A or rice paddle is a large flat spoon used in East Asian cuisine. It is used to stir and to serve

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

, and to mix

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to eth ...

into the rice for

sushi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...

. ''Shamoji'' are traditionally made from bamboo, wood, or

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...

, and nowadays often from plastic. The ''shamoji'' is dipped in water frequently during use to prevent rice from sticking to it. Some expensive plastic ''shamoji'' have non-stick surfaces. Metal is rarely used, as this is more likely to cut rice grains or to damage the ''

hangiri In Japanese cuisine, a , also known a sushi oke, is a round, flat-bottomed wooden tub or barrel used in the final steps of preparing rice for sushi. Traditional ''hangiri'' are made from cypress wood bound with two copper Copper is a chem ...

'' wooden tub traditionally used for mixing. It is said to have been first devised by a monk on Itsukushima, Hiroshima Prefecture. The word is an example of nyōbō kotoba, being derived from the first part of , plus the suffix.杓文字（しゃもじ） - 語源由来辞典
/ref> Modern rice cookers may include a ''shamoji'' in the box, usually made of white plastic. ''Shamoji'' are also used to crush vegetables, such as

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. It is native to South Asia, Central Asia and northeas ...

and cucumbers, as

cleavers ''Galium aparine'', with common names including cleavers, clivers, catchweed and sticky willy among others, is an annual, herbaceous plant of the family Rubiaceae. Names ''Galium aparine'' is known by a variety of common names in English. They ...

are used in Western cuisine. The ''shamoji'' has also been a symbol of unity between the mother and wife in Japanese society. In one tradition, it was passed down from one generation to the next to symbolize the family duties that were handed down.

References

{{Japanese food and drink East Asian food preparation utensils Japanese food preparation utensils

See also

References