Ode to a Chopstick(s)

Recently, I have been thinking about the influence that Chinese food has had on my life.  From humble beginnings, going with family on Sunday evenings to Chinatown, to my go-to lunch on Football Sundays between games, and now to reviewing Chinese restaurants with four of my best friends.  I have been contemplating what chopsticks have meant to me along my journey.

Aside from contemplating the sound of one chopstick working solo (not so efficient, and as far as I can tell, no sound is made), to the beautiful sight of two chopsticks working together in perfect harmony, I considered each scenario.  Leading me to write two odes.

Ode to a Chopstick

Oh, humble stick of wood, so plain and thin,
A perfect pair, where does your power begin?
Not with a blade or a bowl’s wide girth,
But in the gentle grasp, you prove your worth.

In skilled hands, you dance a nimble ballet,
Lifting a grain of rice, a single pea.
You separate the noodles, twist and turn,
A lesson in patience, we quickly learn.

From steaming dumplings to a sushi roll,
You are the bridge that makes the diner whole.
No clatter of metal, no scraping sound,
Just quiet grace on hallowed ground.

So here’s to you, a simple, clever tool,
You make us mindful, break all of the rules.
For in your stillness, and your simple grace,
You bring the world’s best flavors to this place.

Ode to Chopsticks

Oh, simple pair, of wood or bamboo spun,
Your graceful work, from start of meal to done.
No heavy fork, no clatter of a spoon,
You bring the quiet magic of the moon.

You pluck a single grain of pearly rice,
With subtle skill, you make a slice precise.
You gather noodles in a tangled knot,
And lift the treasure from a steaming pot.

A bridge you are, to dumplings soft and round,
A gentle tool where manners can be found.
In skillful hands, you dance with nimble grace,
Bringing the world’s best flavors to this place.

So here’s to you, a testament to art,
The humble sticks that hold a culture’s heart.

Need help mastering the art of using chopsticks (BTW, don’t eat with one chopstick!  Why?  Read “Chopsticks & Some Table Manners…“!)?  Read this article for detailed and easy-to-follow instructions ➡️ https://marcosticks.org/how-to-use-chopsticks/, or this article, “Chopsticks Say a Lot About You”.

Chopsticks vs. The Fork?

The debate has been raging, at least ever since the fork was invented.  Jerry Seinfeld tried to settle it with his famous line, 

I admire the Chinese hanging in there with the chopsticks. You know they’ve seen the fork

If that’s not convincing enough, read this article, “A Real Debate: Forks vs Chopsticks“, and “Why Chopsticks and Not Forks?“.

Or…

If this tickles your fancy, click the image to order them

What would you call that?

• A chork?
• A forkstick?
• Something else?

What’s in your hand?

Humbly submitted for your consumption,

—Mee Magnum  (“Chop!”, or “Chop!  Chop!!”)

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