowing a person to eat the rice with chopsticks (usually with the bowl of rice held close to the mouth and the chopsticks used to almost shovel the rice into the eater’s mouth).
Crispy – aren’t you in Japan? Is this how they do it in Japan?
The use of chopsticks has nothing to do with rice and everything to do with the relatively small size of chopped meat and veg that is served with the rice. The reason meat and veg pieces are small is that a scarcity of wood suitable for cooking required meals that could be cooked quickly and with only a small amount of wood fuel. Chopsticks allow for the handling of small pieces.
Junior – I spent a month in Japan, and one of the things that flummoxed me was the size of food pieces. Now, if I was cooking for chopsticks, the food wouold be in bite sized pieces. But in Japan, they had HUGE pieces. Now, I never actually saw someone eating a whole raw apple with chopsticks, but I saw a lot of things close. . .
Keeping in mind that simply because large pieces may be offered in the present day, has no bearing on how and why chopsticks were developed originally (a thousand or more years ago?).
Apparently the person who asked this has never been to Asia.
In Asia (and anywhere they eat rice with chopsticks), they make what was referred to me as “sticky rice.” Here in the US, we make rice that does not stick together, so you can’t eat it with chopsticks; but elsewhere, they make the rice so it sticks together, allowing a person to eat the rice with chopsticks (usually with the bowl of rice held close to the mouth and the chopsticks used to almost shovel the rice into the eater’s mouth).
Crispy – aren’t you in Japan? Is this how they do it in Japan?
Yeah, but even if the rice is “sticky” a spoon sure works better than chopsticks. No need to hold up a bowl and shovel it in.
The use of chopsticks has nothing to do with rice and everything to do with the relatively small size of chopped meat and veg that is served with the rice. The reason meat and veg pieces are small is that a scarcity of wood suitable for cooking required meals that could be cooked quickly and with only a small amount of wood fuel. Chopsticks allow for the handling of small pieces.
Also, chopsticks allow you to eat by using one hand only, which knife, fork and spoon don’t. They’re a highly developed cutlery.
I don’t mean to brag, but let me say I’ve mastered the single-handed spoon technique.
Junior – I spent a month in Japan, and one of the things that flummoxed me was the size of food pieces. Now, if I was cooking for chopsticks, the food wouold be in bite sized pieces. But in Japan, they had HUGE pieces. Now, I never actually saw someone eating a whole raw apple with chopsticks, but I saw a lot of things close. . .
It like those giant hunks of sushi, how is one supposed to insert that whole thing into your mouth?
One takes bites, while holding the larger piece.
@ chris, and @tammy.
Keeping in mind that simply because large pieces may be offered in the present day, has no bearing on how and why chopsticks were developed originally (a thousand or more years ago?).