Chopsticks have a number of advantages.
Since ancient times, there has been a tradition in China and Japan of eating with chopsticks. Firstly, it is convenient: a traveler does not need to carry cutlery, as chopsticks can easily be made from any wood. Secondly, it is beneficial: chopsticks cannot pick up more food than one can eat at a time.
Thirdly, it is healthy: as Chinese acupressure specialists assert, using chopsticks while eating activates about 40 vital points on the hand. Japanese doctors, in turn, believe that children who start eating with chopsticks develop faster than those who use spoons.
Chopsticks also have symbolic significance. They are given to newlyweds as a symbol of unity and inseparability, as well as to children on the 100th day after birth, on the day of the 'first taste of rice.' Chopsticks are made from wood, bone, and even metal.
