[KS] Re: A chopsticks question

[Lucas Husgen]

I remember to have read somewhere that chopsticks originally were twice as
large up till the 1960's, but then their size was reduced in favor of the
shipping industry. Oil tankers therefore could be regarded as failed
chopsticks;-) Is this correct?


Lucas Husgen



----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Rector / Yu" <gary at korealore.com>
To: <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 3:58 AM
Subject: Re: [KS] Re: A chopsticks question


> Disposable wooden chopsticks were a late introduction.
> When I first came to Korea in the late '60s virtually all
> the restaurants I went to used metal chopsticks. In any case,
> antique tableware (from the Joseon Dynasty) consists of
> metal chopsticks, metal spoons, and metal rice bowls and
> soup bowls.
>
> Gary Rector
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Max Christian" <max at max.tc>
> To: <Koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 3:25 AM
> Subject: [KS] Re: A chopsticks question
>
>
> >
> > Well, here's the story I've been told on this subject (by a Korean):
> >
> > Until the Olympics in the 1980's, Koreans used metal chopsticks at
> > home but wooden (disposable) chopsticks in restaurants.  The latter
> > was made illegal for environmental reasons and the law was strictly
> > enforced for some time, although it has now been relaxed.
> >
> > So it sounds like metal chopsticks are an instance of the
> > Korean improve-everything attitude (cheaper, more environmentally
> > friendly) rather than a longstanding cultural thing.
> >
> > M
> >
> >
> >
> >
>