Tag Archives: Utensil

Have you mastered the art of chopsticks?

• Chopsticks are an invention used to handle food, often to move food from a plate to one’s mouth for the purpose of eating, but also moving or stirring food in cooking, and East Asian countries are the main users of the utensil.
• Chopsticks are usually used in pairs held in a single hand, and they are long and generally a tapered rod shape.
• The Ancient Chinese are believed to have invented chopsticks, most likely between 2000 and 1100 BC, and were thought to have initially used them mainly in cooking, and it was not until around the 5th century AD when people used the utensil for eating purposes.
• Typically chopsticks are created out of wood, plastic, bamboo or stainless steel, although other materials such as gold, brass, jade, ivory, porcelain and silver may be used.
• Chopsticks range from 18 to 40 centimetres (7 to 16 inches) in length, and generally have a flat or pointed end, and the styles and lengths vary depending on the country of origin and their purpose, where the Chinese ones are generally longer and flat on the end, whereas the Japanese ones are usually shorter and have pointed ends.

• To hold chopsticks, the bottom stick is laid between the thumb and index finger and rested on the ring finger and is left immobile, while the second is held between the the thumb, index and middle fingers, and pushed in an up-and-down motion to obtain food.
• ‘Chopsticks’ are also known as ‘zhu’ in Ancient Chinese, though today they are called ‘kuaizi’ in Chinese and ‘hashi’ in Japanese.
• Chopsticks are often disposable, with the highest user being the nation of Japan, with 24 billion disposed of annually in the country, most of which are imported from China.
• China manufactures the greatest amount of disposable chopsticks in the world, with roughly 45 billion produced each year, which equates to around 25 million trees, and as such, they have added a tax on the utensils, to discourage their popular use.
• Due to the repetitive usage requirements of chopsticks, common users of the utensil have a marginally increased likelihood of developing osteoarthritis in the hand.

Bibliography:
Butler S, A Brief History of Chopsticks, 2013, History.com, http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/a-brief-history-of-chopsticks

Chopsticks, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopsticks

Chopsticks, n.d, Asian ArtMall, http://www.asianartmall.com/chopstickshistory.htm

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Have a plate for your bread and a plate for your roast.

• Plates are an invention used to serve food in both a household and a commercial setting, both to increase presentation but also for practical purposes.
• Plates are generally quite flat with a slight bowl or dip spreading from the centre, which is where food is generally served.
• The three main sections that make up a plate are the rim, which is the outermost edge; the base, the underneath surface where the dishware rests; and the well, where the food is placed.
• A variety of materials can be used to make plates including ceramics, metal, glass, cardboard, wood and plastic, while cardboard is generally used for those that are used once only and disposed of, and some plastic ones are also made with this purpose in mind.
• Plates come in a wide variety of sizes, generally ranging from 10 to 36 centimetres (4 to 14 inches) in diameter, and the most common are usually between 25.5 to 30.5 centimetres (10 to 12 inches); and the size generally determines its use.

• Early plates were likely natural items such as large shells or big leaves, and old bread was also utilised, while wood, pewter, silver and clay items were later employed for this purpose, however they were designed for communal use, rather than as individual pieces.
• Stereotypically, plates are of a round shape, although some cultures prefer a rectangular or ellipse shape, and square ones are not uncommon.
• The Chinese created plates from porcelain through the ceramic process in the 7th century, and these were made available to Europeans from the 1300s, although it was not until the 1700s that Europeans started making the products themselves.
• Some people collect plates as a hobby, although they are usually used to hold a wide variety of food, including main meals, entrees, buffets and bread; while a small one designed to hold a cup is known as a ‘saucer’.
• In European countries, porcelain plates were originally reserved for those of wealthy status due to their expense and limited availability due to the product being made in China, however, they became affordable and readily available in the 1800s due to more efficient manufacturing processes.

Bibliography:
Carrol M, The History of Dinner Plates, 2015, eHow, http://www.ehow.com/facts_7728332_history-dinner-plates.html

The History Behind Your Plate, 2014, HubPages, http://nanlt.hubpages.com/hub/history-of-the-plate

Plate (dishware), 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_(dishware)

What do stamps, shells and salt and pepper shakers have in common? They are all collectables.

• Salt and pepper shakers are small containers that hold powdered food seasonings, typically in Western countries.
• Salt and pepper shakers typically contain ground pepper and salt, and are generally tipped upside down over a meal and gently shaken to release some of their contents.
• ‘Salt and pepper shakers’ are also known as ‘salt and pepper pots’.
• Salt and pepper shakers are made in many different materials, such as ceramics, plastic, glass, metal or timber.
• It is believed that a salt shaker was first invented in 1858, by John Mason, a tinsmith from America, but it wasn’t until the 1920’s that sets of salt and pepper shakers were commonly manufactured, and later they became even more popular due to cost effectiveness of ceramic production.

Photo courtesy of Val Laird

• Salt and pepper shakers are commonly a set of two, sporting many different colours, shapes and sizes.
• Salt and pepper shakers may include a grinding function to grind peppercorns and large salt crystals.
• Salt and pepper shakers grew in popularity in the 1920s due to the addition of magnesium carbonate to the salt to prevent lumps and clumping caused by moisture, which was added by the Morton Salt company in Chicago, in the United States, making it easy to pour.
• Salt and pepper shakers are popularly collected due to their unique shapes and historical significance and large collections exist, some of which have as many as 40,000 sets.
• Salt and pepper shakers generally have small holes to restrict the amount of seasoning released, with salt shakers typically having the least number of holes.

Bibliography:
Bulls D, Collectable Kitchenware: Salt & Pepper Shakers, 2013, Kings River Lite Magazine, http://kingsriverlife.com/03/23/collectible-kitchenware-salt-pepper-shakers/

History of Shakers, n.d, Kim’s Salt and Pepper Shaker page, http://kimmykay.tripod.com/snppage/id1.html

Salt and Pepper Shakers, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_and_pepper_shakers

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