|
Japanese
Chopsticks
Japanese
chopsticks is also called hashi. There are many kinds
of hashi or chopsticks. Those for eating meals are one,
kitchens have another kind for cooking purposes, and
for picking up cakes and sweats there is a different
kind. Wood is the principle material, but ivory, bones,
tusks, bamboo, and various metals are also used. Wood
and bomboo hashi are often painted or even decorated
with designs.
Among chopsticks used faily at meals, those of ivory
are most highly valued, as they turn to a mellow amber
color with use. Each member of the household has his
or her chopsticks always placed in a hashi box.
On
formal occasions, however, plain wood hashi, mostly
of willow or cryptomeria wood are used. Of such, yanagi-bashi
or willow wood hashi is used on such formal occations
as on New Year's Day.
Sugi-bashi
or cryptomeria wood hashi is the most common. A new
type of this kind called waribashi is a new introduction.
It comes as one piece of wood which can be easily pulled
apart to make two pieces, as there is a groove made
along its length. This is sanitary and convenient. Once
used, it is discarded. This kind is now largely used
at restaurants and eating places. It is regarded unlucky
to hand food with chopsticjs to another's chopsticks.
Also it is considered bad to use a pair of sticks made
of different materials. Hashi is another kind of chopsticjs
which is used for picking up charoal in hibachi or fire-box.
|
