Chopsticks are the most important utensil in my kitchen. I use them to eat, to cook, to stir my tea, to hold up the lid of my pots when I make bone broth, to do everything. You can buy very expensive and elaborate chopsticks but I prefer them plain and wooden. I love when the ends start to get really dark from frequent use.
History
- Chinese people have been using chopsticks for over 5,000 years. First, as a cooking utensil, then for eating.
- Around 400 BC there was a population boom across China that severely impacted resources. Cooks were forced to chop food into smaller pieces so it would cook faster and use less fuel. This was a perfect size for tweezer like chop sticks to pick up food.
- In 1878, Japan created disposable chopsticks, typically made of wood or bamboo. You can find them today in Asian sit-down and take-out restaurants.
- The chinese characters for chopsticks are, 筷子, pronounced kaui zi, translated as small piece-picker-uppers, or quick fellows, or fast sticks.
What Chopsticks are Made of
- Common materials are bamboo, wood, plastic.
- Wealthy ate with chopsticks made of ivory (before the worldwide ban), jade, coral, brass, agate (silica found in volcanic rock).
- Most privileged ate with chopsticks made of silver. The emperors of China preferred silver chopsticks because it was said they would turn black when they touched poison. This went untested because all emperors had royal food tasters who would first eat the food. We now know that silver has no reaction to poisons like arsenic or cyanide but can change color if it comes in contact with garlic, onions, or rotten eggs.
- More ornate chopsticks can have carved or printed dragons, phoenixes, unicorns, lions, or Chinese zodiac animals at the top.
Interesting Facts
- The use of knives became obsolete with the growing use of chopsticks to pick up smaller food pieces and the non-violent teachings from the philosopher, Confucius. He thought the sharp point of a knife evoked violence and warfare, killing the happy mood during meals. It is believed this is why Chinese chopsticks are blunt on the ends.
- Chinese chopsticks are rounded, more blunt-tipped, less decorated, and longer then the Japanese chopsticks. One reason is the Japanese dine on individual small dishes served right in front of them. The Chinese eat family style and have to reach for food up to an arms length away. The Japanese consider chopsticks an art form admired for their beauty and utility. The Chinese value chopsticks as a utility first.
Chinese superstitions
- The position a girl holds her chopsticks can show how far she will have to travel to find her husband. If a girls holds her chopsticks at the top, her future husband will live far away. If she holds them close to the bottom, she may marry the boy next store.
- Dropping chopsticks will bring bad luck.
- If you are dining with family or very close friends, it is acceptable to serve yourself or others with your chopsticks. Elders should always be served first and the best pieces of food as a sign of respect and love.
- If you are dining with acquaintances or new friends, use serving chopsticks and spoons for serving. If there are no serving utensils, your chopsticks can be used upside down for serving.
- DO hold your rice bowl close to your mouth and use chopsticks to push rice and food into your mouth.
- DO rest your chopsticks next to your bowl if you are taking a rest from eating.
- DO rest your chopsticks on top of your bowl if you are finished eating.
- DO wait for elders to pick up their chopsticks before picking up your own.
- DO teach your children how to use chopsticks correctly. It reflects badly on the parents when they do this incorrectly because it is the parent’s responsibility to teach the child.
- DON’T stand chopsticks up in a rice bowl. This resembles incense sticks at a funeral.
- DON’T spear food with your chopsticks.
- DON’T use your chopsticks to search through a platter of food to find something in particular. This is sometimes called grave digging.
Did I miss anything?
Chrissy xo
Growing up I didn’t really celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. The only reason I knew it was that time of year is because we would have mooncakes in the house. This year I wanted to celebrate with the girls. Even though they are 5 and 2, I wanted to expose them to the importance of the festival, build our own traditions, and have fun.
The calligrapher, Tianyi Shan, had an activity table where you could trace her brushstrokes. My Princess chose to trace the characters for mooncake. She got to take home her sheet of traced characters and a few messages done by Tianyi Shan for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tianyi Shan was very patient and helpful with her instruction.
During the Sensory Mooncake Experience, we learned mooncakes are round to symbolize a full moon, usually have four egg yolks to symbolize the four phases of the moon, and helped establish the 
My Princess did a shadow puppet craft of the jade rabbit. According to Chinese legend, a beautiful woman, Chang Oh, was married to Hou Yi, a skilled archer and great general in the Imperial Guard. He shot down eight of the nine suns that mysteriously appeared in the sky and was awarded by the Emperor with a pill of immortality. Chang Oh was envious so she ate the pill and escaped to the moon to hide. On the moon she found a jade rabbit under a tree. The air was cold on the moon and she began coughing, eventually coughing up the pill. She wanted to amend her devious act so she asked the rabbit to pound the pill into many pieces and scatter all over the earth so everyone could be made immortal. Then she built a palace for herself to live on the moon. She is known as the Lady of the Moon and you will see her design on the mooncake crust and packaging.
We made these beautiful lanterns at the Lantern Making Workshop. Lanterns are lit and carried throughout the Mid-Autumn Festival to celebrate the brightness of the moon. My Princess and I had a great time decorating and building our lanterns.
At the 
Mid-Autumn Festival Day, I found a 
My sister is getting married next month and we just had her 
All of the meat at the “cookie party” had heads and tails to symbolize completeness. Chickens have 
Here is my sister in front of some of her wedding dowry. Liquor is a part of the party also. I’m just not quite sure what the symbolism is.
These were some of the sweet pastries. My mom went to taste the special “cookie party” pastries at the bakery and decided not to buy a lot of them because she didn’t think our Americanized palates would like them.
My brother chopped up all of the meat. He has watched the restaurants in Chinatown chop meat for years and was excited to do this. We made him wear a glove because well…he is my brother.
Here is our family in front of the “cookie party” feast. Wearing red or reddish color was a requirement for the party because red symbolizes good luck. You can’t see it in the photo but my pants were red-orange.
The party was filled with relatives and my parent’s friends. I’ve come to realize after my own “cookie party” and now my sister’s, the “cookie party” is really a party for the bride’s parents…haha!
After the groom’s family delivers the pig, the bride’s family is suppose to cut off the head and tail and give them back to the groom’s family. This is to symbolize that everything has a beginning and end. The bride’s family also gives the groom a wallet, belt, suit, and money to symbolize prosperity and completeness. My sister took the head and tail home to Mike the next day.
Instead of buying the traditional cookies and cakes, my mom ordered a cake from 
And of course the party would not be complete without jewelry from the groom. It is tradition the groom buy a pair of dragon and phoenix bangles for the bride to be worn at the wedding. The dragon and phoenix symbolize a blissful union. Seeing these bangles reminds me of how much jewelry the bride gets at weddings. We have two girls, my husband is in trouble!
**Update January 31, 2015 – here is a 
This year I realized we have a very “adult” Chinese New Year celebration. Jeff and I both grew up with family traditions, but throughout the years, gatherings have gotten smaller, traditions have been outgrown, we basically now go out to eat and exchange red envelopes. This is fine, and totally works for our family, but to the girls (who are too young to value money), there isn’t anything really special or fun about this time of year. I remember when I was growing up how fun it was to eat all of the celebration foods, see family and friends, light firecrackers and see the lion dance, and I want my girls to have those same experiences.