What Is Silk?

29 What Is Silk? Silk was discovered by the Chinese more than 3, 000 years ago. It was said that the wife of the Yellow Emperor accidentally dropped a silkworm cocoon into her tea. The hot liquid caused the cocoon to unravel. As it broke apart, she realized its beauty. From these humble beginnings, the silk industry began. At first, only the rich were allowed to wear silk. As early as 300 AD, Chinese merchants were selling silk to the Indians. By 200 BC, the Koreans had learned how to make silk. Some silkworms had been smuggled out of China. The process was repeated when silkworms were smuggled to the Middle East, where the Persians learned how to make silk. A 12, 000-kilometre road stretching from China to Europe was constructed because of silk. From there, knowledge of silk production spread across the globe. Here's a simple version of how this amazing little insect does its work.

The silkworm begins life as a moth. The moth's lifespan is about ten days, during which it lays eggs that hatch into silkworms. Silkworms eat a lot. In their short lives, 20, 000 silkworms will eat more than one ton of mulberry leaves, their main food. In its final stage of life, the silkworm spins a cocoon using saliva from its silk glands. The finished cocoon contains 350metres of silk. That might seem like a lot, but consider this: 5, 500 silkworms have to spin 5, 500 cocoons to make one kilogram of silk. Raising silkworms for raw silk production is known as “ sericulture" . The Chinese have perfected the art of sericulture, gaining intricate knowledge over many centuries-often by trial and error. Today, silk production remains an important economic venture in China. While synthetic versions have recently entered the market, the beauty of naturally produced silk is unmatched. Silk no longer costs an arm and a leg, but it is still a highly prized commodity.