[MANNAM] Chopsticks In East Asian Culture

Hi, MANNAM International friends! How long have you been in Korea? When you first came to Korea, what difficulties did you have? For many MANNAM International friends, using chopsticks may be one of the difficulties to face while living in Korea. Chopsticks are the traditional utensil of East Asian cultures, but there are some differences in length, shape, and material.

Have you ever seen a Japanese person having a meal in Japanese cartoon? When Japanese have a meal, they usually hold their bowls and only use chopsticks. Therefore, chopsticks should be short enough for Japanese people to eat quickly. What’s more, since Japanese eat fish a lot, their chopsticks have sharp point at the end. The sharp point of the chopsticks is useful for Japanese to separate the flesh of fish from bones.

As for the Korean chopsticks, you may be very familiar with them. Japanese and Chinese chopsticks are usually made of wood, but Korean chopsticks are made of metal. People can use metal chopsticks for a longer time compared to wooden ones. Additionally, in order to pick up vegetables with the chopsticks more easily, Koreans use thin and flat chopsticks. In Korean culture, when Korean people have a meal, they use both chopsticks and a spoon.

Among the three countries, Chinese use the longest chopsticks. The long chopsticks can prevent them from burning their hands on stir-fried and hot food. Usually, Chinese chopsticks are made of wood. Wooden chopsticks are very useful for them to pick up rice, noodles, and various dishes.

Chopsticks in Japan, Korea, and China are all different in length, shape, and material. However, when people in these three countries have a meal, a pair of chopsticks is a necessity. Similarly, although members of MANNAM International have diverse cultures, languages, and nationalities, everyone is indispensable for the world peace campaign. With each one’s strengths, MANNAM International will surely achieve world peace.