The origin of chopsticks

Allusion to the origin of chopsticks

Allusion to the origin of chopsticks, chopsticks are also known as "chopsticks" in ancient times, Chinese people use chopsticks to eat from ancient times, and there are certain meanings, the use of chopsticks in daily life is very delicate. Below is a brief history of the origin of chopsticks.

Allusion to the origin of chopsticks 1

The first legend, Jiang Ziya invented bamboo chopsticks

Legend has it that Jiang Ziya would only fish with a straight hook, and nothing else, and was poor. His wife wanted to poison him and marry another man. A god bird reminded Jiang Ziya to make chopsticks out of bamboo wire to check if the food was poisonous, which saved his life. The story spread and from then on, the common people also learned to make chopsticks from bamboo branches.

But how can bamboo test for poison? So the legend is puzzling and unlikely to serve as evidence of invention.

The second legend is that Daji invented the Jade Hairpin Chopsticks

Legend has it that King Zhou of Shang Zhou once had a dish that was too hot for him to eat. Daji was afraid that he would get angry, so she thought to take the jade hairpin on her head, blow a few mouths, and then feed it to King Zhou after it cooled down. King Zhou was so happy with the food that he let Daji do this every day. Daji ordered the craftsmen to make two long jade hairpins to be used to hold the food, which was the prototype of the jade chopsticks. Later, this way to clip the food spread to the people, then there are chopsticks.

The Records of the Grand Historian (《史记》) has a record of "Zhou for the elephant chopsticks and Keizi sigh", which means that King Zhou lived an extravagant life and used chopsticks made of ivory. Han Fei Zi - metaphor for the old" also has such a sentence: "the former Zhou for the elephant chopsticks, and Kei Zi horror." It seems that more than 3,000 years ago, China has produced phenomenal ivory chopsticks.

The third legend, Yu invented twig chopsticks

According to legend, Yu in the management of flooding, had three times the door and not enter. Usually meals can only eat in the field, sometimes do burned beast meat, just rolled when you want to grab and eat to catch the road, but it is really too hot, how can I get down to it? So Dayu had the wisdom to break a branch and use it to hold the meat and rice. This is the earliest form of chopsticks, although the legend comes from wild history, but it seems more reasonable.

What is the significance of chopsticks in folklore?

In the past, chopsticks were often used as a dowry for daughters, meaning "chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks". Between friends, often folded chopsticks to vow to show that the concerted efforts or mutual solidarity, we work together to achieve a cause, or to show that loyalty and so on. Ten pairs of chopsticks also means that the meaning of ten perfect, reunion.

The cultural connotation of chopsticks, with the development of culture, its meaning is increasingly rich.

Nowadays, there are not only chopsticks made of various materials, such as jade chopsticks, crystal chopsticks, stainless steel chopsticks, titanium chopsticks, gold chopsticks, silver chopsticks, and so on; there are also a variety of commemorative chopsticks, such as Chinese zodiac chopsticks, astrological sign chopsticks, anniversary chopsticks, birthday chopsticks, and so on.

The origin of chopsticks2

Legend 1: Yu invented chopsticks

During the era of Shun, flooding greatly affected people's production and life, and Yu was ordered to control the flooding. In order to clear the floods, Yu went through his house three times, fearing that he would be delayed for a minute or two. On one occasion, Yu was cooking meat on an island, and when the meat was cooked, it was too hot to be eaten by hand because it was in boiling water.

Yu was in a hurry because he had a lot of work to do before the flood, and he couldn't afford to waste time waiting for the meat and water to cool down. Suddenly, he had an idea and cut down two branches to clip the meat out and blow two mouthfuls on it.

From then on, in order to save time, Yu always ate with the two sharpened branches, and over time, he became more and more skillful in the use of the two branches. Other people saw Yu eat this way is not hot, but also cooled quickly, and will not get his hands greasy, began to imitate his method, which is the first prototype of chopsticks chopsticks. Although the legend is not true history, but because of the cooked food is hot, chopsticks due to the emergence of transportation, which is in line with the law of development of human life.

"Rituals" Zheng note cloud "to earth coated creatures, cannon and eat". This is the grain wrapped in leaves, paste mud in the fire roasted. Some experts believe that this roasted food method also promotes the formation of chopsticks. When the pioneers to wrap the mud coated grains in the ashes of the fire when baked, in order to make it cooked evenly, and constantly with a branch toggle, our clever ancestors is also in the process of dialing the primitive popcorn to get inspired, over time, the prototype of chopsticks and chopsticks gradually appeared in the hands of the pioneers.

This is, of course, speculation, because there was no writing at the end of the Neolithic period and into the Xia Yu era, when the invention of chopsticks could not be recorded, but these speculations by dietary experts are not without scientific merit.

Legend 2: Daji invented chopsticks

King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty, tyrannical, all day drinking and especially fussy, always said that this dish is too cold, that meat is too hot, many cooks so lost their lives. Although Daji is King Yue's favorite, but King Yue's anger will still be slightly afraid, so, every time in King Yue's dinner before tasting whether the mouth.

Once, Daji felt that the food was a little hot, but King Yue could not delay his meal time, and in a hurry, she took a jade hairpin from her head and blew the food up to cool it before sending it to King Yue's mouth. King Zhou was so pleased that he considered it a pleasure to eat that he asked his craftsmen to make two long jade chopsticks, and Daji fed him every day. Later this way of eating spread to the people and became popular.

In the Historical Records of the Grand Historian (史记-微子世家), there is a record of "Zhou began to have elephant chopsticks", but according to the steel chopsticks found by archaeologists in the 1005th tomb of the Yinshang at Houjiazhuang in Anyang, the age of these chopsticks has been proved to be earlier than that of King Zhou's.

This is the first time that King Zhou has used these chopsticks.

This legend, unlike the first legend, which is full of mythological colors, is closer to life and has some real-world significance, but it is still rich in legend and inconsistent with historical facts. Archaeologists in Anyang Houjiazhuang 1005 Yin Shang tomb excavated `steel chopsticks (chopsticks), the age of the proof of its earlier than the end of King Zhou of the Yin Zhou era, it is clear that the chopsticks are neither King Zhou invented, nor Daji creation, should be an earlier product.

Legend 3: Jiang Ziya invented chopsticks

Jiang Ziya fishing, with a straight hook, and in addition to the straight hook fishing other things do not know, living in poverty, his wife had evil thoughts, want to kill him and then married someone else. How can you catch fish with a straight hook?

One day, Jiang Ziya returned home empty-handed as usual, but his wife was more gentle than before: "You're hungry, right? I made meat for you, eat it while it's hot." Jiang Ziya reached out to grab the meat and couldn't wait, when suddenly a bird flew from the window and pecked him. He screamed out in pain, got up and chased the bird away, then went to get the meat again to eat it when the bird flew over and pecked him again on the back of his hand.

Jiang Ziya thought to himself: "Why does this bird peck me as soon as it sees me with meat? Doesn't it let me eat meat? So he tentatively picked up the meat again, and the bird flew over and pecked him again. Jiang Ziya understood that this is a god bird, so pretended to chase the bird, and the bird ran out with the bird, the bird landed in no one half of the slope of a silk bamboo, actually sang in a human voice: "Jiang Ziya ah Jiang Ziya, eat meat not to grasp with your hands, clip the meat at my feet ~ ~" Jiang Ziya heard, thought about it, picked two silk bamboo home.

Back at home, his wife urged him to eat meat, Jiang Ziya put two silk bamboo in the hand to clip meat, and suddenly saw the silk bamboo hissed up a smoke. Jiang Ziya asked, "How can this meat smoke? Is it poisonous?" Said the side clip up a piece of meat to the wife's mouth, the wife fled out the door in fear. Jiang Ziya knew that this was a sacred bamboo sent by a divine bird, and from then on, he used two silk bamboos for every meal. After this incident spread, the neighbors also began to learn to use silk bamboo to eat, chopsticks are so generations down.

This legend is obviously a product of the worship of Jiang Ziya, and is not consistent with historical records.

Ivory chopsticks already existed in the time of King Zhou of Yin, and Jiang Ziya and King Zhou of Yin were contemporaries. Since King Zhou already used ivory chopsticks, Jiang Ziya's silk bamboo chopsticks were not an invention. But one thing is true, that is, the Shang Dynasty folk to bamboo as chopsticks.

Allusion to the Origin of Chopsticks3

Chopsticks, known as chopsticks in ancient times, were invented in the Shang Dynasty and were used to pick up food and bring it to the mouth. Chopsticks are an indispensable eating tool in the daily life of Chinese people and are a traditional Chinese national treasure.

China is the birthplace of chopsticks

The history of chopsticks in China can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty. The history of chopsticks in China can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, as recorded in the Shiji. King Zhou was the last monarch of the Shang Dynasty, and by this reckoning, China has at least 3,000 years of history of using chopsticks.

During the pre-Qin period, chopsticks were also known as "挟", and during the Qin and Han periods, they were called "箸". Because "箸" and "住" resonate, and "住" has the meaning of stopping, it is not auspicious, so later on, simply change its meaning to "chopsticks", which is the same as "chopsticks", and "chopsticks". and "fast" harmonized with "fast" to get the name today.

The Evolution of Chopsticks

After the birth of chopsticks, the production of chopsticks through the ages has been a painstaking effort to make them simple, easy to use, and aesthetically pleasing.

This first thick foot thin cylindrical eating tool, the earliest is made of wooden sticks, the emergence of bronze chopsticks in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the Han Dynasty is popular wooden chopsticks, very beautiful. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, chopsticks made of gold and silver appeared, and were used until the Ming and Qing dynasties, but of course they could only be circulated in the upper class, how could the people afford to use them.

During the Song and Yuan dynasties, the shape of chopsticks was improved, with the appearance of six-pronged and eight-pronged chopsticks, which were also decorated. The court chopsticks were even more ingenious, and the poems and paintings on the chopsticks were written in a unique way, so they became elegant works of art.