CHOPSTICKS

(from Chinese kuai-tzu, "quick ones," by way of Pidgin chop, "quick"), eating utensils, consisting of a pair of slender sticks held between the thumb and fingers of one hand, that predominate in much of East Asia and are used in conjunction with East Asian-style cuisine worldwide. Chopsticks of bamboo or wood, and subsequently of ivory and precious metals, originated in China as early as the Shang dynasty (c. 1766-c. 1122 BC) and from there spread throughout East Asia. In China, the substitution of chopsticks for knives at the table reflected the ascendancy of the scholar over the warrior as a cultural hero. Modern mass-produced chopsticks are commonly made of unadorned wood, bamboo, or plastic, although exquisite lacquerwork, inlay, and engraving are still used in the decoration of finer examples. As a general rule, the chopsticks of China are longer and more blunt than those of Japan, which are usually tapered.