Sushi chopsticks have become popular in Western countries along with the growing popularity of Japanese cuisine. Previously, these cutlery looked somewhat different from what we are used to. Now chopsticks are produced in a huge range of options, when looking at which the question arises: “What are sushi chopsticks called in Japan?” After all, they are really decorated in different colors, painted, varnished and even decorated with precious stones.

Leisurely eating in Japan

Sushi sticks is the name for this device, which is not native, but was obtained in Slavic countries. In the 12th century, chopsticks came to the Land of the Rising Sun from China. To make them, bamboo was used, the trunk of which had to be divided into 2 parts and then folded across. The resulting tongs were used to eat food.

Since in Japan eating is a beautiful and leisurely ritual, this procedure requires preliminary preparation. All dishes served must be prepared in such a way as to avoid additional manipulation at the table. Peeling or cutting anything while eating is not customary in Japan.

This happens regardless of the name of the sushi chopsticks. Before cooking, fish fillets are processed in such a way that there are no bones left in it. And if the product contains any solid components, they will definitely be broken off.

You need to know how to use chopsticks beautifully

The correct use of chopsticks is taught to very young children who are given the ceremony of their first traditional meal. To do this, on the 100th day of birth, babies are given their own chopsticks, with which they are fed rice for the first time.

In Japan, sushi chopsticks (called “hashi”) act not only as cutlery. They are a kind of talisman designed to bring good luck in business and prolong life. This cutlery is endowed with some mystical meaning and protects its owner. Also, the ability to use sticks contributes to the development of fine motor skills, which improves mental abilities.

Individual item

Every lover of Japanese cuisine, of course, is interested in what sushi chopsticks are called in their homeland. It is all the more remarkable that in Japan many household items are divided depending on the gender of the consumer. Men do not use feminine objects, and the fair sex does not use masculine ones.

Each Japanese has a purely individual item that is never passed on to anyone else. Even members of the same family do not take them from each other. Khasi is always presented to newlyweds, imbuing the gift with the meaning of the couple’s inseparability.

Chopsticks are mainly used in Japan, Korea, China, and Vietnam. In Thailand, in the 19th century, cutlery from Europe was introduced into circulation, and chopsticks began to be used only for soups and noodles.

What types of sticks are there?

Hashi belongs to only one owner and is an integral attribute of Japanese cuisine. They are named in the same way as the corresponding hieroglyph that resembles them in appearance. Sushi sticks (the name is “hashi”) visually resemble a bamboo trunk split into two parts. To determine whether food was contaminated with poisons, silver instruments were used in the imperial palace of China. Sushi sticks, which were named by the Japanese, are now made from wood, metal, and ivory. Their cross-section can be square or round, and the tip can be pyramidal or conical.

Sushi chopsticks, called "waribashi", are considered disposable products. The material for them is wood or plastic. They are brought to customers in restaurants and sushi bars. And if the sticks are connected to each other, this indicates the novelty of the product and the high class of the establishment.

Warbashi must be broken before eating. In addition, they are usually served in a case with some beautiful pattern or logo of the establishment in which the sushi chopsticks are served. The name of the case is “Hashiburuko”. It is sometimes expensively and exquisitely decorated, making it capable of becoming a collector's item.

We have a sushi bar on almost every street, and it’s even becoming indecent not to know how to use chopsticks. But in fact, only a Japanese chef can prepare real sushi. Nowadays, to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Japan, you can go to a good restaurant. In principle, it is believed that you can only feel the flavor of this amazing cuisine in its homeland. Despite this, an increasing number of restaurants are opening, offering corresponding dishes.

People don't usually think about the fact that there are differences in chopsticks depending on what restaurant they go to. But there's actually a good reason why your chopsticks are made of different materials and different lengths, depending on whether you're in a Chinese, Japanese or Korean restaurant.

Chinese chopsticks are an extension of the fingers. They are longer and thicker than Japanese and Korean ones and are made of wood. The extra length in Chinese chopsticks is because food is usually served on a rotating platform called a “lazy Susan” in the middle of the table, so the chopsticks are longer to better grip the food.

Japanese chopsticks all come in different lengths, for different purposes, from cooking to eating specific dishes, but they are usually eaten short and made of wood or plastic, because the custom in Japan is to hold the bowl close to your mouth when you eat, so the chopsticks are not must be long. Plus, wooden chopsticks make it easier to grab sticky rice!

Korean chopsticks are unique because they are made of metal, which can be a challenge if you have never tried them before. It is believed that historically the wands were made of pure silver so that royalty would not be poisoned. The metal should change color if there was any poison in the royal food.

Metal chopsticks are still used today because they give people the feeling of eating like royalty, but nowadays they are made of stainless steel rather than silver. Metal makes the sticks more hygienic and easier to clean.

Chopsticks are a pair of thin sticks of the same length with which the Japanese and Chinese eat food. The history of this cutlery goes back several thousand years. It is believed that they were first used in China before our era. There is an opinion that initially chopsticks were needed solely for wrapping food in leaves. Many people wonder how to properly eat sushi with chopsticks?

How to hold sushi chopsticks?

To learn how to hold chopsticks, you need to choose the right length. The ideal length t is 1.5 times the imaginary hypotenuse, which is formed if you place your index finger and thumb so that a right angle is formed. On average, the length of sushi chopsticks is 21 - 25 cm.

Technique for using sushi chopsticks:

1. Extend your index and middle fingers slightly forward. Press the ring finger and little finger together, and turn the thumb inside the palm. The lower stick should lie at the base of the thumb, the thin lower end should rest on the third phalanx of the ring finger.
2. The thick end of the chopstick should protrude ¼ beyond the palm. The thick end of the upper chopstick should be held with the tip of the thumb, and the lower thin end should be pinched between the middle and index fingers. It turns out that the upper stick is held almost the same as a simple pencil.
3. Most people make the mistake of trying to move both chopsticks while grabbing food. According to the rules, only the top stick should be moved by moving the index and middle fingers. When straightening your fingers, the sticks should move apart, and when bending, they should close together.
4. The thumb and ring fingers should hold the lower stick straight and motionless. According to the rules, the thumb should not move at all. When eating and grasping food, do not try to strain your hand. Relax your hand, the movement should be light and calm. Practice eating with chopsticks as much as possible, then it will happen automatically.

Types and names of "overseas" chopsticks

The first chopsticks had the name “kuaizu”, containing a root with the meaning “bamboo”. To make such sticks, a bamboo trunk was split in two, its halves were folded and resembled tweezers. The separate form of kuaizu was acquired much later and in this form has reached our times.

Currently, I make sushi sticks from a variety of materials: wood, plastic, metal and even bone. Most often, wood of various species is used for their production (cypress, plum, cedar, willow, pine, maple, sandalwood, etc.). Sushi chopsticks can be disposable - they are served in Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants. In addition, chopsticks can be reusable, which are purchased for constant use and stored at home along with cutlery. The appearance of the chopsticks can also differ: they are painted, varnished, and decorated with ornaments.

In each country, sticks are called and look differently. For example, in Japan, chopsticks are called “hashi”; they are also made of wood, but they are shorter than the Chinese kuaizu and have more pointed ends. In Korea, they eat with very thin chopsticks made of metal called “chokkarak”.

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Chopsticks: rules of etiquette

Chopsticks are a part of history and culture. Their use is surrounded by a lot of rules, conventions and ceremonies. There are many immutable traditions that relate to sticks. Here are the main ones:

• Chopsticks should not be stuck into food. Chopsticks stuck vertically into a bowl of food are associated with a method of offering to the dead;
• Do not knock chopsticks on the table or the edges of the plate;
• You cannot point at people with chopsticks - it is very impolite;
• You cannot transfer food from one chopstick to another. In the Japanese tradition, such a gesture is considered bad manners, because such an action is performed in a funeral ritual, where participants hand over the bones of the dead;
• Chopsticks should not be licked or held in the mouth for a long time;
• They do not pick at the plate with chopsticks or move them around the dish. Food should be taken from above;

• Food should not be scraped from the plate using chopsticks, nor should one lower one’s face down to the plate in a hurry to eat food;
• Never clench chopsticks in your fist; in Japanese culture such a gesture is threatening;
• The dishes should not be pulled towards the chopsticks;
• You should not shake or wave the chopsticks. It is also considered bad manners for liquid to flow or drip from chopsticks while eating;
• Never rub chopsticks together to remove splinters or splinters. If necessary, do this by hand;
• While eating, do not cross your chopsticks - this is another part of the Japanese funeral ritual;
• Do not use chopsticks as a knife or fork: they can only be used as a pair in one hand. If you need a knife, ask the waiter for it;
• Do not use chopsticks as a skewer or skewer;
• Do not place chopsticks across the bowl. After finishing your meal, place the chopsticks on a special stand or on the table with the sharp ends to the left.

Chopsticks are used for eating in Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam. At first you will find it difficult to handle this cutlery, but with practice, you will be able to use them without difficulty. You will be able to appreciate all the benefits of eating with chopsticks, because in restaurants of national cuisine, eating with them is much more pleasant and natural than using a knife, fork or spoon.

Although the Japanese diet has changed a lot and many Japanese enjoy Western foods and use forks and spoons every day, chopsticks are always the choice when it comes to Japanese food. And many Japanese continue to use chopsticks for everything they eat. Chopsticks are known all over the world today and have a long history and tradition. We invite you to learn more about the culture of using chopsticks in Japan and use Japanese chopsticks at your next meal.

History of chopsticks

Sticks have a very long history. The origins of chopsticks date back to prehistoric times, when people used fire to cook food and needed to use something to remove food from the fire or move hot food into their mouths.

The oldest historical record of chopsticks in Japan is in the Kojiki (the first book on Japanese history written in 712). The oldest facts in the world about chopsticks relate to China. There is information that the emperor asked his servant to make him a set of exclusive ivory chopsticks, this was 4000 years ago! A set of two pairs of chopsticks came to Japan from China in the 6th century.

Japanese industry and chopsticks

Today, more than 85% of chopsticks in Japan are made in Obama, Fukui Prefecture, which is 2 hours north of Kyoto and slightly east (on the Sea of ​​Japan). The best pairs of chopsticks are made in only a few places in Japan. Kyoto is considered by most to be the center of wand innovation and design.

In the beginning, chopsticks were not made in Kyoto. Craftsmen in Kyoto believed that chopsticks were too easy and simple to make. However, since Kyoto is a cultural center for making utensils for the Japanese tea ceremony, which is very popular, they used special bamboo and sometimes also made cedar chopsticks. And eventually, artisans working with wood and bamboo began to develop their own variations of sticks. Soon a new industry was born in Kyoto, and now there is no place in Japan that makes thinner chopsticks.

Today, the number of chopsticks produced in Kyoto is not very high, but their quality and Kyoto's fame for chopstick production is unparalleled.

Ritual supplies for the gods

In early Japanese history, chopsticks were used only as sacred objects and offered to a god or deities. For example, as part of the autumn ritual to thank heaven and earth for a good harvest. All food in such ceremonies and rituals was processed not by hand, but with chopsticks (the human hand should not touch food intended for the gods).

These ritual instruments are still in use today and have a special shape. Both ends of the stick are identical in shape and have almost the same thickness at both ends. One end is for food intended for the gods, and the other is for food intended for people (or the one performing the ceremony). Thus, we can say that the Japanese gods and the Japanese sharing the same chopsticks are united through this. Chopsticks play a very important role in Japanese folk culture as a way to show the power of the deities that ultimately feed them: rain, earth, wind, sun.

Choosing chopsticks

Since there are so many types of chopsticks, it can be difficult to choose which ones will best suit your needs. The most important thing you should pay attention to when purchasing is whether they match your decor and where they will be used? Do you want a simple option or something sophisticated and creative?

Next, the length and thickness of the sticks are the most important parameters. Very thin, long chopsticks can be difficult to control for inexperienced foreigners. The optimal length of a chopstick is 1.5 times the distance between your thumb and forefinger or approximately 15% of your height. Therefore, if you are 160 cm tall, then the ideal chopstick length for you is 24 cm. Also, try not to choose chopsticks that are too thin.

Added: 06/13/2006

It is believed that chopsticks were first used in China in the third century BC. The Japanese adopted this custom during the Yayoi period (ca. 200 BC to 200 AD). Previously, chopsticks were made from bamboo, as evidenced by the hashi hieroglyph used to denote them in Japanese. The bamboo trunk was split in two and its half was folded, resulting in the sticks resembling tweezers.

The current separate form of chopsticks appeared in Japan during the Asuka period (593 - 710). By this time, their use had not yet become widespread. According to Chinese chronicles, at that time only the imperial court and the Japanese aristocracy used hashi, and commoners still ate with their hands. It was only by the Nara period that ordinary people also began to eat with chopsticks.

Currently, about a third of the world's population uses chopsticks: residents of China, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, where sticky rice is traditionally the main food. Chopsticks are quite difficult to master, but for those who have learned to master them perfectly, they are a convenient and versatile cutlery.

The peculiarities of working with chopsticks determined the method of preparing Japanese dishes, served mainly in the form of small individual pieces, which you just need to pick up and put in your mouth.

The materials for sticks can be bamboo, cedar, willow, silver, iron and aluminum. Recently, plastic has been used a lot. Occasionally there are sticks made of such exotic materials as ivory or deer antler, but this is rather an exception. Metal chopsticks are used primarily in cooking and not as cutlery. The Japanese especially note that they eat with chopsticks precisely so as not to scratch their teeth with the pieces of iron.

Therefore, even catering establishments do not serve practical and durable metal chopsticks. Instead, they use disposable waribashi sticks, which are made from a single, relatively roughly processed piece of wood, sawn lengthwise a little short, so that they need to be broken before use.

The appearance of the sticks is quite varied: their cross-section can be round, oval, square, or with rounded corners. They come in pyramidal shapes, with thick or thin ends, flat...

There are special stands for chopsticks in Japan: hasioki. This name is formed by adding the verbal noun oki from the verb oku - put, leave. The chopsticks should be placed on the hasioki with their thin ends, so that they point to the left. If there is no hashioka on the table, the hashi can be placed nearby on the edge of the plate or on the table. Hasioki appeared in ancient times, when during ritual sacrifices, sticks intended for the gods were laid out on special stands so as not to desecrate them. Hasioki are made from ceramics, wood and bamboo and are often of artistic value. Japanese chopstick stands are a collector's item in the West.

Types of Japanese chopsticks and etiquette

There are many types of hashi or Japanese chopsticks: for regular food, for culinary purposes, for cakes and desserts. Japanese chopsticks are mainly made of wood, but chopsticks made of ivory, bamboo and various metals are also found. Decorative designs are often applied to wooden and bamboo sticks.

Japanese ivory chopsticks are the most prized - they turn amber in color with use. Each family member has their own chopsticks in a special box.

However, on holidays, the Japanese use ordinary wooden sticks, mostly made of willow.

How to use Japanese chopsticks

Think of the chopsticks as a pair of tongs, made up of two different parts. One stick is held motionless, and the second one moves.

Japanese chopsticks First, take one chopstick (one-third from the top end) between the thumb and index finger of your right hand. Hold the stick with your thumb and ring finger so that your index, middle and thumb form a ring. If the stick has one end thick and the other thin, hold it so that the thick part is at the top.

Take the second stick, placing it parallel to the first, at a distance of 15 mm. When the middle finger straightens, the sticks move apart.

Bring the chopsticks together, bending your index finger, and pinch the food with the tips. In addition, if the piece is too large, you can use chopsticks to separate it, but only very carefully.

Basic etiquette rules when using Japanese chopsticks:

*Keep the Japanese chopsticks towards the end, not in the middle or at the end.
* When you are not using chopsticks, and when you are finished, place them in front of you with the pointed end to the left.
* Do not stick chopsticks into food, especially rice. Chopsticks are only stuck into rice at funerals.
* Don't pass food with chopsticks directly onto someone else's chopsticks. This is only done at funerals, when the bones of a cremated person are given in this way from person to person.
* Do not poke food with chopsticks.
* Do not point your Japanese chopsticks at anyone or anything.
* Do not wave chopsticks in the air or play with them.
*Do not lick the chopsticks. Don't just keep chopsticks in your mouth.
* Do not move plates and bowls with chopsticks.
* To divide the product into two pieces, press on the Japanese chopsticks, pushing them in different directions. To do this you need to practice.
*If you have already used your chopsticks, transfer food from the serving dish with the back end of the chopsticks. And before asking for more, put your chopsticks on the table.
* Do not knock on the table, plate or other objects with your chopsticks to call the waiter.
*Knife and fork are used for Western food only. Spoons are sometimes used for Japanese dishes that are difficult to eat with chopsticks, such as Japanese curry rice. For soups, a Chinese-style ceramic spoon is used.

Taken from the site "Sushi Blog" (blog.formula-sushi.ru)