Why don't Chinese people use chopsticks made of steel? It would save lots of trees.

中国人为什么不用铁质筷子呢？这样可以避免砍伐树木

以下是Quora网友的评论：

ing Leo

1.     Chinese people Do use steel chopsticks;

2.     Bamboo chopsticks are more widely used in China. Bamboos are mostly grown for such applications;

3.     In most Chinese families, chopsticks can be reused many times, and using steel chopsticks doesn’t save materials significantly.

1.     中国人也有铁质筷子的；

2.     竹制筷子在中国使用得更广泛。竹子主要就是为了这个用途而种植的；

3.     在大多数中国家庭中，筷子是可以重复使用的，使用铁质筷子也不能显著节省材料。

Gordon Hsu

Uh, what? The majority of chopsticks in China are made from bamboo, not wood. Bamboo is not a tree despite being called as such by some people (bamboo "tree"). It is actually a type of grass that grows rapidly thus it is very sustainable. Due to deforestation concerns, more wooden chopstick are being phased out with each passing year in China.

这又是什么？在中国，大多数筷子都是竹制的，并非木制。尽管有些人把竹子也称为“树”，但竹子其实并不是树。竹子是一种生长速度极快的草本植物，所以它是很好的可持续资源。出于对砍伐森林资源的担忧，中国每年都逐步淘汰许多木制筷子。

BTW, the steel manufacturing process isn't exactly that environmentally friendly either.

Lastly, you should also pose this question to Japan as that is actually the country that has the most widespread use of disposable chopsticks.

顺便说一句，钢铁的制造过程也并不是那么环保。

最后，你应该也向日本提出这个问题，因为日本是一次性筷子使用最广泛的国家。

Mark Jia

Wait, do you really think we do only use chopsticks like these?

等等，你真的以为我们只用这样的筷子吗？

Too naive

你还是太天真了

SEE THAT

看看这些

Plastic chopsticks

塑料筷子

Porcelain chopsticks

瓷筷子

Chopsticks made from alloys, which mostly used in hostels and some big restaurants in China.

合金筷子，在中国主要出现在旅馆和一些大饭店里。

Some made from wood

有些筷子是木头做的

And bamboos

有些筷子是竹子做的

Back to your question, do you mean that?

回头看看你的问题，你是这个意思吗？

Chopsticks made from stainless-steel.

不锈钢制的筷子。

Sean Landy

Ah…

We using wood/bamboo chopstick for saving metals.

Now you wanna us go back and using metals ?

Why don't you just suggest us go back to our prehistoric era and try using fork and knife again?

啊…

我们用木制/竹制筷子，是为了节省金属的使用量。

现在你又想让我们用回金属吗？

你干脆建议我们回到史前时代算了，重新用回刀叉吧。

Blake Bennett

1.     Because they already use many other types of chopsticks.

2.     Because bamboo is the opposite of a limited resource.

1.     因为他们已经使用了许多其他材质的筷子。

2.     因为竹子并不是有限的自然资源。

This is a great example of the simplistic solutions of many environmentalists. Bamboo is an incredibly environmentally friendly and renewable material, but you assume it’s harming the environment because you think we're running out of trees. Steel manufacturing has a huge environmental impact, but you assume it's better because it's reusable. It’s not unlike the promotion of electric cars while ignoring the massive impact of battery production, or belief that solar is an unquestionably preferable alternative to exsting generation despite manufacturing, installation and land use costs.

这就是许多环保主义者想当然的解决方案。竹子是一种非常环保的可再生材料，但你们认为森林资源告急，所以觉得这样做损害环境。钢铁的生产对环境也有巨大的影响，但你们认为铁制筷子更好，因为它可以重复使用。这就像在推广电动汽车的同时却避而不谈电池生产对环境造成的影响，或者认为太阳能是现代人的更好选择，却对太阳能设备高昂的制造、安装和土地使用成本绝口不提。

These technologies are appropriate in many cases, and the market demand is important to improving their future implementation. But they're not evaluated based on the environmental impact, they're purchased at great expense to make the user feel good about themselves. There are far more economically efficient ways to make a difference. So sure, use reusable chopsticks if it makes you feel better. You can even pretend you're saving the rain forest. Just don’t try to shame people out of using their favorite eating utensil.

这些技术在许多情况下都是合适的，市场需求对于技术改进也非常重要，但人们并未基于对环境的影响来进行评估。所以，如果你喜欢，当然可以使用可重复使用的筷子。你甚至可以把自己想象成拯救雨林的大英雄。但有一点，不要试图让别人不好意思使用他们最喜欢的餐具。

Teresa Lin

Our family uses a variety of chopsticks, however we have rarely use wooden chopsticks. Most families I know use plastic chopstick because they are cheap and far more endurable than wood or porcelain (which can be broken if they’re dropped).

We do have stainless steel chopsticks in the household, and we have never used them due to several reason.

我们家有各种各样的筷子，但是我们很少用木制筷子。我认识的大多数家庭都使用塑料筷子，因为它们便宜，而且比木制或瓷制筷子耐用得多(掉地上就会碎)。

我们家里确实也有不锈钢筷子，但由于某些原因，我们从来没有用过。

Steel chopsticks are usually round, in comparison to the usually rectangular wooden/porcelain/plastic chopsticks. In my opinion, round chopsticks are a terrible design, they’re slippery and if you place them on top of bowls or on the side of plates they roll off. I, for one don’t want to pick up my chopsticks every time I put them down.

钢制筷子通常都是圆形的，而木制、瓷制和塑料筷子通常是长方形的。在我看来，圆筷子简直就是糟糕透顶的设计，它们太滑了，如果你把它们放在碗上或盘子的侧面，它们就会滚下来。我不想每次放下筷子的时候都得再捡一遍。

Hongtao Zhang

Short answer:

We Chinese use chopsticks made of bamboo, in history and right now. Chopsticks is written as 筷子 or 箸 in Chinese. The means 竹(bamboo).

简单点回答：

我们中国人从古自今都使用竹制筷子。筷子在汉语中写成“箸”，意思是竹制品。

Long answer:

This question could be divided into 2 question：

1、Why do the Chinese use bamboo chopsticks instead of iron one?

2、Why do the Chinese used to be high on wood chopsticks?

详细点回答：

这个问题可以拆分为两个问题：

1. 为什么中国人用竹筷子，不用铁筷子？

2. 为什么中国人过去很喜欢用木头筷子？

Answer of question 1：

问题1的答案：

•      Heat conduction: Steel has high thermal conductivity comparing to bamboo. It means iron chopsticks is too cold when not in use, and too hot when you are using it. The same reason why we Chinese don’t use iron bowls, but porcelain blows.

•      Friction Force : Iron chopsticks is smoother than bamboo one.

•      Sound: Personally, I hate the sound of metal friction.

•      Taste: Iron chopsticks isn’t friendly to tongue. It teste cold, lifeless and not natural. Bamboo one is more friendly.

•导热性：和竹子相比，铁的导热性很高。这意味着铁筷子在不用的时候太凉，用的时候又太热。这也是为什么中国人不用铁碗，而是用瓷碗的原因。

•摩擦力：铁筷子比竹筷子光滑。

•声音：就我个人而言，我讨厌金属摩擦的声音。

•味道：铁筷子对舌头不太友好，它的口感冰冷，没有生命，不自然。竹制筷子让人更舒服。

•      Weight: Steal is heavier than bamboo.

•      Metallurgical Technology: It’s harder to make an iron chopsticks than and bamboo one in history.

•      Price: Bamboo is more common than steal.

•      Custom: You have a ton of reasons to justify what you are accustomed to, Whereas you are hard to understand it if you aren’t accustomed to it.

•重量：铁比竹子重。

•冶金技术：历史上制作铁筷子比制作竹筷子难。

•价格：竹子比铁更常见。

•习惯：对于自己习以为常的东西，你可以找出一大堆理由来证明，但对于自己不习惯的东西，你会很难理解。

Answer of question 2:

问题2的答案：

Why do we Chinese used to be high on wood throwaway chopsticks?

Because we used to consider throwaway chopsticks as a indicate of industrialization. When throwaway chopsticks was introduced from Japan in the 1990s, it’s considered as a way of saving labour force and improving food safety. It made by machine and, just as its name, can be thrown away after use. Restaurants are honored to offer throwaway chopsticks, consumers would like to use it to show they are more civilized or Japanese-style. In short, It was considered as a luxury to throw away chopsticks.

为什么我们中国人过去很喜欢木质的一次性筷子？

因为我们曾经认为一次性筷子是工业化的标志。上世纪90年代，当一次性筷子从日本引进中国时，人们认为这是一种节省劳动力和提高食品安全的方式。这种筷子是由机器制造的，就如同它的名字表示的意思一样，可以随用随弃。餐馆很乐意提供一次性筷子，消费者也喜欢借此标榜自己更文明、更洋气。简而言之，使用一次性筷子被当做一种奢侈行为。

But now, we have returned to the embrace of reusable bamboo chopsticks. Furthermore, we have had another indicate of industrialization and civilization —— chopstick sterilizer.

但现在，我们又重新开始使用可重复使用的竹筷子了。此外，我们还发明了另一个工业化和文明的标志产品——筷子消毒器。

Emma Xü

I feel like the question is equivalent to asking why we use plastic silverware in the United States. Plastic silverware is not what we use in a home-setting or in a sit-down restaurant, they are just a common, inexpensive alternative favored by fast-food restaurants.

我觉得这个问题就好比问：为什么我们美国人会使用塑料餐具。塑料餐具不是家庭或餐馆里会使用的东西，它们只是一种常见的、便宜的替代品，受到快餐店的青睐。

Rasputitsa

What I want to say is that China divides forest resources into "ecological forests" and "commercial forests". For the former, they have introduced relevant protection laws to protect primary forests and have been planting new forests; while the latter was born to be used Cut down and make various wood products.

我想说的是，中国将森林资源分为“生态林”和“商品林”。他们为生态林制定了相关的原始森林保护法，并坚持种植新的林地；而商品林则可以用来砍伐和制作各种木制品。

When the Chinese make bamboo chopsticks and wooden chopsticks, they use fast-growing forests for commercial use. They just plant a tree on a specific site, cut it down after five years, and plant another tree after that.

What forest is this destroying?

当中国人制作竹筷和木筷时，他们使用的是商用的速生树木。他们在指定地区种植树木，五年后把它砍倒，然后再种上另一棵树。

这算哪门子破坏森林呢？

Max Yang

Wrong question.

This question is a perfect example of the following point I’m going to make:

There is a famous saying on 知乎 - 与世界分享你的知识、经验和见解

which I am not sure whether it originated from Quora - before you ask why, ask if it is the case in the first place!

这个问题大错特错。

这个问题很好地说明了我接下来要说的观点：

有一句名言—与世界分享你的知识、经验和见解

我不确定这句话是否起源于Quora——在你提问为什么之前，先问问这是不是事实！

As other answers already pointed out - this is not the case at all!

What you should be asking is “why don’t people around the world stop importing throwaway chopsticks from China to save trees?”

Free bonus for you (you all who are reading this answer): fortune cookies is NOT a thing in China. You won’t find them in restaurants in China.

其他答案已经告诉你，事实并非如此！

你应该问的是：“为什么世界各地的人们纷纷从中国进口一次性筷子来保护本国的树木？”

我再免费告诉你一个事实吧：幸运饼干在中国是不存在的。你在中国的餐馆里绝对找不到。

Allen Dawe

While chopsticks made of steel may seem like a practical and durable choice, they are not commonly used in China because they can affect the taste of the food. Steel chopsticks can give a metallic taste to the food, especially when eating hot dishes or acidic foods. This is why chopsticks made of materials such as bamboo, wood, or plastic are preferred in China. Additionally, chopsticks made of these materials are more lightweight and easier to handle than steel chopsticks.

虽然铁制筷子看似实用耐用，但它们在中国并不普及，因为它们会影响食物的味道。铁制筷子会让食物带上一种金属的味道，特别是当食客们品尝热菜或酸性食物时尤为如此。这就是中国人更喜欢用竹制、木制或塑料筷子的原因。此外，这些材料制成的筷子比钢制筷子更轻，更好使。

Tom O'Connor

As a natural-born Westerner, I am not as practiced using Kuàizi as native Chinese, Japanese or Koreans, etc…therefore I like to use the easiest to manipulate. To begin, I HATE the oblong-shaped ones chosen by some restaurants. Especially when deformed (not straight) as many bamboo ones are, I can’t manipulate them well at all.

作为一个西方人，我不像中国人、日本人或韩国人那样用得惯筷子，所以我喜欢使用最容易上手操作的餐具。首先，我讨厌一些餐馆选择的椭圆形筷子。尤其是当竹制筷子变形(不直)的时候，我真的就用不来了。

Second, I dislike the bamboo ones in general. Whether they start out deformed or become deformed with the heat of the dishwashers, it doesn’t matter. I am not proficient enough in the usage of Kuàizi to pickup food when the points are spread so wide apart.

其次，我不喜欢竹制筷子。不管它们买来就变形了，还是被洗碗机加热变形的，都一样，如果筷头隔得太开，我就无法熟练地使用筷子来夹取食物了。

Therefore, I prefer the machined rectangular-handled ones that are straight and come to round points about 3/16″ in (about 5 MM) diameter at the tips. These I can manage very well by now.

Steel? Just too slippery…period.

所以我更喜欢机械加工的长方形筷子，筷身笔直笔直的，筷头直径约为3/16″(约5毫米)。这种筷子我用得就很溜。

铁制筷子？它们简直太滑了……

Chenyao Lu

Steel production also has carbon emissions, and it burns a lot of fossil fuels.

If bamboo or trees are managed well, the tree use could be counteracted by new trees.

铁制品的生产同样会带来碳排放的问题，还需要燃烧大量的化石燃料。

如果对竹子和树木妥善管理，可以用新种的补上砍掉的。

Khengchat Ng

Disposable chopsticks are made from bamboo, the fastest growing plant. Our family reusable ones are made from plastic. Steel is too slippery and does not have the ' bend-ability ’ for a good grip. Some do use them.

一次性筷子是用竹子加工的，而竹子是生长速度最快的植物。我家可重复使用的筷子是塑料筷。铁制筷子太滑了，也没有“弯曲度”帮助人们夹取食物。但有些人确实会用铁制筷子

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