Since the time of ancient china, thousands of years before the birth of Christ, chopsticks were invented by food lovers of china.
It quickly becomes popular for its simplicity and ease of use. It is very easy to make chopsticks so it spreads like wildfire from region to region.
Though chopsticks are simple there are few kinds and their style differs from country to country.
Types of Chopsticks by Material:
- Wood: Wood chopsticks are normally stronger than bamboo chopsticks and one of the most common. The benefit of wood chopsticks is that they are lightweight and don’t transfer heat.
So, your chopsticks’ upper portion will not get hot even if you put in warm water.
They are great at eating rice or noodles. Many different kinds of woods are used to make wooden chopsticks. Some wooden chopsticks have a beautiful fragrance, some have a taste of their own.
You should avoid using colored wooden chopsticks because those colors can be harmful to your health.
- Bamboo: Most affordable and commonly used chopsticks are bamboo chopsticks. They are eco friendly. Some sticky food easily sticks to bamboo chopsticks so they are favored by many.
Chinese traditional Chopsticks are also made from bamboo. Even though they are very lightweight, they are very strong.
Compared to wood, bamboo chopsticks put less stress on the environment. Bamboos grow plenty and they are easy to grow.
- Stainless steel: Stainless steel is rust and corrosion-free. Chopsticks made of stainless steel are long-lasting. It is reusable and durable.
But when you put it in warm food it can get hot and make it uncomfortable to hold. For some these heavy chopsticks are not comfortable.
- Titanium: They are the finest quality chopsticks available. They are super strong and easy to use. Titanium chopsticks can last for decades.
- Bone and expensive metals: Some expensive chopsticks are made out of bones from exotic animals. There are even chopsticks made from solid gold and silver.
Normally wealthy traditional families use these. These chopsticks may be engraved with beautiful designs. But we highly discourage chopsticks made from animal bones from our ethical standpoint.
- Plastic: Is there anything in the world that doesn’t have a plastic version? Plastics are cheap and super long-lasting. Though plastic is harmful to nature, its versatility and price make it the perfect material for almost anything.
Nowadays you can find plastic chopsticks everywhere. Most of the disposable chopsticks are made of chopsticks.
Before you use plastic chopsticks you must keep in mind that there are many types of plastics and all are not the same.
Some plastics are really harmful to health. There are chopsticks in the market that melts when you put it in warm food. You should avoid using plastic chopsticks when possible.
Types of chopsticks by country:
Chinese: Chinese invented chopsticks. Chinese chopsticks are the longest in length. They come in different sizes and Variety. Chinese chopsticks are normally thicker on the end and sharper in the end.
Japanese: Japanese has its own version of chopsticks. Japanese chopsticks are shorter than Chinese and their front is blunt and round shaped.
Normally Japanese chopsticks are very eye-catchy. They have different types of chopsticks for eating, cooking and ceremonial activities.
Korean: Korean chopsticks are mostly made out of metal. Stainless steel is the most popular metal used to make Korean chopsticks.
One distinct feature that sets Korean chopsticks apart from other countries is their rough edges. It is done so that foods don’t slip much.
Can bamboo chopsticks be reused?
Of course, from the very beginning of the history of chopsticks people have been reusing their chopsticks. But you have to keep in mind that these chopsticks need to be clean before and after using.
Some bamboo chopsticks can last for years. Average quality bamboo chopsticks last up to 6 months on rough usages. When you start to see war and learn in your chopstick it is time to change that.
Can I put my chopstick in the dishwasher?
Well, it is kind of hit and miss. Most of the chopsticks available in the market are dishwasher safe and can easily be cleaned with water.
Chopsticks are made with a variety of materials from wood to plastic. In our personal experience, we never found a chopstick that was not dishwasher friendly.
But you should be careful before putting your glass chopstick in the dishwasher. Some low-quality cheap bamboo chopsticks are also not suitable.
Are metal chopsticks safe in the long run?
There are chopsticks made of iron, aluminum, and titanium. There are even chopsticks made of gold and silver.
We can reassure you these metals are safe. You can use metal chopsticks without any worry. Is there any long term effect?
Well enough studies have not been done to confirm if metal chopsticks are harmful in the long run, but based on the information we have, we can say it is safe in the long run.
What chopsticks to avoid?
Nowadays disposable chopsticks are very popular. You should avoid those.
These disposable chopsticks are normally made out of cheap plastic and are very harmful to the environment. You should also avoid chopsticks that are colored.
Burnished chopsticks are a different case but normal colored chopsticks should be avoided.
In our study, we found that in most cases these colors contain toxic substances like lead and arsenic. So colorless chopsticks are the best in our opinion.
