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我从小就知道中国人吃饭也用筷子，但是直到我2017年到中国北京留学我才意识到，虽然中国人和韩国人都用筷子，但所用的筷子却是不一样的。

Since I was a child, it was a common knowledge for me that Chinese people also eat with the same kind of chopsticks as we do. However, up until 2017, when I was studying overseas in Beijing, I found out that there was, in fact, a difference between the chopsticks used by Chinese people and us.

中国的筷子大部分是用木头制作的，前端是圆形，尾端是方形，拿在手里有种厚重的感觉。

The majority of Chinese chopsticks are made of the wood and the lower part is normally round, while the upper part is square, a shape that makes them very comfortable to hold.

而我们韩国人的筷子大多是不锈钢制的，比较扁平，长度也比中国的筷子短一些。

On the contrary, South Korean chopsticks are mostly made of steel and are usually shorter and flatter than Chinese ones.

都是筷子，怎么会有这样的不同呢？我个人觉得是与中韩两国的饮食文化密切相关的。

How can be there a difference since we both eat with chopsticks? In my opinion, it has something to do with the two countries’ food cultures.

中国人以前是大家庭一起吃饭，人数较多，饭桌较大，所以需要更长一些的筷子，才能夹到比较远的菜。韩国人也是大家庭，但是不及中国的大家庭那么大。

In the past, Chinese people used to eat together in a big family with more people and larger table, therefore longer chopsticks were needed to reach the food . In comparison, Korean people also eat in large families, but not as large as Chinese families.

中国的菜肴一般比较油腻，如果用金属筷子的话，沾上油会比较滑，不好夹菜。而韩国的菜肴以汤类为主，被汤水沾湿的筷子在韩国人眼中不太卫生，所以使用铁制筷子。另外，为了剥除鱼刺、撕开泡菜等，用比较扁薄的筷子更方便。

Normally, Chinese food is so oily that metal chopsticks are not suitable to use as the oil on the chopsticks makes it harder to pick up the food. In contrast, Koreans eat a lot of soup and therefore we use steel- chopsticks to avoid getting our chopsticks soaked, because we consider soaked and wet chopsticks not be very hygienic. Furthermore, flat and thick chopsticks are also better for picking out fish bones or tear up kimchee.

我在中国留学两年，用中国的木筷子吃了好多美食。从一开始的不习惯到后来的运用自如，这一过程中我不仅了解到了中韩之间的差异，更深切体会到中韩之间深刻的文化联系。

I studied in China for two years, during which time I ate a lot of delicious food with China’s wooden chopsticks. At first, I was not very accustomed to Chinese chopsticks, but as time went by, I got completely used to it. The process I went through not only taught me the difference, but also the profound cultural relation between China and South Korea.

说来也奇怪，在中国时每次一拿起木筷子，我都会联想起在韩国跟家人朋友共享美食的情景；而回到了韩国，每次一拿起铁筷子，我又会回忆起在中国生活的画面，特别是吃过的美食。

Strange to say, I always thought of the tasty food I shared with my family and friends in South Korea every time when I used the wooden chopsticks. Back in South Korea, the iron-made chopsticks, nevertheless, often reminded me of my stay in China and particularly the most delicious food I had ever eaten.

木筷子铁筷子，都是好筷子！

It doesn't matter whether we use a pair of wood-made or iron-made chopsticks, as long as they are both good.