Chopsticks are an extension of human fingers. They can do almost everything their fingers can, and they are not afraid of high temperature and cold. In ancient times, because there were no metal utensils, and because the bones of animals were very short, extremely fragile and difficult to process, ancestors used thin bamboo and branches to catch cooked food in order to solve the difficulty of grasping hot food directly with their hands. In the wilderness environment, human life says that the most convenient materials in dense forests and grass holes are trees and bamboo branches. Because of this, the rudiments of chopsticks have gradually emerged, such as sticks and thin bamboos that ancestors fiddled with when baking, grasping clips when rushing to get hot food, and stirring when cooking grains.
2. Chopsticks culture in China.
2. 1 the history of chopsticks in China
Chopsticks, which have been widely used since the Han Dynasty, were called "chopsticks" in the pre-Qin literature in China, and also called "chopsticks" in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, meaning "tools to help people eat". They were originally made of bamboo, so they used the word "bamboo" as the head. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China, folk fishermen and boatmen changed the meaning of "live" to "fast" because "turn", "sui" and "live" are homophonic, which means "stagnation" in hearing, which is not in line with people's national psychology of hoping for prosperity, thus expressing people's yearning for a better life. China people advocate "food is the most important thing for the people", pay attention to color, fragrance and taste in food technology, and pursue gorgeous and exquisite tableware modeling and carving. Chopsticks are small, but they are an amazing scientific invention in the history of human civilization. Dr. Li Zhengdao, a famous physicist, pointed out that chopsticks are "two simple things, but they skillfully use the lever principle in physics." By studying the mechanical structure of chopsticks, a foreign scholar found that people can move at least 30 joints and 50 muscles to stimulate the brain and prevent and delay the degeneration of brain cells, that is, it can promote the function of the brain. Scientists believe that long-term use of chopsticks can make fingers flexible and brains smart, which is beneficial to physical and mental health. Thus, China's chopsticks are unique among the world's tableware.
2.2 the appearance of China chopsticks
Most of the shapes are approximate cuboids or cylinders, or the head is round and the tail is square (coincident with the "land of heaven and round"), only the head and tail are slightly thin, "the upper end is angular and cannot be held by hand; The lower end is smooth and does not hurt the lips "; Of course, there are also perfect ones, because it is easy to roll on the dining table and the upper hand part is easy to slide off, so it is rare on the dining table now. In order to show respect for the guests, and also to feast one's eyes on the people at the table, the host wants to show the taste and grade of tableware while showing his cooking skills. Hotels and restaurants also want to create a warm and elegant atmosphere through exquisite tableware, so it is reasonable to deliberately pursue the material and carving of chopsticks. Some are made of gold, silver and copper, some are carved with jade and coral, and some are made of ivory and rhinoceros horn in ancient times. Of course, most people use bamboo chopsticks, wooden chopsticks and resin chopsticks.