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{{short description|Japanese kitchen utensil}}{{ref improve|date=December 2012}}[[Image:Shakushi.jpg|thumb|traditional Japanese rice paddle]] 
[[Image:Shamoji.JapaneseRiceSpoon.jpg|thumb|A rice paddle and a table spoon for size comparison]] 

A '''rice paddle''' ({{Lang-zh|c=饭勺}}, [[Japanese language|Japanese]]: {{nihongo||しゃもじ, 杓文字|shamoji}}, {{Korean|rr= Jugeok|hangul=주걱}}) is a large flat spoon used in [[East Asian cuisine]]. It is used to stir and to serve [[rice]], to dip [[gochujang]], and to mix [[vinegar]] into the rice for [[sushi]].

Rice paddles are traditionally made from bamboo, wood, or [[lacquer]], and nowadays often from plastic.

==History==

[[Image:jugeok.jpg|thumb|A 4th-century Korean rice paddle]]

The specific origin of the rice paddle is unknown, but it has been spotted in artifacts dating back to the 4th or 5th century. One such artifact originating from the [[Silla|Silla dynasty]] in Korea was excavated from the [[Gold Crown Tomb]] in [[Gyeongju]] along with a pot.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kim |first1=Hye-Yeong |title=주걱 |url=https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/topic/%EC%A3%BC%EA%B1%B1 |website=Encyclopedia of Korean Folk Culture |publisher=National Folk Museum of Korea |access-date=July 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720034414/https://folkency.nfm.go.kr/topic/%EC%A3%BC%EA%B1%B1 |archive-date=July 20, 2024 |quote=유물로는 경주 금관총에서 4~5세기경의 솥과 함께 출토된 주걱이 있으며, 음식을 그릇에 떠 담을 때 사용한 것으로 보인다.}}</ref>

The Japanese version of the rice paddle, the 'shamoji', is said to have been first devised by a monk on [[Itsukushima]], Hiroshima Prefecture.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-18 |title=宮島町商工会-宮島杓子 |url=http://www.hint.or.jp/miyajima/syamoji.html |access-date=2024-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518034859/http://www.hint.or.jp/miyajima/syamoji.html |archive-date=2021-05-18 }}</ref> The word is an example of [[nyōbō kotoba]], being derived from the first part of {{nihongo||杓子|''shakushi''|"[[Ladle (spoon)|ladle]]"}}, plus the {{nihongo||文字|''moji''|"character"}} suffix.<ref>[http://gogen-allguide.com/si/syamoji.html 杓文字（しゃもじ） - 語源由来辞典]</ref>

Modern rice cookers may include a rice paddle in the box, usually made of white plastic.

==Materials and uses==

In Korea, rice paddles, or 'jugeok' ({{korean|hangul=주걱}}) were originally made out of wood in the 4th century, but began to be made out of brass during the [[Goryeo|Goryeo dynasty]]. Throughout the [[joseon|Joseon dynasty]], they also began to be made from bamboo.<ref>{{cite web |title=주걱 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720040438/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0053176 |website=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture |publisher=Academy of Korean Studies |access-date=July 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720040438/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/article/e0053176 |archive-date=July 20, 2024}}</ref>

Modern rice paddles are typically made from plastic. When in use, they are dipped in water frequently during use to prevent rice from sticking to it. Some expensive plastic rice paddles have non-stick surfaces.

Rice paddles are also used to crush vegetables, such as [[garlic]] and cucumbers, as [[cleaver (knife)|cleavers]] are used in Western cuisine.

==Culture==

When scooping rice with a rice paddle in Korea, the rice is traditionally scooped towards the center of the bowl, as to prevent fortune from escaping the household.<ref>{{cite web |title=주걱 |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720040438/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0053176 |website=Encyclopedia of Korean Culture |publisher=Academy of Korean Studies |access-date=July 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720040438/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/article/e0053176 |archive-date=July 20, 2024}}</ref>

In Japan, the rice paddle (''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.<ref name=contemporary>{{cite web | title=Contemporary Japan: Culture & Society | url=http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/common/all.htm#society| year=2004}}</ref>

[[File:Rice paddles, Miyajima - DSC02143.JPG|thumb|220px|right|At a souvenir shop in [[Miyajima, Hiroshima|Miyajima]], where [[Itsukushima Shrine]] is located, many {{transliteration|ja|shamoji}} are sold with various wishes, such as "good health" and "prosperous business.]]
In Japan, the {{transliteration|ja|shamoji}} is also a good luck charm dedicated to [[Shinto shrines]] and decorated with the word {{nihongo3|victory|必勝|"hissho"}} written on the part that scoops up rice when praying for victory. This is because the Japanese word {{nihongo3||飯取る|"meshitoru"}}, which means to scoop up rice, is pronounced the same as {{nihongo3||召し捕る|"meshitoru"}}, which means to capture the enemy. The custom became even more famous during the [[Russo-Japanese War]], when soldiers dedicated many {{transliteration|ja|shamoji}} to [[Itsukushima Shrine]] to pray for Japan's victory in the war.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/bc78a74911510c491382608f0595417e31bf0961|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323110519/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/bc78a74911510c491382608f0595417e31bf0961|script-title=ja:地元広島の名産品「必勝しゃもじ」岸田首相がゼレンスキー大統領に贈呈 日露戦争勝利時の縁起物|language=ja|publisher=Yahoo Japan News/Nikkan Sports|date=23 March 2023|archive-date=23 March 2023|access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref> In March 2023, [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]] [[Fumio Kishida]] visited [[Ukraine]] and presented [[President of Ukraine|President]] [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]] with a {{transliteration|ja|shamoji}} with the word {{nihongo3|victory|必勝|"hissho"}} written on it to pray for Ukraine's victory over [[Russia]] in the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14868976|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324105646/https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14868976|title=Kishida gave gifts symbolizing victory, peace to Zelenskyy|publisher=[[The Asahi Shimbun]]|date=24 March 2023|archive-date=24 March 2023|access-date=24 March 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of Japanese cooking utensils]]
{{commonscat|Shamoji}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Japanese food and drink}}

[[Category:East Asian food preparation utensils]]
[[Category:Japanese food preparation utensils]]
[[Category:Itsukushima]]