A Rowan professor writes on chopsticks and history

Growing up in Shanghai, Qingjia Edward Wang never thought he would one day write a book about chopsticks. To him, chopsticks were just eating utensils.

But when Wang, now a history professor at Rowan University, was teaching his then-5-year-old son, Maxwell, how to use chopsticks, he decided to look for information about them. To his surprise, little was available in English.

Wang, whose research focuses primarily on historiography, the study of how history is written, decided the topic was worth pursuing. Three years later, his research has culminated in the publication of Chopsticks: A Cultural and Culinary History, a narrative history of the utensils and their use.

On Wednesday, Wang, 56, told the story of how his book came about, and signed copies at the Barnes & Noble store in Glassboro. He told the 50 Rowan students and faculty who attended that with approximately 1.5 billion people in the world using chopsticks, the subject deserved a book.

"Chopsticks are a cultural symbol," Wang said.

Wang moved to the United States in 1987 after receiving a full scholarship to study Chinese history at Syracuse University. In 1992, he began teaching general survey courses in Western civics and some Asian history at Rowan. Wang also teaches summer courses at Peking University, one of China's top universities.

He said he had incorporated his research on chopsticks into his courses and found considerable interest in the subject.

"Students have written me that they preordered my book on Amazon," Wang said with a laugh.

William Carrigan, chairman of Rowan's history department, said that when Wang told him about his research on chopsticks, he thought the subject had wide appeal.

"I think the history of cuisine and food in general can be very illuminating of culture and change over time," Carrigan said.

Carrigan described Wang as "prolific" and the university's "most distinguished researcher," noting that he won the university's Faculty Research Achievement award in 2013.

The book, published in late January by Cambridge University Press, charts chopstick use in China, Korea, Japan, and other countries. The book's worldwide scope, Wang said, sets it apart from others. He said previous books on the subject came from Japan and examined the subject within that culture.

Wang found strong ties between chopstick use and diet. He said noodle, dumpling, and stir fry consumption made chopsticks better utensils to use than a spoon.

Wang also said he noticed in his travels that the shape of chopsticks varied from country to country: in Japan more pointed, to facilitate removing bones from fish; in China flatter, to pick up stir fry. In Korea, chopsticks were once made of silver and were designed flatter, to use less of the precious material.

"It was like a journey of discovery for me," Wang said.

Wang's knowledge of modern Japan and China has expanded as the result of his research, and he said he planned to offer courses on food and history in the future.

Chopstick etiquette is essentially the same as etiquette pertaining to any other utensil, Wang said. Where chopsticks differ from forks or spoons is hygiene - chopsticks never enter the mouth and are therefore considered more sanitary, Wang said.

Nicholas Mason, a junior majoring in history and president of the Student History Association at Rowan, said he appreciated Wang's "inside look" at how his book was made.

"You never really get a glimpse under the research just from taking the class," Mason said.

Having taken two history courses with Wang, Mason said learning the process of writing a book gave him a new respect for his professor, whom he already held in high esteem.

Katelyn Sullivan, a senior with one major in history and philosophy and another in religious studies, said she was eager to read Wang's book.

"I'm very involved in the history department, and there's been a lot of buzz about this book for quite some time," Sullivan said.

Lucy Rhymer, commissioning editor at Cambridge University Press, wrote that the publisher anticipates Wang's book will appeal to a large audience.

"We thought it was an extremely original and engaging topic," Rhymer said.

Wang said that he might "rewrite" his book in Chinese and that he had heard from Asian publishers.

"The interest is tremendous," Wang said.

At his Cherry Hill home, Wang's son, now 8, still uses practice chopsticks. Wang and his wife use slightly pointed, square chopsticks daily - unless they're eating a sandwich, he said.

@kflynn_13