Fork - the history of appliances. Types of forks and rules for their use When did the fork appear in Rus'

Imagine that forks suddenly disappeared from the kitchen. We'll have to chase the same pasta on the plate with a spoon. Well, very uncomfortable! But our distant ancestors did not even think of using forks for food. In this story, I will talk about the history of the fork.

Even 300 years ago, the rules of good manners prescribed not to take meat with the whole five, especially with two hands, but only with three fingers. And do not wipe them on clothes, but rinse them in a special bowl of water. At one time in the rich houses of Europe it was fashionable to eat with gloves to keep hands clean.

The fork is now the most popular kitchen utensil. It is believed that fork history started in 1072 year in Byzantium in the imperial palace. It was made in one copy of gold, had two prongs and a short handle, decorated with mother-of-pearl. This fork was intended for a Byzantine princess, who considered it humiliating for herself to eat with her hands.

Fork spread very slowly throughout the world. Initially, it denoted the difference between royal persons from others, and not at all a cutlery. It was considered more convenient to eat with hands or a spoon. The queens had one fork each and wore them in special cases. The fork was widely used only by the 16th century: a sharp awl, with which they pricked food and ate, was replaced by a fork with two cloves.

The fork was brought to Russia from Poland in 1606 year as prince False Dmitry I and was defiantly used during the feast on the occasion of his marriage. This shocked the Russian boyars. The fork became almost a reason for popular uprising against False Dmitry. The argument was simple: since the tsar and the tsarina eat not with their hands, but with some kind of horn, it means that they are not Russians and not monarchs, but the product of the devil. At that time, the church was very opposed to the use of forks, considering it an unnecessary luxury, godlessness and connection with dark forces.

Traditionally, misfortune was assigned to the fork among the people - dropping a fork was considered a harbinger of misfortune, a bad omen. They spoke disapprovingly about the fork, as evidenced by the proverb: “With a spoon that is a net, and with a fork - like a milking”, that is, do not scoop anything.

Peter I played a big role in the spread of forks in Rus'. The royal table was always served with a wooden spoon “seasoned with ivory”, a knife and a fork with green bone handles. The orderly on duty was obliged to carry them with him and put them in front of the king, even if he happened to dine at a party. Apparently, Peter was not sure that even in the "best houses" he would be served the whole set of cutlery.

In Europe, massive fork production began in 1860 silver and then stainless steel. And the fork has become similar to the one you use every day.

The first association that arises when pronouncing the word "fork" is a cutlery. Then other meanings are remembered, which are not so few. What is the meaning of this word and where did it come from in Russian? Let's try to answer these simple and at the same time entertaining questions using explanatory dictionaries and historical facts.

A fork is a small pitchfork

In a general sense, a fork is anything that has a branched shape, as a rule, in two directions. For example: fork in the road, thymus gland, forked tail of a swallow. By the way, the very first forks used to prick pieces of meat had only two prongs. The origin of the word "fork" is easy to explain. It is enough to imagine the tool with which the peasants collect and stack hay.

A fork is a diminutive form of the word fork. Initially, in Rus', cutlery of this type was called forks or slingshots, only by the middle of the 18th century the name familiar to modern man was attached to the fork. In turn, the word "fork" is formed from the verb "twist" by adding the suffix "l" to the root.

The history of the appearance of the fork in the ancient world

The first forks, according to historical documents, appeared in 1072 in Constantinople, thanks to Mary. It seemed humiliating to a high-ranking person to take food from a common dish with her hands. The court craftsmen made a cutlery with a long handle and two prongs for the capricious young lady. Some researchers believe that Princess Mary drew the sketches for creating the fork herself.

There is historical evidence that the prototypes of modern forks, only of very large sizes, were used in Ancient Greece to remove roasted carcasses of animals and birds from skewers. In the 7th century, more compact, but still inconvenient forks began to serve tables at the court of the Turkish Sultan. This innovation did not receive wide distribution.

In the countries of the Ancient East, the meaning of the word "fork" was known from the middle of the 9th century. It was then that two-pronged metal spears for piercing meat, vegetables and fruits appeared here. The straight shape without any bends did not allow the use of the fork in everyday meals. Therefore, this cutlery was forgotten until the XIV century. And today, most Eastern peoples have a custom to manage solid or loose dishes with their fingers.

An item of high culture and luxury

In Western Europe, a fork, a spoon and a knife became indispensable attributes of feasts at the beginning of the 17th century. Previously, fatty foods were simply taken with the hands, periodically washing the palms in special bowls. In wealthy families, it was customary to sit down at the table in gloves, which were thrown away at the end of the meal. Aristocrats preferred to carve meat or fish with two knives, one of which was designed to send pieces of food into the mouth.

With the advent of forks, the French king Charles V issued a decree forbidding representatives of the court nobility to eat from a knife in order to improve the culture of their subjects. Ordinary people counted forks and did not use them in everyday life. For a long time, forks were two-pronged, then tridented, and only in the 8th century in Germany they began to produce cutlery with four prongs.

The first forks in Rus'

A cutlery similar to a modern fork was brought to Russia in 1606 and was first used during a feast at the wedding of the impostor False Dmitry the First and the Polish noblewoman Marina Mnishek. According to historical records, such behavior of royal people caused outrage not only among the common people, but also among the nobility. The "horned" fork was considered a devilish object.

Only in the XVIII century, the fork began to timidly enter into the everyday life of Russian nobles, thanks to the persistence of Peter I, who, as you know, adored everything European. In ordinary families, the fork remained a vicious, inconvenient and unnecessary object for a long time, while the spoon was the main tool for eating. Until the beginning of the 20th century, cutlery, objectionable to the common people, was used extremely rarely, after the Revolution, the fork, as they say, went to the masses.

Different forks are needed, all kinds of forks are important

In addition to the cutlery, the word "fork" can mean any other device that has a branching in its design.

The most famous combination is “plug ─ socket”. Household appliances are in every home today, so the device at the end of the wire with two (or more) contacts, used to connect a refrigerator, TV, computer or vacuum cleaner to the electrical network, is familiar to each of us. The plug-socket pair is also used to create radio and telephone connections.

The clutch fork is a lever in a car's manual transmission designed to retract the pressure plate.

Knitting fork ─ the simplest device, consisting of two metal longitudinal rods and a pair of transverse plastic crossbars. The device is used for hand-knitting scarves and other garments with straight panels.

Fork for a bicycle, moped or motorcycle ─ a part in the front or rear of a two-wheeled vehicle that serves to fasten the wheels and is an element of steering.

Forks that cannot be touched

The word "fork" is often used in relation to some actions or processes that have a dual meaning.

A chess fork is a situation on a chessboard when two pieces of another player are attacked by a piece of one of the opponents. For example, a knight can target a king and a rook at the same time, a bishop can target a king and a queen, etc. This combination is also called a double strike.

In military affairs, a "fork" is a combat maneuver with deliberate shelling of the enemy from different sides without hitting the target. Thus, a group of people or equipment is deprived of the opportunity to move in the direction of the shelling.

It implies a situation when a player makes bets in different offices on all possible outcomes of a match in order to get a guaranteed win.

Folk superstitions related to forks

Despite the fact that the fork is a common item on our tables in everyday life, these cutlery is still not accepted by the Orthodox Church. Therefore, they cannot be used at memorial meals.

A fork that has fallen to the floor portends the arrival of an evil grumpy woman into the house.

In villages, housewives are wary of stirring sour cream with a fork or spreading butter on bread. It is believed that after that the cow may lose milk.

No reception against fork
one hit - four holes!

Word fork(English fork) came from the Latin "fulka", which means garden pitchfork. The fork, as a cutlery, was familiar to the ancient Greeks. At that time, the forks were relatively large, had only two massive straight prongs, and served to distribute large chunks of meat to dishes. Another early mention of the fork can be found in the Old Testament, Book of Samuel 2:13 (“When someone offered a sacrifice, the priestly boy, while the meat was boiling, came with a fork in his hand.”).

When you admire ancient portraits of noble beauties in an art gallery, it never occurs to you that these refined creatures at the feast tables ate meat and fish with their hands. Back in the 16th-18th centuries, the rules of good manners prescribed not to take meat with the whole five, especially with two hands, but only with three fingers; do not wipe your fingers on clothes, but rinse in a special bowl of water ...

At one time in the rich houses of Europe it was fashionable to eat with gloves to keep hands clean. After dinner, the greasy gloves were thrown away. But forks already existed then ...

The first forks were huge and had only one sharp prong, later - two. The ancient Romans used them to extract pieces of meat from a cauldron or brazier. These tools cannot yet be called forks in our understanding, since the noble patricians ate meat with their hands, along which fat flowed down to the elbows ...

By the 7th century AD, in Asia Minor, the fork had become a symbol of wealth and power and was used by royal families during banquets. From the 10th century, forks spread to the territory of the Byzantine Empire, where such cutlery was also used only by aristocrats. From there, in the 11th century, the fork was brought to Venice by a Byzantine princess who became the wife of the Doge.

However, in Italy, the fork did not find use for a long time (more on that later) and only by the 16th century gained popularity. It is not difficult to guess that in the rest of Europe this necessary cutlery appeared only at the end of the 16th century. And spread only to the 18th.

However, there is evidence that the fork was born in 1072 in Byzantium in the city of Constantinople in the imperial palace.

It was made in one copy of gold, and its handle was decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay on ivory. This fork was intended for the Byzantine princess Maria of Iberia, who can be considered the inventor of the fork. Considering it humiliating to eat with her hands, she invented it herself. A fork was made at that time with two straight prongs, with the help of which it was only possible to string, and not to scoop up food. Initially, it was rather a kind of indicator of the prestige of the monarch, and not a cutlery at all. It was considered more convenient to eat with hands or a spoon. In the 14th century, the French queen Jeanne d'Hervé had only one fork. She kept it in a case.

The spoon and fork were practically expelled from France until the 16th century and came into use only in the 18th century.

Today, we take the fork for granted. In addition, no one has yet canceled the convenience of using it. Why, then, was the fork making its way to our table so slowly?

The fact is that, despite the fact that, as we remember, in Greece, meat was laid out on dishes with a fork, it was eaten with hands. They also ate in ancient Rome. This habit is so firmly rooted in the hearts of people that it was very difficult to dislodge it. With the beginning of the spread of Christianity, the position of the fork only shook: the fact is that while preaching monotheism, Christians naturally waged a “war” against the pantheons of the gods of Rome, Greece, Egypt ... It was decided that since only God and the Devil exist, then all the old gods were recorded as demons - servants of the Devil, having power over the individual elements of nature, and thus, confusing the minds of people with their imaginary power. Accordingly, much of what had to do with the ancient gods was declared forbidden - including the fork: the trident of Poseidon. In addition, the pitchfork was also assigned an unseemly role: the persistent expression "Devil's Pitchfork" is still preserved.

Thus, unlike the "eastern barbarians", all "enlightened Europeans" up to the 16th century ate mainly with their hands, or at worst with a knife. When the fork appeared in England, it was simply ridiculed. “Why do we need a fork, if the Lord himself gave us hands,” approximately such sentiments reigned throughout Europe at that time. So the path of recognition of the fork was very thorny.

Now let's talk about why it is customary to put the fork with the cloves down when setting the table. There are several theories about this: according to the first of them, once, during a feast, King George 5th was upset by something and, in a fit of anger, firmly loaded his fist on the table ... As a result, the monarch’s hand fell on the teeth of the fork, and his mood deteriorated even more .

According to another version, since the fork was a luxury item for a long time, the nobility often boasted of the fame of the master who made this or that item of utensils. Since the brand and engraving were applied to the reverse side, the fork was also placed so that its origin could be seen from afar.

According to the third version, which is again associated with the English royal court, there was a tradition to cut all the corners of a sandwich served with tea. And so that, God forbid, the monarch would not suspect hostility towards his person, the fork was held only with the teeth down. For the same reason, the knife was placed with the blade inward to the plate, so that the presence of such a dangerous object on the table did not look like a threat.

Another interesting point, the modern European tradition involves holding the fork with the teeth down during the meal. Americans, on the other hand, prefer to use the e with the teeth up. This feature has been played up in several films, where American spies were discovered only because they ate with a fork, as is customary in their homeland. So, if you are an enemy agent, take the trouble to learn the traditions of the local population.

The fork was brought to Russia from Poland in 1606 by False Dmitry I in the luggage of Marina Mnishek and was defiantly used during a feast in the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin on the occasion of the marriage of False Dmitry with Marina. This caused an outburst of indignation among the boyars and the clergy, and served as one of the reasons for the preparation of Shuisky's conspiracy. As they say, the fork failed. She became a weighty argument proving to the common people the non-Russian origin of False Dmitry.

Traditionally, misfortune was attached to signs with a fork among the people - dropping the fork was considered the eve of misfortune, a bad omen. They spoke disapprovingly about the fork, as evidenced by the proverb: “With a spoon that is a net, and with a fork - like a milking”, that is, do not scoop anything.

Russia kept pace with the historical process in terms of forks. Even under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, as one European wrote in travel essays, “at dinner for each guest they put spoons and bread on the table, and a plate, knife and fork - only for honored guests.”

The son of Alexei Mikhailovich, Peter the Great, also contributed to the history of the fork in Rus'. It was not without his help that the Russian aristocracy recognized the fork in the 18th century. The publication “Russian Starina” for 1824 contains information about how the table was set for Peter I: “A wooden spoon seasoned with ivory, a knife and fork with green bone handles were always placed at the device, and the orderly orderly was charged with the duty to carry them with you and put it in front of the king, even if he happened to dine at a party. Apparently, Peter was not sure that even in the “best houses” he would be served the entire set of cutlery.

Modern tables are served with appliances, among which there can be a dozen types of forks: ordinary and snack, for meat, fish, side dishes, two-pronged - large and smaller, used for cutting meat fibers, special for cutting lobsters, a fork complete with a knife for oysters, forks in combination with spatulas - for asparagus ... All of them are of recent origin: XIX - early XX century. Books have been written about how to distinguish them and how to use them. And this is a separate conversation ...

In the 19th century a new method of gilding and silvering metals was invented - electroplating. Christofle (France) bought a patent for his invention from the author of the method, Count de Ruolz, and began to use electroforming in the production of cutlery. And since that time, a huge number of different forks, knives, spoons, spatulas and other beautiful, and most importantly functional table setting items have been developed and produced.
Today, in the production of cutlery, 18/10 steel is the main material. This is the most durable and durable material used even in medicine. Steel 18/10 serves as the basis for products with silver or gold plating.

Good spoons and forks should be at least 2.5 mm thick (measured at the end of the handle). There should be no sharp corners, such as between the tines of the forks. Everything should be smooth and fluid. In addition, an expensive fork can be immediately recognized by the presence of grooves at the base of the teeth, so that food is washed out more easily.

Despite all the variety of forks currently being manufactured, there are certain types, the purpose and method of use of which are determined:

Lemon fork - for shifting lemon slices. Has two sharp teeth.

Two-horned fork - for serving herring.

Fork for sprats with a wide base in the form of a spatula and five teeth, to prevent deformation of the fish connected at the ends with a bridge. Designed for shifting canned fish.

The device for crabs, crayfish, shrimp (knife, fork) is used when consuming crabs, crayfish and shrimp. The fork is long with two prongs at the end.

Fork for oysters, mussels and cold fish cocktails - one of the three prongs (left) is more powerful for easily separating the pulp of oysters and mussels from the shells.

Lobster needle - for eating lobster.

Chill fork - for hot appetizers from fish. It has three teeth, shorter and wider than those of the dessert.

Well? What other interesting story do you want to remember? Well, at least or The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

A fork is a simple household item, so familiar to modern man and easy to use, however, it has an interesting history. Just think, its use was once the subject of attacks and pamphlets. The following is a selection of entertaining facts from several online sources. All of them, despite some inconsistency, can give a clear picture of the worldview and views, including the time period we have chosen with regards to.

When did the fork appear? There is no definite answer to this question. The first mention of a fork is found in the 9th century in the Middle East. Such forks were huge and had only one sharp prong, later two. The ancient Romans used them to extract pieces of meat from a cauldron or brazier. These tools cannot yet be called forks in our understanding, since the noble patricians ate meat with their hands, along which fat flowed down to the elbows ...

Cooking set estimated to be 3,000 years old

The National Museum of Naples houses a fork found in one of the graves of the ancient city of Paestum in southwestern Italy. She is over two and a half thousand years old.

In 1072, in Byzantium in the city of Constantinople in the imperial palace, a single copy of a gold fork was made, its handle was decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay on ivory. This fork was intended for the Byzantine princess Maria of Iberia, the widow of Emperor Michael Doukas, who considered it humiliating to eat with her hands. The fork had two straight prongs, with which it was possible only to string, and not to scoop up food.

After 100 years, the fork came from Byzantium to Italy, where it was first made in two copies - for the Venetian Doge and the Pope.

Back in the 16th-18th centuries, the rules of good manners prescribed not to take meat with the whole five, especially with two hands, but only with three fingers; do not wipe your fingers on clothes, but rinse them in a special bowl of water ... At one time it was fashionable to eat with gloves to keep your hands clean. After dinner, soiled gloves were thrown away.

The first mention of forks in Europe dates back to the 14th century: for example, there were several forks in the treasury of the Duke of Breton, John II. True, they ate not meat, but fruits or fried cheese. Peter Galveston, a favorite of the English King Edward II, had 69 silver spoons and three forks with which he ate a pear. In the inventory of the wealth of the Hungarian Queen Clementia for 1328, thirty spoons and one fork of gold are mentioned. The French queen Jeanne d'Evreux left one fork, carefully packed in a chest, and 64 spoons upon her death. The fork becomes an essential attribute at the meals of the Italian nobility and merchants.

In France, the fork first appeared on the royal table during the reign of Charles V, more precisely in 1379. The first forks were brought to England in 1608 from Italy. Charles V had a number of gold forks with gem-encrusted shafts, which were used for rare desserts served in the most sophisticated courts of the time.

Small silver, often gilded, richly decorated forks for eating in the proportions and shapes in which we know them now came into use only by the middle of the 16th century, replacing two knives that were used at the table in “decent houses”.

Cutlery from the era of Louis XIV, made by Nicolas Bellier in 1680

In the pamphlet "Isle of Hermaphrodites", published at the end of the 16th century and directed against the minions of the French king Henry III, who adhered to non-traditional sexual orientation, it is said as something extraordinary that they never touched the meat with their hands, but used forks, "which no matter what the cost to them." However, already in the 17th century, the fork began to win its place on the banquet table.

Attempts to introduce the fork into use met with stubborn resistance from the Church. The Catholic Church, calling the fork "excessive luxury", did not welcome its use - its use at the courts of monarchs was considered as godlessness or even a connection with the devil.

Rococo knife and fork, circa 1730-1750

In Russia, the fork appeared in 1606, and Marina Mnishek brought it. At her wedding feast in the Kremlin, Marina shocked the Russian boyars and clergy with a fork. This fork was cited as one of the arguments for a popular uprising against False Dmitry. Since the tsar and the tsarina eat not with their hands, but with some kind of horn, it means that they are not Russians, but the product of the devil. Even the word fork itself finally entered the Russian language only in the 18th century, and until that time this object was called "horn" and "wilts". Until now, superstitions reflect a wary attitude towards the fork - it is believed that it cannot be given as a sign of arrogance.

Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, as one European wrote in travel essays, “at dinner for each guest they put spoons and bread on the table, and a plate, a knife; and a fork - only for honored guests.

The son of Alexei Mikhailovich, Peter the Great, also contributed to the history of the fork in Rus'. It was not without his help that the Russian aristocracy recognized the fork in the 18th century. The publication "Russian Antiquity" for 1824 contains information on how the table was set for Peter I:

“A wooden spoon seasoned with ivory, a knife and a fork with green bone handles were always placed at his device, and the orderly on duty was charged with the duty to carry them with him and put them in front of the king, even if he happened to dine at a party.” Apparently, Peter was not sure that even in the “best houses” he would be served the entire set of cutlery.

Replica cutlery from 1747-1776

Modern tables are served with devices, among which there can be a dozen types of forks: ordinary and snack, for meat, fish, side dishes, two-pronged - large and smaller, used for cutting meat fibers, special for cutting lobsters, a fork complete with a knife for oysters, forks combined with spatulas - for asparagus ... All of them are of recent origin: XIX - early XX century.

First fork of England

In 1608, the Englishman Thomas Coryat visited Italy. During the trip, he kept a diary in which he wrote down everything that struck him especially strongly. He described the splendor of the Venetian palaces, standing in the middle of the water, and the beauty of the marble temples of Ancient Rome, and the formidable grandeur of Vesuvius. But one thing amazed Coryat more than all the beauties of Italy put together.

There is this entry in his diary: “When Italians eat meat, they use small pitchforks made of iron or steel, and sometimes of silver. Italians cannot be forced to eat with their hands. They think it's not good because not everyone's hands are clean."

Before heading home, Koryat acquired such a pitchfork. The fork he bought was little like a modern one. This fork had only two prongs, and the handle, adorned with a knob at the end, was very tiny. In general, this instrument resembled rather a tuning fork.

Arriving home, Coryat decided to show off his purchase to friends and acquaintances. At a dinner party, he pulled a fork out of his pocket and began to eat the Italian way.

All eyes turned to him. And when he explained what kind of thing he had in his hands, everyone wanted to take a closer look at the Italian tool for eating. The fork went around the entire table. The ladies admired the elegant finish, the men were surprised at the inventiveness of the Italians, but everyone unanimously decided that the Italians are big eccentrics, that it is very inconvenient to eat with a fork.

Thomas Coryat tried to argue, arguing that it is not good to take meat with your hands, that not everyone's hands are clean. This caused widespread outrage. Does Mr Coryat think that in England no one washes their hands before eating? Are the ten fingers given by nature not enough for us, and must we add two artificial fingers to them? Let him show how easy it is to deal with these ridiculous pitchforks.

Koryat wanted to show his art. But the very first piece of meat he took from the dish flopped from the fork onto the tablecloth. There was no end to laughter and jokes. The poor traveler had to hide his fork back in his pocket.

It took at least fifty years before forks became fashionable in England.
(c) compiled from the Internet publications by N. Konopleva, "Science and Life" No. 1, 2003;
E. Kolodochnikova, "Popular Science Historical Journal".

The history of cutlery begins with the oldest cutlery, the knife. There is an opinion that it was a bone or stone knife, and not a stick, that became the first tool of a skilled person. For many millennia, the knife was used as a weapon, for hunting and all kinds of work, but already about 5000 years ago, special table knives appeared. Until the Middle Ages, people carried personal utility knives with them, which they used not only at the table, but also at work. In the 15th and 16th centuries, expensive gold knives with expensive wood handles appeared on the tables of noble people. Over time, only the materials changed in the knives, new forms of the blade and handle appeared. Simple bronze knives with a wooden handle and exquisite silver and gold knives with luxurious inlaid handles gave way to universal steel knives with plastic handles. As for the shape of the knife, the first table knives made of copper and bronze differ only slightly in shape from modern ones. Until the 17th century, only knives with sharpened blades existed. The rounded bases of the blades, according to legend, appeared on the orders of Louis XIV to prevent the habit of courtiers picking their teeth and eating from a knife. Despite the fact that the folding knife seems to be a recent invention, it was invented by the Romans in the 1st century for use during military campaigns and travel. The custom that soon appeared of carrying a knife in a sheath prevented the further development of pocket knives. At the end of the 16th century, the folding knife again became necessary for travelers and soldiers as a weapon, a tool for defense and cutlery.

The second cutlery after the knife was the spoon. It is not known exactly when the first spoons appeared, because they were made from clay, wood chips, nut shells or shells. Until now, in remote parts of the world, people use shells to scoop up liquid food, and in Latin and ancient Greek the word "spoon" is derived from "snail shell". Already starting from the III millennium BC. spoons made of horn, wood and fish bones appeared. Ancient Roman nobility already used golden spoons. In Egypt, spoons for the nobility were made of precious metals, ivory and stone, commoners used wooden spoons, and more often they ate with their hands. In Southeast Asia, beautiful spoons were made from crystals and later from porcelain. In Europe, mainly wooden spoons were made. The Anglo-Saxon word for "spoon" (spoon) has the same root as "splinter". The history of cutlery in Rus' suggests that the spoon came into use by ordinary people much earlier than in Europe. It was customary to carry your own wooden spoon with you until the 19th century. There were many variants of wooden spoons from coarse burlatsky ones to thin and carved pointed ones. The first mention of silver spoons in Rus' dates back to 988, when the warriors of Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko demanded large silver spoons as compensation for the adoption of a new faith.

Although the Romans, who spread cutlery throughout the Roman Empire, preferred oval-shaped spoons with a long handle, spoons with a round notch and a short handle convenient for gripping spread in Europe, and only in the 15-17th centuries did elongated oval-shaped spoons begin to appear again. A significant lengthening of the handle occurred at a time when puffy collars and frills were in vogue. With the advent of wigs and crinolines, the handles of spoons took on an elegant shape and length familiar to us. In the middle of the 19th century, flat-handled spoons appeared because they could be held elegantly with three fingers. At the same time, the custom appeared to place figures of 12 apostles on the handles of expensive spoons. (That's why the sets were formed for 12 people.) For christening, a baby was given a silver spoon with the image of the apostle, in whose honor he is named. Until now, this custom has been preserved in many Christian countries. In Russia, however, it was modified into a gift of a silver spoon in honor of the first tooth.

Cutlery has been a work of art for a very long time, as the history of cutlery tells. "Silverware" was a symbol of aristocracy and distinguished commoners from the nobility not only by the presence of luxury items, but also by the ability to use cutlery and observe etiquette. In an old English magazine, you can find advice: make a hole in a silver teaspoon to teach a child to use it only for stirring sugar and catching tea leaves, but not for drinking tea or pouring sugar. At the end of the 18th century, metal spoons ceased to be a sign of the nobility; in any family there were spoons made of bronze or tin. At the beginning of the 19th century, an alloy of copper with nickel and zinc was invented, which was very similar to silver and was called argentan, alfenide or cupronickel. Cupronickel spoons quickly gained popularity in Europe and Russia. In the middle of the 19th century, there was a period of enthusiasm for aluminum appliances, which are now associated with Soviet catering. At the table of Napoleon III, aluminum spoons were served only to the emperor and the most respected guests, everyone else had to eat with gilded utensils.

The fork is the youngest cutlery. The prototype of the modern fork appeared in ancient Greece. It was a fairly large tool with two sharp teeth for pulling meat out of the fryer and serving complex hot dishes. In addition to two-pronged forks, pikes and skewers were used for serving, on which meat was served. They didn't use forks to eat, but ate with their hands. At Roman feasts, it was customary to wear special gloves or pointed fingertips to keep the hands clean. In the 7th century, small forks with two prongs appeared in Turkey, in the 10th century - in Byzantium, from where they spread throughout Europe. Due to their resemblance to devil horns and the inconvenience to use, forks were almost forgotten during the Middle Ages. And in some countries, forks were even banned by decree of the Pope. In the 14th and 16th centuries, forks were considered a whim of the rich. In France, at that time, they just stopped eating from a knife and used a single-pronged fork (awl) to prick pieces of food. Even in the early 17th century, English gentlemen considered the fork to be superfluous and preferred to use their fingers. According to the etiquette of that time, the meat was elegantly taken with three fingers, after which they were rinsed in a special bowl. Only at the end of the 17th century, when conveniently curved forks with three and four prongs appeared, did they become an essential attribute of high society. It is generally accepted that forks appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I, however, at the court of his father, Alexei Mikhailovich, these devices were already served to honored foreign guests. And the first fork was brought to Russia by Marina Mnishek, the wife of False Dmitry, and this did not at all contribute to her popularity among the people. Russian aristocrats were taught to use a fork just during the reign of Peter I, who carried his cutlery with him, not being sure that he would be served the same at a party. In Russian, until the 18th century, there was not even a word for “fork”, and the device was called a horn or a fork. Russian peasants were wary of forks until the beginning of the 20th century, considering an overseas device uncomfortable and superfluous at a simple peasant table.

Medieval noble travelers carried folding forks and spoons, as cutlery was not given to guests in inns. Travel cutlery compactly fit into a beautiful case and fastened to a belt.

In the middle of the 18th - early 19th century, Europe learned a huge number of new products, recipes for gourmet dishes were developed that required due attention. As a result, many types of specialized knives, spoons and forks appeared, and, accordingly, the rules of etiquette became more complicated. In the 20th century, the reverse movement began: towards the simplification and unification of cutlery. The fork-spoon (spork), invented at the beginning of the 19th century, became widespread. This device has a liquid recess and 2 or 3 teeth. Plastic spoons are commonly served in fast food restaurants. They are great for eating ice cream and desserts. Another version of the fork-spoon: there is a fork at one end of the handle, a spoon at the other. There is even a device that combines a spoon, fork and knife (splayd). Like a simple fork-spoon, it combines a liquid indentation with teeth and, in addition, has a sharp right edge, which makes it unsuitable for left-handers.

It seems natural to us that the main cutlery is a knife, spoon and fork. However, less than half of the world's population use them. The rest prefer to eat with chopsticks, a knife and hands or just hands. From this it follows that chopsticks are the most common cutlery on earth.

It is not known when the first chopsticks appeared, perhaps their prototype was twigs, which were used to put hot stones in pieces of raw food wrapped in leaves or turned food over on fire. Initially, chopsticks were made from split bamboo and resembled tongs. The commanders of the Asian nomadic tribes tied a case with such tongs and a knife to their belt. The Mongolian tribes never switched to using separate sticks. The oldest split sticks found in China are made of bronze and date back to the 12th century BC. In ancient times, chopsticks were used in religious ceremonies and symbolized wealth and high birth. Only in the 8th-9th centuries AD. they have become everyday cutlery. The Chinese name for the sticks is kuaizu (kuàizi), which literally means "quick bamboo". Bamboo is the most suitable material for chopsticks, as it has no odor or taste of its own, does not conduct heat, and is relatively cheap. Sticks were also made from sandalwood, cedar, pine, teak, jade, agate, coral, ivory and precious metals. Interestingly, the ancient name of sticks (zhù) sounded the same as “stop”, so on ships, and later everywhere, it was replaced with a word with the opposite meaning “quickly”.

Not surprisingly, it was chopsticks that became popular in Southeast Asia, and not other devices. Indeed, in oriental cuisines, the reception of short-term frying of products in a rounded wok pan prevails, which is explained by the lack of fuel for long processing. To fry meat and vegetables in a few minutes, they should be finely chopped. In addition, Japanese rice, common in this region, is very sticky, it is convenient to eat it with chopsticks.

Over the many centuries of the existence of sticks, several varieties of them have appeared. Long metal or bamboo sticks (up to 40 cm) are used for cooking, short ones (20-25 cm) are used for eating. Sticks ending in a blunt end are intended for rice and vegetables, as they have an additional surface; Pointed chopsticks are convenient for eating meat and removing bones from fish. Raw wood or bamboo sticks have antibacterial properties and hold food pieces better, as they have a rough texture; it is more difficult to eat with metal, porcelain and lacquered sticks made of precious wood or ivory. These sticks are real works of art that require experience in handling. In China, sticks made of raw wood or bamboo with blunt ends are common; in Japan, it is customary to eat with lacquered, pointed hashi sticks, convenient for fish, with sticks for men, women and children varying in size, and children's sticks are also brightly colored. In Japan, chopsticks are placed on stands with their sharp ends up. Tibetan and Taiwanese sticks are shaped like unsharpened pencils. In Korea, they make flat stainless steel sticks and additionally use a deep spoon for noodles. Traditionally, Korean chopsticks were made of silver and used only by the aristocracy. Asian restaurants usually serve disposable chopsticks held together with a bridge, which should be separated before use.

According to etiquette, chopsticks should not make sounds to attract attention. They can not pierce food, with the exception of whole vegetables, which are difficult to capture. Chopsticks should not be left vertically inserted into a bowl of rice, as this is reminiscent of the incense burned at a funeral. For the same reason, chopsticks should not be placed to the left of the plate, because this is how a memorial dish is served. Even left-handers are supposed to hold chopsticks in their right hand. During dinner, it is impolite to place chopsticks in such a way that they point at a neighbor. In China and Vietnam, it is acceptable to hold a bowl to the mouth and use chopsticks not to grab the rice, but simply to push it into the mouth, but in Korea, this behavior is considered uncivilized. In Japan, it is not allowed to transfer anything from one chopstick to another. To shift food from a common plate, a special pair of chopsticks is used. In extreme cases, you can use the reverse side of individual sticks. After the meal is finished, you should put the chopsticks in front of the plate with the ends to the left. Chinese and Japanese children start eating with chopsticks at around one year of age. It is believed that this develops fine motor skills and affects the ability of the child.