Hello guys and welcome back to another post. Today, I'm going to talk about chopsticks. You may be well aware of the fact that Chinese, Japanese and Korean people use chopsticks while eating.
Usually, chopsticks are made of wood however while watching k-dramas I realized that Korean chopsticks were made of metal. I was quite curious as to why Koreans preferred using metal chopsticks. So I went on to do some research and that inspired me to write this post.
The tradition of using metal chopsticks in Korea dates back to the sixth century. Before the sixth century Koreans used regular wooden chopsticks. Kings and queens used chopsticks made of gold, silver, or brass to detect any poisonous substance in their food. The color of the chopsticks would change if the food was poisoned.
Common people, even today, look up to rich people who exert a certain power over society, and they even try to copy them.
And that was exactly the case with Koreans back in the day. However, gold, silver, and brass were pretty expensive metals so the commoners had to settle for steel. And gradually the Koreans transitioned into using metal chopsticks.
Metal chopsticks get hot while eating piping hot food and still the Koreans prefer to use them. The reason behind continuing this Korean tradition is that metal chopsticks are much more durable and hygienic than their wooden counterpart.
Wooden chopsticks are difficult to clean and can break off easily whereas metal chopsticks are easy to clean and hard to break. They are flat in shape so you can rest them on the table without having to worry about them rolling and falling off the table.
First-timers will find metal chopsticks difficult to use because they are smooth and slippery. But, with some practice, they will get the hang of it.
So, that was it for today's post. I hope you got to learn something new about Koreans and their culture.
Until next time - HangugVocab.
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