Life Cycle: Zen and the Art of Producing Chopsticks

Life Cycle is a series that looks at the birth, life and death of everyday objects.

"Apply a firm but gentle pressure on the food, just enough to keep the food from falling from the chopsticks. Too much pressure is more likely to cause your chopsticks to cross at the narrow ends unless they're perfectly aligned and could launch your food across the table."

People have been impressing their dates with chopstick dexterity since the Shang Dynasty. But the throw-away version of chopsticks is a less romantic yet marvelous invention, allowing you to eat your Mooshu on the go and, according to Japanese lore, improve your mental faculties in the process. (No wonder brainy Asians love them.*) Of course, there's nothing clever about the way we dispose of them.

The Japanese use about 20 billion disposable pairs a year; the Taiwanese, 1 billion; and in China an estimated 45 billion sticks are used and discarded annually. In China alone, more than 25 million fully grown trees are chopped down to make utensils that people use and toss as casually as a broken fortune cookie. This is about as crazy as using virgin trees for toilet paper.

"Wood or bamboo chopsticks are the easiest to use because of the gripping texture at the tip. Plastic ones will be harder to use. Metal chopsticks, as favored by the Koreans, are the hardest of all. Master one, and move up to the next. The next time you go out, your hosts will be impressed!"

Soft, light aspen wood (from the willow family) is used for the disposable sticks. Because the sticks demand a finer grain, up to three-fourths of a tree may actually be left to rot.

We think the best way to impress your hosts is to BYOC. Perhaps a really lovely set of bamboo sticks? They weigh next to nothing and make any meal fun. Bamboo is a grass, not a tree, and is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet. (Some species grow up to 3 feet per day.) It grows easily without pesticides and has natural anti-microbial agents. Simran loves to slowly eat diced fruit with her bamboo chops.

"The difference between looking like an unlearned person and looking like a refined cultured person is shown when you hold chopsticks. Do not hold the chopsticks close to the end. The farther away your hands are from the food, the better. Do not stab food."

Don't stab your food, don't stab your forests. BYOC.

*Simran is a brainy Asian. She says this with love and respect.

This post was written by Simran Sethi and Sarah Smarsh. Thanks to the University of Kansas School of Journalism, Lacey Johnston and Heather Mueller for research assistance, and WikiMedia for the image.

Comments

[cylindar]

Excellent post. Thank you for the info.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

In my early twenties, I was taught how to hold and use chopsticks. At that age, I was glad to become somewhat adept with them. Over time, I have quit using chopsticks and I prefer a fork and a big spoon. I think Western utensils are more efficient. To each his own. You see, I am now to old to give a hoot.

[smallball]

Great post! As a Korean-American, we grew up using chopsticks for our meals at home instead of a fork and will now bring our own chopsticks when eating out thanks to this post. Also, I can attest to the difficulty in using metal chopsticks that my folks used...I can do it myself but it's not pretty!

[Simran Sethi - Huffpost Blogger]

m2c, the efforts of China and Japan actually inspired the post. Thanks for reading!

[Rhenatan]

I love chopsticks! I love bamboo! I love bamboo chopsticks!

My husband and I are redoing part of our house that right now has unfinished floors. We're going to put bamboo floors in because it's totally renewable and looks great (although I'm biased -- I used to live in an entirely bamboo house).

Besides growing at a rapid rate... bamboo has a strength to weight ratio that is higher than steel! And the young shoots are super tasty.

Great post!

[Simran Sethi - Huffpost Blogger]

Bamboo may just be more versatile than hemp.
Minus the contact high.

[elephantwaylon]

Brilliant post, never thought about it. Here's a mindful, stylee, convenient answer for those who wanna BYOC: http://www.to-goware.com/

[Simran Sethi - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks, Way!

[m2c]

the my chopstick trend has started a bit here in tokyo.
i hope that it will continue.

so, buy yourself a nice pair, as an extension of who you are
and bring with you wherever you go...