What is the Japanese chopsticks called? How to eat with chopsticks? Names of chopsticks for sushi, rules of use and etiquette. Types of Japanese chopsticks and etiquette

Hasi(jap.) - a traditional cutlery that the Japanese, as well as the inhabitants of Vietnam, Korea and China, use instead of the forks and spoons we are used to. The traditional material for hashi is wood, but bone, metal and - in our time - plastic are also used.

According to archaeological excavations, the first chopsticks appeared in China about 3 thousand years ago, during the Shang era. In China, khasi are called kuaizi and according to legend, the legendary Emperor Yu invented them when he wanted to get hot meat from a cauldron. Such sticks were about 37-38 cm long and were later used as kitchen utensils, while sticks intended directly for eating were shortened to 25 cm.

Kuyazi came to Japan in the 12th century, they were made of bamboo and eventually turned into works of art - they were decorated, varnished and even inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Such sticks are not ashamed to be presented as a gift! What, in general, the ancient Japanese (and modern ones too) did, in particular, newlyweds often give hashi, wanting to be just as inseparable. It also happens that hashi is given an individual pair to each family member, making family gift sets.

As a material, the already mentioned bamboo, cypress, maple and plum are especially often used, and in cross section, hashi can be either round or square.

Sticks for the Japanese are not just a household item, many signs and legends are associated with them. For example, it is said that one of the inventors of hashi was Rikyo, the founder of the tea ceremony. Once he went to the forest for branches and brushwood, and cleared a couple of branches because he wanted to enjoy the smell of fresh wood. You should also be aware that sticks are a personal item and it is not customary to give them to someone to “use” - there are disposable hashi for this.

Children are taught to handle chopsticks from an early age. hashi train the small muscles of the hands, developing mental abilities. The First Sticks holiday is associated with this moment: when the baby turns one hundred days old, he is given the first time to try rice from his personal hashi. Of course, the kids are still small to eat on their own further: little Japanese begin to eat with chopsticks soon after the first year and, according to scientists, are ahead in development of those of their peers who could not part with a spoon.

There is a special stand for chopsticks - hasioki, on which it is customary to put sticks with thin ends so that they look to the left. If there is no hasioka on the table, the chopsticks can be placed directly on the table or leaned against the cup with thin ends. Putting chopsticks across the cup should not be - this is one of the differences between Japanese table etiquette and Chinese, where such a gesture means that the eater is full and no longer wants more. More detailed rules for using hashi can be found in the article "".

In restaurants, as a rule, hashi (disposable, of course) are served in a special case - hashibukuro, which, with proper decoration, can also become a real work of art - to match the sticks themselves. Very often, disposable sticks should be broken before use, because they are not completely cut. A funny superstition is also associated with this ritual: if the sticks break “uncleanly”, i.e. one, say, did not break off in the middle (where it should), but “give” the common top to the second stick, then not the most pleasant events await the owner. Also, after separating the sticks, they should be rolled against each other so as not to get a splinter.

Hasi is also used in recruiting tests, such as chip and LCD manufacturers forcing potential employees to collect scattered beads with chopsticks. Hashi is also used in martial arts: if properly thrown, such a stick can easily pierce solid objects.

Summing up, I would like to note the following point: plastic is a much cheaper material, but most of the inhabitants of the East continue to stubbornly eat with wooden sticks, motivating this with their personal negative feelings when using plastic sticks. In my opinion, such irresponsibility should be punished, because. in China alone, 45 billion pairs of disposable wooden hashi are thrown away every year, which is about 25 million destroyed trees per year! Attempts to make up for such losses, of course, are being made, but the tree still needs to grow...

In Japan, according to data for October 2006, 25 billion sticks “leave” a year. True, the Japanese adopted a law on the conservation of living plantings and wood for hashi is obtained from Russia and the same China.

In my opinion, it's time to switch to more economical options, at worst - learn to eat with a spoon and fork! Of course, the descendants of the samurai may not go to such “experiments”, but why then at least not use exclusively plastic sticks?


I love Japanese dishes, but I don’t indulge myself often on purpose, so that the charm of small culinary masterpieces of Asian cuisine does not become boring.
What do you need to visit a Japanese restaurant? Money, mood and the ability to hold sticks.

I think of the three points, the question can only arise about how to hold chopsticks for sushi and rolls.

But first

A bit of history...

Food sticks(hashi/hashi)- a pair of small sticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia. The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

In Thailand, with the introduction of European cutlery by King Rama V in the 19th century, only noodles or soups are eaten with chopsticks.

Hashi came to Japan from China in the 12th century and were made from bamboo.
The current separate form of sticks appeared in Japan during the Asuka period (593 - 710). By this time, their use had not yet become widespread. It was believed that immortal gods and emperors eat with chopsticks. According to Chinese chronicles, at that time only the imperial court and the Japanese aristocracy enjoyed hashi while commoners still ate with their hands. It was not until the Nara period that the common people also began to eat with chopsticks.

Since then, sticks for the Japanese have been not only an everyday personal item (it is not customary to lend them to others), but also a sacred symbol (the Japanese respectfully call them o-hashi). According to legend, they bring good luck and long life to the owner, and therefore it is not surprising that khasi are considered a good holiday gift.
For example, hashi is presented to newlyweds, implying a wish to be as inseparable as a pair of sticks.
They are given to a baby on the 100th day since his birth, when during the First Chopsticks ceremony adults give him the first time to taste rice with chopsticks.
They also make gift sets for the whole family.

There are many types of hashi sticks: for ordinary food, for culinary purposes, for cakes and desserts. In addition, there are hashi for the New Year, the tea ceremony, for sweets.

Modern hashi are made of bone, wood (from bamboo, pine, cypress, plum, maple, black or purple sandalwood), and silver, iron and aluminum can also serve as a material for them. Recently, plastic has been widely used. Occasionally there are sticks made of such exotic materials as ivory or antler, but this is rather an exception.
Metal chopsticks are mainly used for cooking and not as cutlery.

In Japan, one of the advantages of chopsticks over European cutlery is that "you do not have to scratch your teeth with pieces of iron." Therefore, even in public catering establishments, practical and durable metal sticks are not served. Replace them with disposable sticks. varibashi, which are made from a single, relatively roughly processed piece of wood, sawn along a little not completely - a sign that no one used the chopsticks, so they need to be broken before use.
By the way, now most restaurants serve varibashi sticks made of plastic. They are designed for single use and are served with the dish in a sterile sealed paper envelope ( hashi bukuro), which often turns out to be a real decoration and collectible. It can be painted with whimsical designs, or it can contain the logo of the restaurant. This is significantly more hygienic than using reusable European cutlery.

There are many variations in the shapes and sizes of reusable sticks ( nuribashi), which sometimes represent a real work of art: they are painted, varnished, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and decorated with various patterns. , round or square with a conical or pyramidal point. The appearance of the sticks is quite diverse: their cross section is round, oval, square, with rounded corners. They are pyramidal in shape, with thick or thin ends, flat ...

Usually hashi is placed across in front of the device, horizontally. But, as a rule, there are special coasters for chopsticks in Japan - hasioki. This name is formed by adding the verbal noun oki from the verb oku - to put, to leave.

Put the sticks on the hasioki with thin ends, so that they look to the left.
If there is no hasioka on the table - hashi can be placed next to the edge of the plate or on the table.
Hasioki appeared in ancient times, when during ritual sacrifices, sticks intended for the gods were laid out on special stands so as not to defile them.
Hashioki are made from ceramic, wood, and bamboo and are often of artistic value. Japanese chopstick stands are collectible in the West.

Choice of sticks

Use the sticks that suit you best. Just like every person needs their own clothing size, size and shape hashi It is also better to choose individually.


Previously, the length of chopsticks was calculated based on the average height and palm size of men and women of the Edo period (1603 - 1867). Now people have become somewhat larger than then, and, accordingly, the standard sizes have changed. hashi.
How to choose sticks of your size? Their usual length is one and a half times longer than chitoate - the length of the imaginary hypotenuse formed when you put your thumb and forefinger at a right angle. The same value is used when determining where to take the sticks with your hand: for this, the distance of the chitoate is counted from the thin ends.

Instructions for use

Currently, chopsticks are used by about a third of the world's population: residents of China, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, where glutinous rice is traditionally the main food. Chopsticks are quite difficult to master, but for those who have learned to master them perfectly, they are a convenient and versatile cutlery.
The peculiarities of working with chopsticks determined the way of preparing Japanese dishes, which are served mainly in the form of small separate pieces that are enough to pick up and put in your mouth.

Think of chopsticks as a pair of tongs with two different parts. One stick is held still, and the second moves.

Use sticks like this:

So..

1. First take one stick (one third from the top end) between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. Hold the wand between your thumb and ring finger so that your index, middle, and thumb form a ring. If the stick has one end thick and the other thin, hold it so that the bulge is at the top.
2. Take the second stick, placing it parallel to the first, at a distance of 15 mm. Hold it the way you would normally hold a pencil :o) When the middle finger straightens, the sticks move apart.

3. Bring the chopsticks together by bending your index finger and pinch the food with the tips.

In addition, if the piece is too large, you can separate it with chopsticks, but only very carefully.

And the main rule - do not strain your hand and fingers. Try to wield the chopsticks freely - one stick should be motionless, and the other should move freely.

In practice, it looks something like this: o)

Chinese / Japanese chopsticks for beginners and children


And for clarity, you can watch these videos


Of course, until you try to hold the chopsticks in your hands once, no instruction will teach you this. So practice eating with hashi sticks first at home. And if there are no sticks, pick up pencils and go ahead, learn oriental culture.

Etiquette

Sticks have become an integral part of Japanese culture and history, their use is surrounded by a lot of conventions and ceremonies. Countless rules and good manners at the table in Japan are grouped around chopsticks.

Chopsticks are only used to take food and put it in your mouth or on your plate. Any other manipulation with chopsticks may be considered inconsistent with etiquette. Etiquette related to chopsticks in different countries has its own characteristics. The general part of the rules as a whole looks like this:

Don't bang your chopsticks on the table, plate, or other objects to call the waiter

Do not draw with chopsticks on the table, do not wander aimlessly around food with chopsticks. Choose a bite before reaching for your chopsticks (this taboo behavior is called "mayobashi")

Take food always from above, don't pick your chopsticks in the bowl in search of the best piece. If you touch food, eat. ("saguribashi")

When taking food with chopsticks, the palms should always be pointing down. Turning the hand over with the wrist and palm up is considered uncivilized.

Do not prick food on chopsticks ("sashibashi")

Don't shake the chopsticks to cool the piece

Don't put your face in the bowl or bring it too close to your mouth to use your chopsticks to stuff food into your mouth

Don't tamp down food brought to your mouth with chopsticks.

- Try not to drip sauce from chopsticks or food.

Don't lick your sticks. Don't just keep chopsticks in your mouth

When not using chopsticks, place them with the sharp ends to the left

Never pass food with chopsticks to another person. ("futaribashi") into a plate or into other people's sticks. This gesture is used by close relatives to transfer the bones of the deceased after cremation into an urn, and is taboo in all other cases.
And in Chinese etiquette, unlike the Japanese tradition, it is quite allowed to pass food with chopsticks to close people (children, parents, relatives), if it is difficult or inconvenient for them to take food themselves. In relation to elders, it is considered a sign of respect to give them food first, even before the start of the meal (which corresponds to the Confucian tradition of respect for elders).

Never point with sticks or wave them in the air

Do not pull the plate towards you with chopsticks. Always take it in hand. ("yosebashi")

Before you ask for more rice, put your chopsticks on the table.

Do not hold two sticks in your fist: the Japanese perceive this gesture as threatening

Never stick your chopsticks straight into the rice. So put on the altar (including home) during the memorial service. If you stick chopsticks like this while eating, then the Japanese grow gloomy - according to legend, this means that someone will die soon ... ("tatebashi")

Do not place chopsticks across the cup. After you have finished eating, place your chopsticks on the stand.
Well, in a Chinese restaurant, on the contrary, after finishing the meal, the chopsticks should be placed across the bowl, with the ends to the left - this is a sign that the meal is completed and no supplement is required.

- enjoy hashi it’s not easy to get used to, therefore, in order to avoid inconvenience, do not hesitate to ask the waiter to show you how to use chopsticks correctly, and if it’s really hard, bring more familiar appliances - a fork or spoon.

But remember that that you can’t eat sushi with a knife, by doing this you show the owner that the cooked dish is tough, and it’s impossible to do without a knife.

Or in a restaurant, you can simply ask for training sticks. Such sticks are connected, and between them something like a spring. So it's more like tongs than sticks. But they are very comfortable to use.

The knife and fork is only used for Western food. Spoons are sometimes used for Japanese dishes that are difficult to eat with chopsticks, such as Japanese-style curry rice. For soups, a Chinese-style ceramic spoon is used.

Interesting Facts:

It is believed that chopsticks train small muscles that develop mental abilities, so in Japan they teach how to handle hashi from an early age. Raising in children the desire to master chopsticks, Japanese scientists consider an important and relevant task for their country. Confirmation of the effectiveness of "exercises" with chopsticks is the statement of researchers that children who began to eat with the help of hashi immediately after they were one year old are ahead of their peers who could not part with spoons in development.

Many Asian microchip manufacturers, when hiring staff at the factory, conduct a movement coordination test: you need to quickly collect small beads with chopsticks.

By the way, in Japan, dishes (bowls for rice, soup, plates for other food) and serving items are divided into “male” and “female”. Sticks are no exception.

In China chopsticks are called kuaizi. Kuaizi are square at the base so that they do not roll on the table. Their length is about 25 cm, and kitchen ones, usually bamboo ones, are one and a half times longer.

In Korea, they eat with thin metal chopsticks. This is a unique custom of its kind - in none of the countries of the Far East where chopsticks are used, they are made of metal (although cooking chopsticks can be made of metal). Korean chopsticks used to be made of brass, but now they are mostly made of stainless steel.

I hope that now you can easily use hashi - chopsticks: o)


Based on materials from ru.wikipedia.org, izum.darievna.ru

People don't usually think that there are differences in chopsticks depending on which restaurant they are in. But there's actually a good reason why your chopsticks are made from different materials and different lengths, depending on whether you're in a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean restaurant.

Chinese sticks are extensions of the fingers. They are longer and thicker than Japanese and Korean ones and are made of wood. Extra length in Chinese chopsticks because food is usually served on a revolving platform called "Lazy Susan" in the middle of the table, thus the chopsticks are longer to take food better.

Japanese chopsticks are all of different lengths, for various purposes, from cooking to eating specific dishes, but they are usually eaten short and made of wood or plastic, because the custom in Japan is to hold the bowl close to your mouth when you eat, so the chopsticks don't should be long. In addition, sticky rice is easier to grab with chopsticks made of wood!

Korean chopsticks are unique because they are made of metal and this can be a problem if you have never tried them before. It is believed that historically the wands were made of pure silver so that the royalty would not be poisoned. The metal should change color if there was any poison in the royal food.

Metal chopsticks are still used today because they give people the feeling that they are eating like royalty, but these days they are made of stainless steel rather than silver. The metal makes the chopsticks more hygienic and easier to clean.

    Instead of the usual cutlery - forks and spoons, the Japanese use chopsticks. They are made of wood, metal, bone, and now plastic. This is - HASI. These sticks are considered personal items, they belong only to the person. The Japanese don't eat alien hashi.

    We call these cutlery like this - Japanese chopsticks, chopsticks for sushi and so on ... But in fact there is another name, and it would be more literate to call it like this - HASI. That's what the Japanese say.

    I still don’t understand how the Japanese eat with chopsticks, because it’s so inconvenient. But they are very skillful with them. I tried once - it didn't work. Without traditional cutlery, I would have remained hungry. Japanese chopsticks are called HASI.

    They are called HASI. They are also called hasioki. They are placed next to the plate or on the edge.

    For their manufacture, wood is usually used, but bone, metal or plastic can also be used.

    In Japan, hashi is considered one of the best gifts. They, for example, are given to babies on their hundredth day of life.

    Europeans habitually use a spoon, fork and knife during a meal, but the Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans traditionally use poison sticks. The Japanese call them - HASI. In Japan, children are taught to eat with chopsticks from an early age, as it is believed that chopsticks train fine motor skills and this has a positive effect on mental development.

    In Japan, it is customary to eat food not with the help of forks or spoons, but with the help of chopsticks - they are called - this can be said to be a national device for eating. But with them, to be honest, you can comfortably eat only large portions of food - sushi, pies and more.

    Japan prefers to use their cutlery. It must be said that not every European for the first and even the second time will be able to eat with pleasure with the help of chopsticks - this is not quite usual for us.

    HASI, this is the name of these sticks-devices.

    make them

    Do they use them

    You can also notice that in Japan the best gift for a baby on his 100th birthday is HASI. Newlyweds are also given so that they are always only inseparable.

    The correct answer to this question would be HASI. This is what chopsticks are called in Japan for food. The Japanese eat with chopsticks. I must say that chopsticks are very convenient to eat. We can verify this if we eat sushi or rolls. It is very comfortable

    Chopsticks in Japan are called HASI. Word HASI just consists of the 4 letters needed for the crossword puzzle. They came to Japan from China. Initially, these were sticks from a single bamboo stalk, it was simply split in two and thus received a kind of tweezers to capture food. Initially, only aristocrats could eat with chopsticks, the common people completely managed to eat with their own hands, but gradually the chopsticks began to be used by all Japanese classes and became separate, such as we see them now. So I think that HASI is the correct answer.

    Such special chopsticks are widespread in Asia. Each country has a special name for them. For example, in China they are called pinyin, but in Japan HASI, four letter word.

Sushi sticks have become popular in Western civilization along with the growing sympathy for Japanese cuisine. Previously, these cutlery looked a little different from what we are used to. Now chopsticks are produced in a huge range of options, when looking at which the question arises: "What are sushi chopsticks called in Japan?" After all, they are really made out in various colors, painted, varnished and even decorated with precious stones.

Slow eating in Japan

Sushi sticks - the name for this device, which is not native, but obtained in Slavic countries. In the XII century, sticks came to the Land of the Rising Sun from China. For their manufacture, bamboo was used, the trunk of which had to be divided into 2 parts, and then folded across. The resulting tongs were eaten.

Since eating is a beautiful and unhurried ritual in Japan, this procedure requires preliminary preparation. All dishes served must be prepared in such a way as to avoid additional manipulation at the table. Peeling or cutting anything while eating is not customary in Japan.

This happens regardless of the name of the sushi sticks. The fish fillet is processed before cooking in such a way that no bones remain in it. And if there are any solid components in the product, then they must be beaten off.

Chopsticks need to be able to use beautifully

The use of chopsticks is taught correctly to very young children, who are given the ceremony of their first traditional meal. To do this, on the 100th day of birth, babies are given their own sticks, with which they are fed rice for the first time.

In Japan, sushi sticks (the name is "hashi") act not only as a cutlery. They are a kind of talisman designed to bring good luck in business and lengthen life. This cutlery is endowed with some mystical meaning, protects its owner. Also, the ability to use sticks contributes to the development of fine motor skills, which improves mental abilities.

individual item

Every lover of Japanese cuisine, of course, is interested in the name of sushi sticks in their homeland. It is all the more remarkable that in Japan, many household items are divided depending on the gender of the consumer. Men do not use women's items, and the fair sex - men's.

The chopsticks of each Japanese are a purely individual item that is never passed on to anyone else. Even members of the same family do not take them from each other. Hasi is always presented to the newlyweds, investing in the gift the meaning of the inseparability of the couple.

Sticks are mainly used in Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam. In Thailand, cutlery from Europe was introduced in the 19th century, and chopsticks were used only for soups and noodles.

What are sticks

Khashi belong to only one owner and are an essential attribute of Japanese cuisine. They are named in the same way as the corresponding hieroglyph that resembles them in appearance. Sushi sticks (the name is “hashi”) visually resemble a bamboo trunk split into two parts. Silver instruments were used in China's imperial palace to determine if food was contaminated with poisons. Sushi sticks, named after the Japanese, are now made from wood, metal, and ivory. Their cross section can be square or round, and the tip can be pyramidal or conical.

Sushi sticks, called "waribashi", are considered disposable items. The material for them is wood or plastic. They are brought to customers in restaurants and sushi bars. And if the sticks are interconnected, this indicates the novelty of the product and the high class of the establishment.

Waribashi should be broken before eating. In addition, they are usually served in a case with the image of some beautiful pattern or logo of the establishment in which sushi chopsticks are served. The name of the case is "hashiburuko". It is sometimes expensively and exquisitely decorated due to which it can become a collector's item.

We have a sushi bar located on almost every street, and not being able to use chopsticks becomes even indecent. But in fact, only a Japanese chef can cook real sushi. Now, to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Japan, you can go to a good restaurant. In principle, it is believed that you can feel the flavor of this amazing cuisine only in its homeland. Despite this, an increasing number of restaurants offering relevant dishes are opening.