Instead of the usual cutlery - forks and spoons - the Japanese use chopsticks. They are made from wood, metal, bone, and now plastic. This - HASI. These sticks are considered personal items, they belong only to the person. The Japanese do not eat other people's hashi.

This is what we call these cutlery - japanese chopsticks, sushi sticks and so on... But in fact, there is another name, and it would be more correct to call it this way - HASI. That's what the Japanese themselves say.

I still don’t understand how the Japanese eat with chopsticks, because it’s so inconvenient. But they use them very skillfully. I tried it once - nothing worked. Without traditional cutlery, I would go hungry. And Japanese chopsticks are called HASI.

They are called HASI. They are also called hasioki. They are placed next to the plate or on the edge.

Wood is usually used to make them, but bone, metal or plastic can also be used.

In Japan, Hashi are considered one of the good gifts. For example, they are given to babies on their hundredth day of life.



Europeans usually use a spoon, fork and knife during meals, but the Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans traditionally use chopsticks. The Japanese call them - HASI. In Japan, children are taught to eat with chopsticks from the very beginning. early age, since it is believed that sticks train fine motor skills and this has a positive effect on mental development.

In Japan, it is customary to eat food not with forks or spoons, but with chopsticks - they are called Hashi - this can be said to be the national device for eating. But to be honest, with them you can comfortably only eat large portions of food - sushi, pies and more.

Japan prefers to use its own cutlery. It must be said that not every European will be able to enjoy eating with chopsticks for the first or even the second time - this is not entirely familiar to us.

HASI, that’s what these chopsticks are called.

They make them

They use them

It can also be noted that in Japan best gift for a baby on his hundredth birthday - HASI. They also give it to newlyweds so that they will always be inseparable.

The correct answer to this question is the word HASI. This is what chopsticks are called in Japan. The Japanese eat food with chopsticks. I must say that eating with chopsticks is very convenient. We can verify this if we eat sushi or rolls. It's very convenient

Chopsticks in Japan are called HASI. Word HASI It just consists of the 4 letters needed for the crossword puzzle. They came to Japan from China. Initially, these were sticks made from a single bamboo stem; it was simply split in two and thus became a kind of tweezers for grabbing food. Initially, only aristocrats could eat with chopsticks; the common people managed to eat with their own hands, but gradually chopsticks began to be used by all Japanese classes and became separate, as we see them now. So I guess HASI is the correct answer.



These special chopsticks are widespread throughout Asia. Each country has a special name for them. For example, in China they are called pin-yin, but in Japan HASI, a four letter word.

The main cutlery in China and Japan is wooden chopsticks. However, they can be made from more durable materials: metal, plastic and ivory. The spoons and forks we are used to are not very common in the Land of the Rising Sun. If a deep spoon is used in these countries, it is only for drinking broth from soup, and there is simply no such device as a fork in the traditional cuisine of China and Japan. It is rare to meet a person in Russia who would eat at everyday life with chopsticks. Most often, this opportunity appears when you come to a sushi restaurant. There you will definitely be offered cutlery to choose from. If you choose chopsticks, then at first glance they will seem ordinary to you, no different from the chopsticks that are served in any Chinese or Japanese restaurant. But there are still differences, and quite significant ones. Types of chopsticks Chopsticks were invented in China and called them “kuaizi”. This means that this cutlery is made from bamboo. There is a legend that says that they were first used by a man who wanted to remove meat from a hot cauldron without burning his hands. Originally, kuaizi was used exclusively for cooking, turning pieces over a fire. The first sticks were made from bamboo and wood. Chinese bamboo sticks are different from Japanese ones. They are longer and have a square shape at the ends, which allows them not to roll on the table; at the other end they are round and several times thinner than at the other. Japanese chopsticks are thinner and shorter than Chinese chopsticks, and the ends with which you need to grab food are sharper. They are often disposable and made of bamboo and wood, while Chinese ones are often made of silver or bone. Even the name of Japanese chopsticks is different - “hashi”. Restaurants often serve disposable, polished sticks connected to each other. To start the meal, you need to break one from the other. But reusable sticks are decorated with patterns, painted in different colors and varnished. Etiquette Chopsticks are used not only for grabbing pieces of food, they can be used to mix sauce or cut food, since Chinese dishes are often soft and non-hard. There are also special chopsticks for cooking, they are larger in size than kuaizi and are mainly used by Chinese cooks. At a Chinese table, everyone uses their chopsticks to take a piece from a large plate, so there is no need to be embarrassed if you don’t see a spoon on the large platter with which you can put the piece you like on your plate. In China, it is not customary to turn your hands with chopsticks palms up - this is a gesture of disrespect. When you need to take a piece from a plate, you should hold the chopsticks with their sharp ends down at a right angle. It is a good sign of respect in China that the owner of the house will put a piece of some dish on your plate with his chopsticks. This means that he wants to please you and look after his guest. However, this is unacceptable at the Japanese table. In Japan, the most common chopstick rests are placed on this device so that the sharp ends are turned to the left of the person who uses them. But under no circumstances should you place your chopsticks across the plate. If there is no stand, it is better to place them on the edge of the plate or on the table. You should not twirl chopsticks at the table and try to draw something in the air with them or clench them in your fist; the first is considered uncivilized, the second can be perceived as a gesture of aggression.

History and cultural aspects

China

There are many variations in shapes and sizes of reusable sticks (nuribashi), which sometimes represent a real work of art: they are painted, varnished, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and decorated with various patterns. Modern hashi are made of bone, wood (bamboo, pine, cypress, plum, maple, black or purple sandalwood), round or square with a conical or pyramidal point.

It is believed that sticks train fine motor skills, developing mental abilities, which is why in Japan people are taught to handle hashi from an early age. Japanese scientists consider instilling in children a desire to master chopsticks an important and relevant task for their country. Confirmation of the effectiveness of “exercises” with chopsticks is the statement of researchers that children who began to eat with the help of hasi immediately after they turned one year are ahead in development of their peers who were unable to part with spoons.

For the Japanese, chopsticks are not only an everyday personal item (it is not customary to share them with others), but also a sacred symbol (the Japanese respectfully call them o-hashi, Japanese 御箸). According to legend, they bring good luck to the owner and long life, and therefore Khasi are considered good holiday gift. For example, hashi is presented to newlyweds, implying the wish to be as inseparable as a pair of sticks. They are given to a baby on the 100th day of his birth, when, during the First Chopsticks ceremony, adults give him the first taste of rice using chopsticks. Manufactured and gift sets chopsticks for the whole family.

In addition, there are hashi for the New Year, the tea ceremony, and for sweets. There is a type of chopsticks invented by the famous Japanese tea master Sen no Rikyu. It is said that one morning he went into the forest to collect pieces of trees and cleared them in order to enjoy the smell of fresh wood.

There are special stands for chopsticks in Japan: hasioki. This name is formed by adding the verbal noun oki from the verb oku - to put. 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.

Disposable chopsticks are served in a special paper case, which often turns out to be a real decoration and collectible. It can be painted with fancy designs, or it can contain a restaurant logo.

With the help of chopsticks, you can not only hold food and put it in your mouth, but also perform a lot of other more complex operations: mix sauce, separate pieces, chop and even cut.

Korea

In Korea they eat with thin metal chopsticks. This is a unique custom of its kind - in none of the countries of the Far East where chopsticks are used, they are not made of metal (although chopsticks for cooking can be made of metal), moreover, for example, in Japan one of the advantages of chopsticks is In front of European cutlery, it is considered that “you don’t have to scratch your teeth with pieces of iron.” Previously, Korean chopsticks were made of brass, now they are mainly made of stainless steel.

Current trends

Nowadays, most restaurants serve disposable chopsticks (割箸, Waribashi), made of plastic or wood. They are usually produced unsplit (the upper ends of the sticks are not sawn, as evidence that they have not been used).

Technique of use

Principle of holding chopsticks:

1. The ring finger and little finger must be pressed together, the index and middle fingers must be slightly extended forward.
2. The lower stick is placed in the hollow between the hand and thumb, while its lower, thin end rests on the third (nail) phalanx of the ring finger, and the thick end protrudes about ¼ beyond the palm.
3. Then the upper stick is placed on the third (nail) phalanx of the middle finger, the first phalanx of the index finger, and is held with the tip of the thumb; The stick should be held roughly like a pencil.

The lower stick remains motionless when eating, all manipulations are performed with the help of the upper one: when the middle and index fingers straighten, the sticks move apart. Accordingly, bending the middle and index fingers, bring the chopsticks together, grabbing pieces of food. The main condition that guarantees successful use of chopsticks is not to strain your hand. The hand should be relaxed, and the movements should be light and calm. To develop skills in handling chopsticks, it is recommended to practice on small objects - peas, grains of corn.

Etiquette

Sticks are part of culture and history; their use is surrounded by a lot of conventions and ceremonies. There are many rules and good manners related to chopsticks, and etiquette in different countries has its own characteristic features. The general part of the rules generally looks like this:

• Chopsticks are only used to pick up food and put it in your mouth or on your plate. Any other manipulation with chopsticks may be considered inconsistent with etiquette. In particular, you should not:
  • knock with chopsticks on the table, plate or other objects to call the waiter;
  • “draw” with chopsticks on the table;
  • “wander” around food with chopsticks;
  • digging with chopsticks in the bowl in search of the best piece - you need to take food from above.
• You should choose a piece in advance. Having touched a piece with chopsticks, you need to take it and eat it.
• You can't put food on sticks.
• Do not shake the chopsticks to cool the piece.
• It is ugly to lick chopsticks, and, in general, to hold chopsticks in your mouth just like that.
• You should not point with chopsticks, you should not wave them in the air.
• Do not move dishes using chopsticks. The dishes should only be handled by hand.
• Before asking for more rice, chopsticks must be placed on the table.
• You can't stick chopsticks into food. This is considered bad manners, as it resembles the sticks of incense that are given to deceased relatives.

Chinese etiquette

The Chinese often use European utensils for food, in particular forks and spoons. Traditional dishes are eaten with chopsticks; they are most convenient for eating with chopsticks.

• When picking up food with chopsticks, your palms should always face down. Turning your hand over with your wrist and palm facing up is considered uncivil.
• The Chinese traditionally eat rice from a bowl. The bowl of rice is brought to the mouth and the rice is then eaten with chopsticks. If the rice is served on a plate, as is customary in Western culture, it is acceptable and even considered more practical to use a fork or spoon.
• Unlike the Japanese tradition, it is quite acceptable to pass food with chopsticks to loved ones (children, parents, relatives) if it is difficult or inconvenient for them to take the food themselves. In relation to elders, it is considered a sign of respect to pass food to them first, even before the meal begins (which corresponds to the Confucian tradition of respecting elders).
• Having finished the meal, the chopsticks should be placed across the bowl, with their ends to the left - this is a sign that the meal is completed and no supplements are required.

Japanese etiquette

Sticks on a stand

Environmental impact

In China alone, approximately 45 billion pairs of disposable wooden sticks are used and discarded annually, which equates to approximately 1.7 million cubic meters of wood or 25 million trees destroyed per year. To protect the environment, China introduced a 5% sales tax on disposable chopsticks in April 2006, and many hotels in Beijing (China) have abandoned them.

• Many Asian manufacturers of microcircuits and LCD monitors, when hiring personnel to the factory, conduct a motor coordination test: you need to quickly assemble small beads with chopsticks.

See also

Notes

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what “Chopsticks” are in other dictionaries:

A stick (diminutive of stick) is a three-dimensional (physical) or flat (drawn) object of an elongated (according to one of the dimensions) shape and a relatively small size. Rod (Ӏ) is a letter used in the Cyrillic alphabets of the series ... ... Wikipedia

Wooden chopsticks Chopsticks are a pair of small chopsticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia. The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. In Thailand, with an introduction to... ... Wikipedia

Japanese cuisine is the national cuisine of the Japanese. It is distinguished by its preference for natural, minimally processed products, the widespread use of seafood, seasonality, characteristic dishes, specific rules for preparing dishes, serving... Wikipedia

Set of cutlery Cutlery is a tool or set of tools for manipulating food directly at the table, made of plastic, wood ... Wikipedia

Khasi(Japanese) - a traditional cutlery that the Japanese, as well as residents of Vietnam, Korea and China, use instead of the forks and spoons we are used to. The traditional material for khasi is wood, but bone, metal and, in modern times, plastic are also used.

According to archaeological excavations, the first chopsticks appeared in China about 3 thousand years ago, during the Shang era. In China they are called Khashi kuaizi and according to legend, they were invented by the legendary Emperor Yu when he wanted to get hot meat from a cauldron. Such sticks were about 37-38 cm in length and were later used as kitchen utensils, while the chopsticks intended directly for eating food were shortened to 25 cm.

Kuyazi came to Japan in the 12th century, was made from bamboo and over time turned into works of art - they were painted, varnished and even inlaid with mother-of-pearl. There is no shame in giving such sticks as a gift! Which, in general, is what the ancient Japanese (and modern ones too) did; in particular, they often give hashi to newlyweds, wanting to be just as inseparable. It also happens that the Khasis give an individual pair to each family member, making family gift sets.

The already mentioned bamboo, cypress, maple and plum are especially often used as materials, and hasi can be either round or square in cross-section.

For the Japanese, chopsticks are not just a household item; many signs and legends are associated with them. For example, it is said that one of the inventors of hashi was Rikyo, the founder of the tea ceremony. Once he went into the forest for branches and brushwood, and cleared a couple of branches because he wanted to enjoy the smell of fresh wood. You should also know that chopsticks are a personal item and it is not customary to give them to someone to “use” - there are disposable hashi for this.

From an early age, children are taught to use chopsticks, because... Khasi train the small muscles of the arms, which develop mental abilities. The “First Chopsticks” holiday is associated with this moment: when the baby turns one hundred days old, he is given the first taste of rice from his personal hashi. Of course, babies are still too small to eat further on their own: little Japanese begin to eat with chopsticks soon after their first year and, according to scientists, are ahead in development of those of their peers who were unable to part with a spoon.

There is a special stand for chopsticks - Hasioki, on which it is customary to place sticks with thin ends so that they look to the left. If there is no hasioka on the table, the chopsticks can be placed directly on the table or leaned against the cup with their thin ends. You should not place chopsticks across the cup - this is one of the differences between Japanese table etiquette and Chinese, where such a gesture means that the eater is full and no longer wants more. More detailed rules for using hashi can be read in the article “”.

In restaurants, as a rule, hashi (disposable, of course) is served in a special case - hashibukuro, which, with proper decoration, can also become a real work of art - to match the sticks themselves. Very often, disposable chopsticks should be broken before use, because... they are not cut all the way through. There is also a funny superstition associated with this ritual: if the sticks break “uncleanly”, i.e. one, say, did not break off in the middle (where it should), and having “given” the common top to the second stick, not the most pleasant events await the owner. Also, after separating the sticks, they should be rolled against each other so as not to get a splinter.

Khasis are also used in recruitment tests, for example, chip and LCD display manufacturers have potential workers collect scattered beads with chopsticks. Hashi is also used in martial arts: when thrown correctly, such a stick can easily pierce solid objects.

To summarize, I would like to note this point: plastic is a much cheaper material, but the majority of Easterners continue to stubbornly eat with wooden chopsticks, citing their personal negative feelings when using plastic chopsticks. In my opinion, such irresponsibility should be punished, because... In China alone, 45 billion pairs of disposable wooden hashi are thrown away every year, which amounts to about 25 million trees destroyed per year! Attempts are being made, of course, to make up for such losses, but the tree still needs to grow...

In Japan, according to data for October 2006, 25 billion chopsticks are consumed per year. True, the Japanese passed a law on the preservation of living plantations and obtain wood for khasi from Russia and China.

In my opinion, it’s time to switch to more economical options, or at worst, learn to eat with a spoon and fork! Of course, the descendants of samurai may not undertake such “experiments,” but why not at least use exclusively plastic chopsticks?

I love Japanese dishes, but I don’t spoil myself often, so as not to get tired of the charm of the little ones. culinary masterpieces Asian cuisine.
What do you need to visit a Japanese restaurant? Money, mood and ability to hold sticks.

I think of the three points, the question can only arise about how to hold chopsticks for sushi and rolls.

But first

A little history...

Chopsticks(hashi/hashi)- a pair of small chopsticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia. The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

In Thailand, with the introduction of European cutlery into circulation in the 19th century by King Rama V, only noodles or soups are eaten with chopsticks

Hashi came to Japan from China in the 12th century and was made from bamboo.
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. It was believed that immortal gods and emperors eat with chopsticks. According to Chinese chronicles, at that time only the imperial court and the Japanese aristocracy enjoyed Khasi, and the common people still ate with their hands. It was only by the Nara period that ordinary people also began to eat with chopsticks.

Since then, chopsticks for the Japanese are not only an everyday personal item (it is not customary to share them with others), but also a sacred symbol (the Japanese respectfully call them o-hashi). According to legend, they bring good luck and long life to the owner, so it is not surprising that Khasi are considered a good holiday gift.
For example, hashi is presented to newlyweds, implying the wish to be as inseparable as a pair of sticks.
They are given to a baby on the 100th day of his birth, when, during the “First Chopsticks” ceremony, adults give him the first taste of rice using chopsticks.
They also make gift sets of chopsticks for the whole family.

There are many types of hashi sticks: for regular food, for culinary purposes, for cakes and desserts. In addition, there are hashi for the New Year, the tea ceremony, and for sweets.

Modern khasis are made of bone, wood (bamboo, pine, cypress, plum, maple, black or purple sandalwood), and the material for them can also be silver, iron and aluminum. IN lately Plastic is often used. 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 for cooking and not as cutlery.

In Japan, one of the advantages of chopsticks over European cutlery is that “you don’t have to scratch your teeth with the pieces of iron.” Therefore, even catering establishments do not serve practical and durable metal chopsticks. Disposable chopsticks are used instead Waribashi, which are made from a single, relatively roughly processed piece of wood, sawn along a little not completely - a sign that no one has used the chopsticks, so they need to be broken before use.
By the way, now most restaurants serve waribashi sticks made of plastic. They are designed for one-time use and are served along with the dish in a sterile sealed paper envelope ( hashi bukuro), which often turns out to be a real decoration and collectible. It can be painted with fancy designs, or it can contain a restaurant logo. This is much more hygienic than using reusable European cutlery.

There are many variations in shapes and sizes of reusable chopsticks ( nuribashi), which sometimes represent a real work of art: they are painted, varnished, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and decorated with various patterns. , round or square in cross-section with a conical or pyramidal point. Appearance The sticks are quite diverse: their cross-section can be round, oval, square, or with rounded corners. They come in pyramidal shapes, with thick or thin ends, flat...

Usually hashi is placed across in front of the device, horizontally. But, as a rule, 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 hasioka on the table - Khasi can be placed next to 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.

Choosing sticks

Use the sticks that suit you best. Just like every person needs their own clothing size, size and shape Khasi It’s also better to choose individually.

Previously, chopstick length was calculated based on the average height and palm size of men and women during the Edo period (1603 - 1867). Now people have become somewhat larger than then, and, accordingly, standard sizes have changed Khasi.
How to choose sticks of your size? Their usual length is one and a half times longer than the chitoate - the length of the imaginary hypotenuse formed when you fold your thumb and index finger at a right angle. The same value is used when determining where to take the sticks with your hand: for this, the distance of the chitoat is counted from the thin ends.

Instructions for use

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.

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.

Use chopsticks like this:

So..

	1. First, take one stick (one third of the way 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 thus forming a ring. If the stick has one end thick and the other thin, hold it so that the thick part is at the top.
	2. Take the second stick, placing it parallel to the first, at a distance of 15 mm. Hold it the way you usually hold a pencil: o) When the middle finger straightens, the sticks move apart.
	3. Bring the chopsticks together by bending your index finger and pinch the food with the ends. In addition, if the piece is too large, you can use chopsticks to separate it, but only very carefully.

And the main rule is not to strain your hand and fingers. Try to use the chopsticks freely - one stick should be motionless, and the other should move freely.

In practice it looks something like this :o)

Chinese/Japanese chopsticks for beginners and children

And for clarity, you can watch these videos

Of course, until you once try to hold the chopsticks in your hands, no instruction will teach you this. So practice eating with hashi chopsticks at home first. And if you don’t have chopsticks, pick up pencils and go ahead and explore Eastern culture.

Etiquette

Chopsticks have become an integral part of Japanese culture and history; their use is surrounded by a lot of conventions and ceremonies. Countless rules and good table manners in Japan cluster around chopsticks.

Chopsticks are only used to pick up food and put it in your mouth or on your plate. Any other manipulation with chopsticks may be considered inconsistent with etiquette. Etiquette related to chopsticks has its own characteristics in different countries. The general part of the rules generally looks like this:

Do not knock on the table, plate or other objects with chopsticks to call the waiter

Don't draw on the table with chopsticks, don't wander aimlessly around the food with chopsticks. Before reaching for food with chopsticks, select a piece (this taboo behavior is called "mayoibashi")

Always take food from the top, do not poke around in the bowl with chopsticks in search of the best piece. If you touch food, eat. ("saguribashi")

When picking up food with chopsticks, your palms should always face down. Turning your hand over with your wrist and palm facing up is considered uncivil.

Do not stick food on chopsticks ("sashibashi")

Do not shake the chopsticks to cool the piece.

Don't put your face in the bowl or bring it too close to your mouth and then use chopsticks to push food into your mouth.

Do not compact food brought to your mouth using chopsticks.

- Try not to drip sauce from your chopsticks or food.

Don't lick the chopsticks. Don't just put chopsticks in your mouth

When not using chopsticks, place them with the sharp ends to the left

Never pass food with chopsticks to another person. ("futaribashi") into a plate or into someone else's chopsticks. This gesture is used for close relatives to transfer the bones of the deceased into an urn after cremation, and is taboo in all other cases.
And in Chinese etiquette, unlike the Japanese tradition, it is quite acceptable to pass food to loved ones (children, parents, relatives) with chopsticks if it is difficult or inconvenient for them to take the food themselves. In relation to elders, it is considered a sign of respect to pass food to them first, even before the meal begins (which corresponds to the Confucian tradition of respecting elders).

Never point or wave chopsticks in the air

Do not pull the plate towards you using chopsticks. Always pick it up. ("yosebashi")

Place your chopsticks on the table before asking for more rice

Do not clasp two chopsticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening

Never stick your chopsticks upside down into the rice. This is how they place it on the altar (including at home) during a memorial service. If you stick chopsticks in like this while eating, the Japanese become gloomy - according to legend, this means that someone will die soon... ("tatebashi")

Do not place chopsticks across the cup. After you have finished eating, place your chopsticks on the stand.
Well, in a Chinese restaurant, on the contrary, after finishing the meal, the chopsticks should be placed across the bowl, with the ends to the left - this is a sign that the meal is completed and no additional food is required.

- Use Khasi It’s not easy when you’re not used to it, so to avoid inconvenience, don’t hesitate to ask the waiter to show you how to use chopsticks correctly, and if it’s really hard, bring more familiar utensils - a fork or spoon.

But remember that, that you cannot eat sushi with a knife, this shows the owner that the prepared dish is tough, and it is impossible to do without a knife.

Or at a restaurant you can simply ask for training sticks. Such sticks are connected, and between them there is something like a spring. So these are more tongs than sticks. But they are very convenient to operate.

Knife and fork are used only for Western food. 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.

Interesting facts:

It is believed that chopsticks train small muscles that develop mental abilities, which is why in Japan people are taught to handle hashi from an early age. Japanese scientists consider instilling in children a desire to master chopsticks an important and relevant task for their country. Confirmation of the effectiveness of “exercises” with chopsticks is the statement of researchers that children who began to eat with the help of hasi immediately after they turned one year are ahead in development of their peers who were unable to part with spoons.

Many Asian chip manufacturers, when hiring staff to the factory, conduct a motor coordination test: you need to quickly assemble small beads with chopsticks.

By the way, in Japan, dishes (bowls for rice, soup, plates for other food) and serving items are divided into “male” and “female”. Sticks are no exception.

In China, chopsticks are called kuaizi. Kuaizi are square at the base so that they do not roll on the table. Their length is approximately 25 cm, and kitchen ones, usually bamboo, are one and a half times longer.

In Korea they eat with thin metal chopsticks. This is a unique custom of its kind - in none of the countries of the Far East where chopsticks are used, they are not made of metal (although chopsticks for cooking can be made of metal). Previously, Korean chopsticks were made of brass, now they are mainly made of stainless steel.

I hope that now you can easily use hashi chopsticks :o)

Based on materials from ru.wikipedia.org, izum.darievna.ru