The development history of chopsticks

In primitive society, people lived by collecting berries and hunting, which determined that the way to eat was simple and rude, that is, grasping with their hands. With the development of production tools, our ancestors learned to cook food with pottery. This makes it impossible to simply eat with your hands. Therefore, they learned to use two sticks to pick up hot food cooked with pottery.

2. Development of chopsticks

Chopsticks were called "zi" and "column" in ancient times. It can be seen that the early chopsticks were made of bamboo or other wood. At present, the earliest chopsticks unearthed in China are Shang Dynasty bronze chopsticks unearthed in Yin Ruins. Buried wooden chopsticks have long been carbonized and can only be found in history books. However, after thousands of years, copper chopsticks still radiate the light of solving historical mysteries. During the Shang Dynasty, the bronze smelting technology was mature, and the ruling class began to cast and use all kinds of bronze tripod for dinner, and the original dining utensils and pottery began to be eliminated by the ruling class.

There is a saying in "Everything is done by Yu Zi Lao": "Once upon a time, people were like chopsticks, and Ji Zi was terrible". Thus, ivory chopsticks have been used in Shang Zhouwang.

Chopsticks, as a basic dining tool, can be used by ordinary people. Whether it is made of bamboo or other wood, it has been swaying under the industrious hands of China people for thousands of years. The ivory chopsticks, jade chopsticks and gold chopsticks in the hands of the wealthy class are exquisite, which is only a witness of history.

3. Change from chopsticks to chopsticks

Chopsticks were called "Zi" in the pre-Qin period, and began to be called "Zi" after the Han Dynasty, and the name "Chopsticks" began to appear in the Ming Dynasty. "Book of Rites Quli" mentioned that "anyone who has food in the soup must use it", and "First Aid" said: "Chopsticks are one, so the food is also sandwiched". The change from chopsticks to chopsticks began in Wuzhong area in Ming Dynasty, which is in Suzhou and Shanghai today. Because these places are particularly taboo, and there are more shipping in these places, the sound of "chopsticks" is easily reminiscent of boating. In order to avoid taboo, I did the opposite, taking chopsticks as a quick buck and pinning the boatman's good wishes for free sailing. In the Qing Dynasty, the name "Chopsticks" spread all over the country due to the communication between the North and the South, and was quickly accepted by the North. Therefore, the early "chopsticks" were actually "chopsticks" with no bamboo prefix. It was added later.

4. Traditional culture in chopsticks

Chopsticks are not only eating tools in China people's daily life. It also incorporates the beliefs and codes of conduct of China people. For example, China regards "three long and two short" as death, so it is forbidden to put chopsticks of different lengths on the dining table; For example, it is a beggar's behavior to knock on vegetables with chopsticks, which is extremely inappropriate; For example, putting chopsticks in a well-served meal is considered to incense the dead and so on.

China people taste all the joys and sorrows in the world through a pair of chopsticks. No matter when, no matter how far away from home, China people will miss the chopsticks that brought them delicious food. Only when I picked up those chopsticks did I know the way home.