2.4 Chopsticks

China, Japan, and Korea are quite different, but they do have something in common — they all eat with chopsticks! However, all three countries have different styles of chopsticks because of different meal traditions.

 In China chopsticks are square at the top with round tips. They are usually wooden and very long. Food is often fried in China, and long chopsticks are best for eating greasy food. 

Japanese chopsticks are a bit shorter than Chinese chopsticks because Japanese people raise their bowls up to their mouths while eating. They are usually made of lacquered wood and they are  ointed at the end. There is lots of fish in Japanese food and the pointed ends help to separate the fish bones.

What about in Korea? Korean chopsticks are different from other types of chopsticks. They are medium length and made of metal. Koreans usually move their arms a lot when they eat, so medium length chopsticks are best. Then, why metal? It’s because many Korean meals include soup. Using metal chopsticks is considered cleaner than using wooden chopsticks.