Everything about The Drinking Straw totally explained
The
drinking straw is a device used for transferring a
liquid - usually a drink from one location to another (such as from a cup, to your mouth). The earliest drinking straws were hollow stems of grass, literally made of
straw. A thin tube of
plastic (such as
polypropylene and
polystyrene) or other material, straight or with an
accordion-like
living hinge, it's employed by being held with one end in the
mouth and another end in the drink.
Muscular action reduces
air pressure in the mouth, whereupon
atmospheric pressure forces the
drink up the straw. The first straws were made by the
Sumerians, and used for drinking
beer (as to avoid the solid byproducts of
fermentation).
Argentines and their neighbors use a similar metallic device called
bombilla that acts as both a straw and sieve for drinking
mate tea. The modern drinking straw was patented in
1888 by
Marvin C. Stone.
Early paper straws had a narrow
bore similar to that of the grass stems then in common use. It was common to use two of them, to reduce the effort needed to take each sip. Modern plastic straws are made with a larger bore, so only one is needed for comfortable drinking.
Types of drinking straws
- A basic drinking straw is straight for the full length.
- A bendable straw or "bendy straw" has a concertina-type hinge near the top for convenience.
- A "crazy" straw is hard plastic and has a number of twists and turns at the top. When liquid is sucked through the straw, it quickly flows through the winding path, creating an entertaining spectacle.
- A spoon straw features a cut-away shape at one end that functions as a miniature spoon. It is intended for slush drinks.
- Candy straws, such as licorice straws (or lico-straws), are made from some type of chewy candy.
- A miniature straw often comes attached to a drink box.
- A wide straw is used for sipping bubble tea.
- "Sanitary" straws are individually wrapped to avoid contamination. Straws were originally marketed as a means for people to reduce the risk of contracting an illness from improperly washed containers, glasses, or cups.
- The Sipahh. A drinking straw that contains flavoured tapioca beads that dissolve as milk passes over them to add colour and flavour.
- A recent addition to the straw family is the cereal straw, such as the ones made by Kellogg.
- Polypropylene is becoming favored over polystyrene for manufacturing plastic drinking straws as polystyrene is brittle and tends to crack easily. It is also denser than water, causing straws to sink when placed into beverages. Polypropylene straws, by contrast, are much more durable and don't sink.
- Special "color-changer" straws given with meals at Friendly's change color as cold liquid passes through them.
- Nicholson Baker's 1988 novel The Mezzanine includes a detailed discussion of various types of drinking straw experienced by the narrator and their relative merits.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Drinking Straw'.
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