Chopsticks are shaped pairs of equal length sticks that were first invented in ancient China over nine thousand years ago and have been used since that time as the traditional ancient kitchen and eating utensils in China and eventually spread to virtually all of East Asia and Southeast Asia. Chopsticks were first invented and used by the Chinese and later spread to other countries that were formerly vassal tributary states of the Imperial Han Chinese Empire and also to other distant countries through cultural influence or through Chinese immigrant communities that first arrived following the Ming Dynasty Chinese maritime expeditions of Ming Admiral Zheng He. In Singapore and Malaysia, the ethnic Han Chinese traditionally consume all food with chopsticks while ethnic Indians and Malays infrequently use chopsticks to consume noodle dishes only preferring to eat with their right hands– the use of a spoon or fork however is more common among foreign tourists and expatriots. In Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Nepal chopsticks are generally used only to consume noodles, as well as in areas of the United States, especially California, New York, Hawaii, and cities in Canada and Australia with Chinese communities. Chopsticks are smoothed and frequently tapered, and are commonly made of bamboo, plastic, wood, or stainless steel. They are less commonly made from gold, silver, porcelain, jade, or ivory. Chopsticks are held in the dominant hand, between the thumb and fingers, and used to pick up pieces of food.