Utilization+of+Utensils



Asian dining etiquette and utensils are of crucial importance to them as it assembles a large portion of their culture. Their rules of conduct regarding the utensils and meals are strict is derived from the rituals and ceremonies they practice. The same utensils used to eat in Asia are altered in different countries to meet their dining etiquette and culture. Their diet also alters the way their utensils are shaped and constructed.Their widespread use across Asia have a long history and have evolved into an important icon of Asian culture.

=__**History of Chopsticks**__=

It is believed that the first pair of chopsticks were invented a little over 5000 years ago in China. The people would retrieve their food using twigs or branches from the fire and use knives to cut into smaller portions. As China's population grew, their resources were insufficient, and the people began to save their fuel by cutting their food into smaller portions before cooking. The smaller pieces cooked much faster, and subsequently eliminated the need for knives, which were replaced by the chopsticks. By 500 A.D., chopsticks had spread to other countries such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. At first, the Japanese used chopsticks solely during religious ceremonies, but were later introduced to the dining table as eating utensils. The popularity of chopsticks among other Asian countries grew rapidly.

Regardless of the form and different name it takes, chopsticks have been a crucial part in Asian culture and history.



China --> Korea --> Japan
=__**Etiquette**__=

- Picking up a dish or bowl to raise closer to the mouth, and eat the ingredients with chopsticks are considered rude and discourteous. - All dishes are prohibited from being picked up off the table. The spoon for soups and rice only, and the chopsticks for side-dishes. - When laid down on the table, chopsticks must never be placed to the left of the spoon. This is only done in memorial services and funerals for the deceased.
 * Korean**

- It is normal to pick up the rice bowl to bring closer to the mouth to push the rice directly into the mouse with the use of chopsticks. - Passing food to the elderly before dining is considered as a sign of respect. - Tapping chopsticks on the table or a bowl are considered to be rude. - One must never skewer the food, unless it is difficult to handle. - Considered rude to point the tip of a chopstick towards others. - Serving chopsticks must be returned to the dish after one has served oneself.
 * Chinese**

- If one wants to transfer one’s food to someone else, he or she must offer their place to transfer directly instead of using chopsticks. - Tip of the chopsticks must always be placed on a chopstick rest when not in use. - Prohibited to cross chopsticks on a table or vertically stick in rice (symbolizes death). - Rubbing wooden chopsticks (makes the chopsticks appear cheap). - Crossing the two sticks together (one diagonal, one vertical).
 * Japanese**

__**Utilization of Utensils **__

Japanese - Mainly use Chopsticks - Soup Spoons

Chinese - Mainly use Chopsticks - Soup Spoons

Korean - Chopsticks - Spoons

=__**Appearances **__=


 * Japanese Chopsticks**

[|**Japanese Diet**]


Japanese chopsticks are typically 9 inches and they are lacquered with wood or made with bamboo. They have rounder chopsticks to make it easier to remove bones from the fish, which is their major diet. Chopsticks are significant to the Japanese because their food includes a wide variety of noodles and food which come in small segments. Although the Japanese use soup spoons to make eating noodles easier, chopsticks allow them to pick up small pieces with ease.


 * Chinese chopsticks **

[|**Chinese Diet**]


Chinese chopsticks are longer than Korean or Japanese chopsticks. They are square in cross section where they are held, and round in cross section where they contact food, with a blunt tip. The Chinese tend to eat their rice using their chopsticks, and the blunt tips makes the gap between the tip of the chopsticks, which makes it easier for them to push the rice into their mouths from their bowls. Also, the Chinese tend to eat a lot of noodles, and the blunt tips hinders the noodles from slipping off the edge. With the absence of curved tips, the Chinese chopsticks are exceptional dining utensils.


 * Korean Chopsticks and Spoon**

[|**Korean Diet**]


Koreans tend to use the spoon more often than the Japanese and the Chinese. Their diet consists of a lot of soups, making the spoon an essential dining utensil for their meal. The Korean dining etiquette interdicts people from eating their rice with the use of chopsticks, and makes them solely for picking side dishes.

=**__Description__**=

Chopsticks: Typically 9 inches, tapered to pointed ends, lacquered wood and bamboo (shorter then Chinese chopsticks). The chopsticks in Japan are much rounder, to make it easier to remove bones from the fish (major Japanese diet). Soup spoons are used only when soup is served. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chopsticks are more commonly used in Japan also because they have a wide variety of noodles.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Japanese Dining Utensils **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chopsticks: Longest out of the three countries. Long because the Chinese eat from a common bowl. Blunt and square ends. Typically 10.5 inches. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Chinese rarely use their soup spoons during their meal because they use the chopstick for both side-dishes and rice. They only use the soup spoon for spoons.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chinese Dining Utensils **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chinese and Japanese use soup spoons because their soup contains large pieces of food. Easier.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Korean Chopsticks are made of stainless steel. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Koreans use their spoon to eat their rice. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spoon is also used for soup. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wide variety of soup in Korean diet = use soup a lot.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Korean Dining Utensils **

=__**Self-Evaluation**__=

How successful do you think you conveyed your research to your audience?

I think the way I explained the different etiquette and utensils gave the audience a better idea of the distinctions in culture between Korea, China, and Japan. I was able to set clear divisions between the diet in each of the three countries, and gave an explanation following the appearance of the utensils. By doing so, I believe that the audience learned that the different forms of chopsticks are to make eating easier within each country.

Highlighted titles and links to external pages should help the readers get a better idea of why the countries use different forms of the same utensils.

Overall, I think that the audience learned a lot more regarding the differences and the culture that the countries had formed due to their dining utensils.

What would have made your presentation more successful? I think more points for comparison would've made my presentation more successful, along with the addition of more information. However, this is a topic that isn't commonly compared, and the sources were very limited.

How successful do you think your technology-based materials were in conveying your research? By using the internet, I was able to gather information to enhance my presentation. In no doubt, this topic would need information from the internet. By doing so, I was able to depict pictures of the different diet between the countries and the utensils themselves. This allows the audience to get a clearer understanding. Being able to put pictures together helped make my presentation catch more attention.

The number of sources available were limited, because most were completely unassociated with the topic.

What would have made your technology-based materials more successful? When I was searching for information, I could've written down more specific words in the search engine, so I could get rid of a few unnecessary sites. If I had prepared much earlier and had come up with better plans to enhance my wikipage, then i think that my presentation could have been more successful. For example, by using a keynote powerpoint to explain something in depth, videos, and etc.

What did you learn from this project? Submit any other comments after this question. I've learned that there are differences to the utensils used amongst the Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans. I've also learned about the reasoning behind the different forms of the utensils and their etiquette at the dining table.

=__**Work Cited**__= <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Chinese Chopsticks." Chinese Culture. Web. 07 June 2011. <http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa_chopsticks02a.htm>.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Parkinson, Rhonda. "Chopsticks - History and Using Chinese Chopsticks." Chinese Recipes - Chinese Cuisine - Chinese Food and Cooking. About.com. Web. 07 June 2011. <http://chinesefood.about.com/od/restaurantdining/a/chopsticks.htm>.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Deziel, Chris. "The Difference Between Chinese & Japanese Chopsticks | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Trusted Advice for the Curious Life | EHow.com. EHow, 12 Apr. 2011. Web. 07 June 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/info_8212288_difference-between-chinese-japanese-chopsticks.html>.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Chopsticks." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. 05 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks>.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Chopsticks." CuisineNet. CyberPalate LLC, 1997. Web. 07 June 2011. <http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/chopsticks.html>.

Ye Qingfa. "Chinese Chopsticks." //Chinese Culture//. About.com. Web. 13 June 2011. <http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa_chopsticks02a.htm>.