CHINESE FARE FACTS TO TUCK INTO

"FANCY a Chinese?" is a phrase that's fast dying out! For Brits are falling out of love with eating the cuisine in restaurants, as we revealed yesterday.

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Figures show that the amount of Chinese food we now gobble outside the home has halved since 2007. But how much do you know about the Far East fare and its traditions? Here JAMES MOORE orders up 15 facts you probably never noodle...

Chopsticks date back 5,000 years to ancient China. They originated from twigs to fish food out of cooking pots. A whopping 45 billion disposable chopsticks are now used every year in the country.

Philosopher Confucius promoted the use of chopsticks over knives when eating, which he thought should be the preserve of warriors. Chinese emperors often used silver ones, which they thought would turn black if they came into contact with poison.

It's considered rude to point with your chopsticks or stick them upright in a bowl of rice, as that resembles incense sticks at a funeral.