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Silly question - Why are Chop sticks called Chop sticks?

Discussion in 'Food & Cooking' started by dc sunshine, Feb 20, 2010.

  1. Feb 20, 2010 #1
    dc sunshine

    dc sunshine

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    Was just looking at all the dishes in the sink.....chop sticks are everywhere.

    But why are they named so?

    Any thoughts/ knowledge on this?

    I know - silly, irrelevant question, but...why?  Now it is really bugging me :D
     
  2. Feb 20, 2010 #2
    phatch

    phatch Moderator Staff Member

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    What I've read is that it has to do with the phrase 'chop chop' meaning fast. Most of the terms for chopsticks in China have to do with speed.  The sticks part should be intuitively obvious.

    I bought some vietnamese stainless steel chopsticks so they can go straight to the dishwasher. Not as stylish as some other choices, but I like the dishwasher aspect a lot.
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2010
  3. Feb 20, 2010 #3
    coulis-o

    coulis-o

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  4. Feb 20, 2010 #4
    dc sunshine

    dc sunshine

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    Well I did have a "D'uh" moment there didn't I? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif
    "Chop Chop" = hurry up.  And Oriental cooking is fast.  Phil, how do those stainless steel ones go holding the food - I would imagine they'd be slippery, as compared to bamboo or wooden ones?  My wooden ones go (or eventuallly will!) go in the dishwasher - they seem to survive it.

    Coulis-o:  Thank you very much for the link.  It's a fascinating read, especially with the various etiquettes for their uses.  Now I know why most incense burners in shops are horizontal, and not vertical, for home use.

    I picked up a wooden box of chop stick rests (about 50 odd for $5 and I couldn't resist) from a thrift shop, some are shaped like bamboo, some like dragons. Too many for a family of 4 to use, so I decorate the table with them when we have such a meal, say, around the edge of a large bamboo placemat which I use to put the various bowls of food on.  It's a bit twee, but I do it for fun and it looks well. 
     
  5. Feb 22, 2010 #5
    coulis-o

    coulis-o

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    wikipedia is a great resource of information about anything, i often search wikipedia about recipes /img/vbsmilies/smilies/thumb.gif


    i have some metal chop sticks in my tool-briefcase for work, can i hell as like use chopsticks but they have other interesting uses also, such as: i was reading a book about food garnishes, one idea was to peel a root vegetable, top n tail it, chop it into 2 inch sections then put it on a chopping board with the round flat surface against it and put chop sticks parallel top and bottom to it, make 1/2 cm parallel incisions, turn 90 degrees and do the same again as if to make dice-shaped cuts. then put the root vegetable in iced water for it to curl outwards, and the result was like making a carrot flower garnish /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
     
  6. Feb 22, 2010 #6
    dc sunshine

    dc sunshine

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    Hey that's pretty sweet.  I do Hasselback potatoes - peel, sit on a curved wooden spoon, just slice down to the edge of the spoon.  Oil, spice as you like and roast - very nice.  I've also heard you can use a bamboo skewer thru the lower part of the potato and then chop.  For me it just doesn't work easily.  Could rest the potato between 2 chopsticks on the board and do the same.

    I use chopsticks for testing if chicken is done by poking it with the stick, any blood, keep cooking. With practice, they work really well as tongs.
     
  7. Feb 24, 2010 #7
    coulis-o

    coulis-o

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    i made hasselback potatoes for the first time a few weeks ago, the metal skewer i put through the bottom of potato works perfectly when it is in straight, using chopstick on potato too is just as good