Fun Facts About Dishes and Utensils
The common dishes and utensils used every day have a complex and fascinating history. The word "cutlery" itself traces back to the Old French word for "knife," coutel. Many of these tools were originally designed for different purposes. Chopsticks, for example, were first invented around 1200 BCE as long, bronze cooking tongs for retrieving food from hot pots, not as eating utensils. The spoon is likely the oldest utensil, with early versions being simple seashells or a "spon"—the Old English word for a "chip of wood."
Even plates have a varied past. In medieval Europe, the most common…
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