Chopsticks - purchase recommendation, types of chopsticks, history.

For many years we have been dealing with Asian cuisine and due to many requests we decided to share our knowledge about chopsticks.

What are the best chopsticks?

The best chopsticks are made from
reusable materials such as wood or metal and are between 22-24 cm long.

We have put together a selection of the best chopsticks for you.

Updated on 08.11.2023

We all know that in almost all of Asia, people eat mainly with chopsticks.

Anyone who has ever eaten in an Asian restaurant will have tried at least once to balance the food in their mouth with two chopsticks. This was probably done with more or less success.

What types of sticks are there?
History of chopsticks?
Distribution of the different types of rods in Asia
Origin of chopsticks
Why don’t Asians eat with a knife and fork?
Advantages & disadvantages chopsticks vs. knife & fork?
How are chopsticks held?

Set of 10 black bamboo chopsticks with storage box – fiberglass with cherry blossom pattern – black – 23 cm long

BPA-free
Easy
Dishwasher safe

Our Favorite sticks because of the high quality processing and the very good price/performance ratio!

Set of 10 black fiberglass chopsticks – cherry blossom engraving – fiberglass – black – 23 cm long

Set of 5 cherry blossom fiberglass chopsticks – black – 24.3 cm long

5 pairs of chopsticks – beech – different colors – 22.3 cm long

10 pairs of reusable chopsticks – black with silver pattern – fiberglass – 23.5 cm long

Set of 2 Chinese dragon chopsticks with holder and box – wood – 22.9 cm long

Set of 4 bamboo chopsticks – wood – 22.5 cm long

Set of 5 colorful sticks – fiberglass – pastel colors – 23.5 cm long

8 Pair High Quality Engraved Chopsticks – Fiberglass – 23.5 cm long

100 disposable bamboo chopsticks 22.9 cm long

5 Pair Totken chopsticks – fiberglass -black – flower pattern – 24.1 cm long

Set of 5 chopsticks – fiberglass – 24.0cm long

1x Chopsticks in rabbit design with box – black – wood – 24 cm long

Set of 2 Blue/Gold Stainless Steel Japanese Chopsticks – Laser Engraved – 23.5 cm long

Set of 5 stainless steel chopsticks – different colors – metal – 23.5 cm long

5 pairs of wooden chopsticks – different colors – hardwood – 23.5 cm long

Set of 5 reusable fiberglass chopsticks – black – 24.8 cm long

Chopsticks natural bamboo wood – 22.5 cm long

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Multicolor Gold/Silver Stainless Steel Chopsticks – Laser Engraved – 23cm Long

5 pairs of fiberglass chopsticks – 24.3 cm long

Set of 5 Japanese classic style chopsticks – wood – brown – 22.9 cm long

6 Pair Fiberglass Chopsticks – With Asian Patterns – Black – 24.0 cm long

10 pairs of natural bamboo chopsticks – wood – 24.1 cm long

Set of 5 Chinese chopsticks, dragon and phoenix – wood – 23.5 cm long

set of 5 chopsticks from Japan – bamboo – 22,0 cm long

Chopstick bowl – Brown chopsticks & green bowl – 22.9 cm long

12 pairs of reusable chopsticks – different colors – fiberglass – 24 cm long

Pasta bowl with chopsticks – Black chopsticks and gray bowl – 22.9 cm long

What are the types of chopsticks?

In many restaurants, cookshops and snack bars simple Disposable wooden bamboo sticks offered. These are wrapped in paper or plastic and are connected together. Before use, they must be broken apart. This is a guarantee that the sticks are really unused. These are thrown away after use.

Also used in inexpensive restaurants and cookshops are simple plastic chopsticks. These are used over and over again because they can be quickly cleaned in boiling water.

However, there are also high-quality chopsticks made of wood. These are finely polished and ground and have an absolutely smooth surface. These chopsticks are often lacquered. Japanese chopsticks are also often decorated with characters and ornaments. Wooden sticks and bamboo sticks with a smooth surface are also suitable for the dishwasher. They lie well in the hand and offer pleasant handling. Reusable bamboo and wooden chopsticks are also environmentally conscious, as they are made from rapidly renewable materials.

Very noble also present chopsticks made of metal or even precious metal. Upper-class Chinese chopsticks are often made of silver. Chopsticks made of precious metal are very light and smooth and feel good in the hand. Those who are not yet so skilled in eating with chopsticks may have some problems with these chopsticks, as they are very slippery. If you buy metal chopsticks, make sure they have some coating on the top. This means that they do not slip out of the hands so quickly. Visually, metal chopsticks are always an eye-catcher. Often these are colorfully painted and decorated with patterns.

There are also chopsticks that are as expensive as precious jewelry. Noble ch opsticks have inlays of teak or gold, are painted by hand or set with precious stones.

Porcelain chopsticks are also among the expensive variants. However, these are hardly found in average restaurants. They are only used in elegant gourmet restaurants or as so-called Sunday cutlery for special occasions.

Chopsticks distribution

In China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and many other Asian countries, chopsticks count as common cutlery.

Worldwide, more people eat with chopsticks than with a knife and fork.

Believe it or not, only 17% of the population actually eat with a knife and fork, 34% eat with chopsticks and more than half of the population eat with their fingers! Source

Chopsticks origin

In Asia, people did not always eat with chopsticks. In earlier times, people in Asia ate exclusively with a spoon .

The spoon still has great significance in Asian table culture today. Not only soups, sauces and curries are eaten with it, the edge of the spoon also serves as a knife substitute. If a piece of meat or vegetable is too large, it is simply pierced in two with the spoon and then brought to the mouth with the chopstick.

When were chopsticks invented?

The first chopsticks were used about 5,000 years before Christ. At that time, the chopsticks were used both for eating and preparing food. The first sticks were made from twigs and bones.

In ancient times, chopsticks were not so important in Asia, as meals mostly consisted of soups, sauces and porridge. It was only later that “solid food” was cooked and thus a more suitable tool was needed. The chopsticks were perfect for this.

Distribution of the different rod species

Nowadays, all types of chopsticks are present in all Asian countries. In the course of sustainability, people in Asia are now also trying to pack disposable chopsticks in paper rather than plastic, and reusable chopsticks made of wood or metal are being used more and more frequently.

In the past, metal chopsticks were mainly used in Japan and Korea. In these countries, the rods were also more pointed.

In China, wooden sticks have always been increasingly used, which were square at the top and round at the bottom.

However, in tourist areas throughout Asia, you will always receive a fork upon request as well. With the knife, however, it looks a little more difficult. In fact, in many restaurants in Asia there are no knives, except those with which the chef works in the kitchen.

Why don't Asians eat with a knife and fork?

In Asian cuisine, all ingredients are cut into bite-sized pieces while still in the kitchen. These are briefly fried in the wok or just put into the soup or curries.

Cutting the ingredients has several reasons:

Firstly, it shortens the preparation time. This way, the food is cooked in just a few minutes.
The vitamins and minerals in the vegetables are largely preserved.
The bite-sized pieces can be picked up very easily with chopsticks.

However, the use of chopsticks instead of knives and forks also has a religious and spiritual background.

According to Confucius, who was a self-confessed vegetarian, a knife has no place on a table. A knife was for him a symbol of war, death and also slaughterhouses.

At the dining table, however, only peace and harmony should reign.

Advantages and disadvantages chopsticks vs. knife & fork

This question is not so easy to answer, because everyone will find his way of eating better. If you grew up with chopsticks, you can’t imagine eating with a knife and fork and vice versa.

Any Asian will emphasize how pleasant and convenient it is to use chopsticks to fish bite-sized ingredients out of bowls and guide them to your mouth.

When children learn to eat, it is guaranteed to be less dangerous to eat with chopsticks. Thus, the risk of injury is less than with a knife and fork.

The advantage, however, when we from the Western world eat with chopsticks is, it simply belongs in the Asian world and the atmosphere is simply more exotic and authentic with chopsticks.

If you are cooking an Asian dish for friends, then you should also uncover beautiful chopsticks in style.

How are chopsticks held?

The first stick is placed between the thumb and forefinger. You can stabilize the rod with your ring finger. The first rod remains fixed and is not moved.

The second rod rests on the index and middle fingers and is supported and guided by the thumb. Just as if you were holding a pen in your hands. Now try to open and close the sticks.

Don’t hold the sticks all the way back, but rather place them in the second third. The further down you hold the sticks, the better you can also control and guide them. If you practice a little, using chopsticks won’t be that hard.