February 6

is

National Chopsticks Day

Five things you should know about

Chopsticks

  1. In old Chinese chopsticks are called kuaizi roughly meaning “quick little bamboo fellows”
  2. Over a quarter of the world’s population uses chopsticks as their primary utensil for eating.
  3. The first chopsticks were probably used for cooking, stirring the fire, serving or grabbing bits of food, and not as eating utensils.
  4. Chopsticks shapes and lengths very from region to region. Generally Chinese versions are tapered with blunt ends while Japanese are shorted and more pointed.
  5. Who HASN’T played chopsticks on the piano? It’s original name is” The Celebrated Chop Waltz.” Composed by Arthor de Lulli(pseudonym of Euphemia Allen.) in 1877. In Russia it is known as the “Cuplet Polka”

On This Day in Food History…

1617 RIP Prospero Alpini, An Italian physician and botanist; said to have introduced coffee and bananas to Europe.

1685 RIP Charles II, king of England, Tea was introduced to England during his reign. On December 23, 1675, he issued a proclamation suppressing Coffee Houses.

1865 A horse meat banquet is held at the Grand Hotel in Paris. Horse meat was considered a common man’s food of the time.

1985 Perrier introduced Perrier with ‘a twist of lemon’ – its first new product in 125 years.