Without diversity, we all know that the world would be a very boring place to live in, something we should appreciate and embrace. Nowadays, we are not limited to the use of spoons, forks, and knives only. Thanks to the discovery of chopsticks! We can now explore. While a majority might be familiar with what chopsticks are, have you ever wondered who invented it and what necessitated its invention? Well, history always has its way of satisfying the curiosity within us.
Chopsticks originated from ancient China dating back to about 5000 years ago when it was first discovered before its use spreading to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other parts of the world. The Chinese population in the past, as years went by, kept on increasing until it reached a point their cooking materials became scarce. That compelled them to be innovative to curb the problem. Therefore, they resorted to using knives in cutting food into small sizes for the food to be easy to cook and chew. However, knives became ineffective when dealing with bite-sized chunks; therefore, chopsticks were a preferred alternative. Necessity is always the mother of invention. Now we are not only conversant with how chopsticks came into existence but also its country of origin.
WHAT ARE ITS USES?
It is very illogical knowing how to use chopsticks, how to hold them when you barely know in what cases you may use it. Many are aware that they are the best option for picking greasy food such as salad, noodles, spaghetti, sushi amongst others off your bowl into your mouth, especially for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines. There are several other uses, however, where they are applicable apart from picking food. This article comes in handy to provide you with precise information. Without further ado, let’s begin our journey of learning. Gaining knowledge has no limits.
Here is a list of all its applications you need to know:
- Flipping food in the pan, for instance, when you are cooking or frying chicken or any other food that needs turning while cooking.
- Leveling off flour when measuring the exact required amounts when baking.
- You can also make it a Popsicle stick. You insert it into the center of blended juice. Then freeze the mixture to ice over the chopstick.
- Beating and whisking eggs in a bowl.
- Pitting cherries and olives if you lack pitters. You place it on the stem end of the cherry and push it through to the bottom.
- One can improvise them to be skewers for holding pieces of meat or chicken when making barbeques or grilled food. Persons suggest it to be a safer tool as it keeps you a bit far from the flames.
- Stirring hot beverages such as coffee and stirring to mix sauces or stirring while cooking.
HOW TO USE CHOPSTICKS
With the world evolving, we have to keep ourselves at par with the daily trends. Ever been on a date at a Korean restaurant and did not know how to use chopsticks? Or at a meeting with Chinese colleagues where food was presented together with chopsticks? How did it feel being the odd one out? Talking from experience, most likely, it did not go well you being a newbie and might have been the most embarrassing moment in your lifetime. But that agitated the desire in you to learn how to use chopsticks. Everything happens for the good of it.
Those that still do not know, learning is gradual and continual. In this section, as Cutlery Advisor, we are going to teach you all that pertains to using them in eating. It might be easy to learn but hard to master the art. The good thing is practice makes it perfect. Note that they work in pairs when used for taking food.
How to hold chopsticks
Let’s begin with knowing how to hold chopsticks. First, take one chopstick and place it at the base of the thumb. Open your fingers, slide it to the side of the ring finger and press it onto the ring finger using your thumb to hold it in place. That becomes your lower chopstick. As for the second chopstick, place it between your thumb and index finger, rest it on the middle finger and tightly hold it like you would hold a pen. It makes the upper chopstick. If held in the right manner, the tips of the upper and lower chopsticks should touch each other; tip to tip
How to move them
When held correctly, it is simple to move them. Keep the thumb still, and move the middle and index fingers to open the chopsticks so that you can pick the food. Then close to grab the food and lift it into your mouth. It seems as easy as ABC, but remember to practice often.
MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE OF CHOPSTICKS
Maintaining and storing chopsticks accompanies the use of chopsticks. Whenever you buy anything reusable, you must factor in its maintenance so that it serves for you a while before disposal. When it comes to chopsticks, the same applies too. How well do you maintain your chopsticks?
Here are a few tips to keep them in good and hygienic conditions. While cleaning, always soak in hot soapy water for a few minutes before washing them. This method sterilizes them, rendering them germs-free. For wooden chopsticks, soak for seconds to prevent warping. Sometimes this may not work after using them to eat very oily foods. It is advisable to mix the water with lime juice and baking soda, then rub onto the chopsticks’ surface with cotton in the direction of the grain. If they have stubborn odors, vinegar is the solution to removing them. All these items, soap, lime, vinegar, and baking soda, can be found easily in neighborhood stores.
Storing chopsticks is done by keeping them in dry and well-ventilated places, but away from direct sunlight, the reason being sunlight discolors them.
More Related links: https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-chopsticks-4691064 https://foodyoushouldtry.com/cooking-chinese-healthy-food-tips-for-students/ https://foodyoushouldtry.com/33-things-must-eat-china/ https://foodyoushouldtry.com/30-must-eat-dishes-singapore/ https://foodyoushouldtry.com/33-best-dishes-taste-korea/
