Why did the Chinese invent chopsticks? Why didn't they invent forks or spoons?

Question

Surely a fork is better than two sticks to eat a meal with?

Answer 1

Here's the history of chopsticks: http://www.asianartmall.com/chopstickshistory.htm
Here's the history of forks:
http://www.xent.com/august97/0374.html
Guess which one came first. Happy Learning!

Answer 2

Don't know unless maybe bamboo for chopsticks was readily available at the time; besides, family style eating would involve each person having his own bowl of rice and other items to be shared in the center of the table.

It's easier to make the reach to retrieve food placed toward the center of the table with chopsticks than with a fork.

I'm ABC (aka American Born Chinese) and always end up having to ask for a fork at restaurants because my hands will tire before I can finish a meal whenever I use chopsticks. I see Americans at other tables using chopsticks proficiently throughout the meal though.

Answer 3

Knives and forks are a western european thing, most of asia eat with the hand, and the orientals with chopsticks. The food should be cooked to a point of tenderness that it can be cut with a spoon if need be. There is a saying that only a barbarian brings a knife to the dinner table.

Answer 4

i think it's because they already had an abundant source of bamboo or wood to make chopsticks with but limited amounts of metal or whatever is used to make forks and spoons. also, in chinese tradition, families eat together with individual rice bowls with plates of food in the middle. in order to get the food, they would need to pick it up with chopsticks. if they were to have invented and used forks or knives, they find it offensive because it looks like you're stabbing at it. also, they're already accustomed to holding a utensil in such a manner because that is similar to how they hold a brush to write calligraphy.

Answer 5

food was cut up before you ate it, because sandwiches weren't big when in China a long time ago. you could pick it up with chopsticks. if you were having a soup, you would slurp it out of the bowl itself, thus eliminating the use of a spoon all together.

A fork and a spoon is just two fancy shaped metal sticks... whats worse is that you need two hands to use them.

Answer 6

does this even matter?

its easier to make (i bet) about 10 thousand years ago to make 2 sticks and use them
anyway you know a fork when you eat spagetti you twist it round the fork ... using the fork like a stick (dont tell me in the olden days they didn't eat spag - noodles) when you stab thins to pick them up your using your fork like a stick

goign back to the why do we care aspect...
when the chinese people invented chopsticks european people had fingers

Answer 7

What could possibly be more accessable than a stick. When you think about it, it is a most convenient utensil. Very versatile, you can use it to jab stuff out of the bottom of a jar, poke stuff to the bottom of the bottle, or twirl it around two tightly clamped sticks as you would with spaghetti, you won't be without a utensil if you use chopsticks.

Answer 8

i believ chop sticks came about from the wide source of bamboo sticks they have in china. Also the food is usually of a chunky size and when u eat sui mi's u dont want to damage the food prior to eating it like u would with a fork.

Answer 9

think about it. without modern tech or even medieval tech. which one of the two is easier to make? get a piece of wood, and whittle it down making sure you get all the prongs right without breaking them (Very time consuming) OR grab two similar sized sticks and use those? used properly you can scoop and spear any food with chopsticks just as easily as you can with a fork.

Answer 10

Chinese have shared dishes in the middle of the table. It is more hygenic, safe, and convienient. And it's culture. What if all heritages were the same?!
And chinese are advanced in other things. Forget fireworks without them!
Plus, the chinese use spoons.

Answer 11

I think it is a great idea. You physically can't put too much in your mouth at one time. Americans can shovel food in much faster with a fork so that's probably why we're obese and most Chinese are not :)