Asian culture and food seem to have taken over the world by storm. Be it the Korean dramas and Korean music or the Chinese cuisine which we have so fondly embraced, the world loves every bit of the culture of Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea. When it comes to the food, chopsticks are a huge part of the culinary habits of the people in these countries. From sushi, rice to noodles, all of these are typically eaten with the help of chopsticks, which can be quite difficult for someone new to learn and adopt. The nuisances of holding the chopstick and eating with it can be a tough task to master, and this is why there are super relatable memes and videos from across the world. One such hilarious viral video captured this issue in a super relatable way. Take a look:
Shared on Instagram by user Jason (@kiwisoju), the video has already clocked in over 16.3 million views and 1 million likes. The video starts with a bowl of noodle soup and a pair of chopsticks, the user begins to illustrate how one can hold the chopstick properly. He then tries to grab noodles but fails repeatedly and then goes on to grab everything in his vicinity. Indicating how the chopsticks can perhaps help hold everything except for what its intended for - noodles. “All jokes. Share it to someone who can't use chopsticks,” Jason wrote in the caption.
Social media users could relate to the video and left several comments. Well, we do relate to the struggle too, but do you know how and why the chopsticks really made its way to East Asia? Why did these countries started using them despite so much difficulty?
As per legends, the use of chopsticks goes back to 1200 B.C. in China, where they were used as cooking utensils as their long slender body was capable of reaching the deep end of boiling pots of water or oil. Eating with chopsticks began much later in around A.D. 400 with a population boom. As resources became scarce, people developed cost-efficient cooking that requires less fuel and smaller sizes of food. They chopped more food and as the size of food became smaller, knives became obsolete, making way for chopsticks.
The rise of chopsticks can also be credited to Confucius, a Chinese philosopher whose teachings and philosophy formed the basis of East Asian culture and society, which remains influential till date. He was a vegetarian and believed that sharp utensils, like fork and knives, at the dinner table would remind the diners of a slaughterhouse, while the sharp edges of knives may evoke violence and warfare. Such feelings can affect the happy, contended mood that should dominate during meals. And so, the use of chopstick quickly became popular throughout Asia.
If you are still wondering how to use chopsticks, we have a quick guide right here:
1. Rest one of the chopsticks between your thumb and forefinger.
2. Hold the other chopstick between the first two fingers.
3. Best would be to move just the first chopstick to pick food.
4. Now simply pick and eat.