Disposable chopsticks have never been thought of glamorous. And there's almost always a problem getting the wooden utensils to break cleanly at the seam. Despite their decidedly downscale image, one Japanese company has given the sticks a luxe makeover. No, they haven't been iced out by Jacob the Jeweler. Kinbashi Gold Chopsticks have a small amount of edible gold leaf between their tips. Crack them apart and even the lamest takeout sushi becomes a grand affair. Well, not really, but at least you'll have gold leaf falling on top of your lame sushi. At ¥4,515, or $40 for two five-packs, they're not terribly expensive. Nevertheless, I fail to see the point. Then again I've never quite understood Goldschläger either.[via Trends in Japan]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-26-2007 @ 1:14PM
jsmylie said...
Am I the only one in the world to prefer a sturdy pair of coarse wooden disposable chopsticks to that reusable lacquered junk? Rice does NOT stick properly to lacquered, plastic, or otherwise multi-use chopsticks!
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9-26-2007 @ 2:05PM
kelly said...
No you're not. From everything I know about Japanese culture, disposable is the preferred form in Japan, even in the most upscale restaurants. You don't tend to see reusable ones available due to I believe a cultural sentiment about cleanliness and the fact that disposable chopstick usage is so ingrained in Japanese culture. It makes sense to me that someone would try to take this standard and elevate it since it seems like an easier conversion than getting people to use reusable chopsticks.
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9-26-2007 @ 4:02PM
R said...
#1.. This depends on the type of rice and the amount of water that is used during cooking. Go have dinner at an Asian friend's house and you'll most likely see rice that is properly cooked with the right amount of water. You'll easily be able to pick up clumps of rice with plastic chopsticks.
If you want an extra challenge, try using the Korean style stainless steel chopsticks. Those are the best!
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9-27-2007 @ 5:31AM
Aurorasbored said...
Well there's a third way, and that's bare smooth bamboo. Best ever and green too, more or less.
...and I kinda like the gold flakes. Like a party on your plate everytime.
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