The Origin of Oshibori
Franck Salama
Theoshibori (おしぼり or お絞り or 御絞り) is a small warm towel provided to customers in restaurants or bars in Japan for wiping their hands. It is also served during formal meals.
It was during the Edo period, Edo jidai 江戸時代, that the word oshibori was first used. At that time, it referred to a piece of cloth soaked in a bucket of water that was offered to travelers to help them recover from the fatigue of the journey. By wringing it out (from the Japanese verb shiboru 絞る), the expression oshibori stuck. https://lesitedujapon.com/oshibori/
Did you know? Traces of oshibori can be found in Japanese texts from the 11th century! Notably in the famous "Genji Monogatari, " a classic of Japanese literature.
The word oshibori comes from the Japanese word shiboru, which means "to wring out," with the honorific prefix o-.
These days, you can find oshiboris of all kinds all over the world, in restaurants, hotels, spas, fitness centers, etc. They are provided to welcome guests and for body cleansing. They are provided to welcome guests and for hand washing, while offering a sense of well-being.
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