25 Facts About Spoons

If you're eating soup, cereal, or ice cream, you'll need your trusty spoon! It's one of the world's oldest eating utensils, dating back to the Paleolithic era. But did you know there's more to the spoon than meets the eye?! Continue reading to discover 25 fascinating facts.

Fact 2: First and foremost, a spoon is a cooking utensil with a shallow oval shape at the end of its handle.

It's a basic cutlery item that's mostly used for serving.

Fact 2: Spoons can be used for a variety of activities in the kitchen, including mixing, stirring, and tossing ingredients.

Metal, wood, porcelain, and plastic are used to make modern spoons.

Fact 3: There are more than 50 different kinds of spoons on the planet!

Dessert spoons, baby spoons, teaspoons, tablespoons, and soup spoons are all included.

Fact 4: The word spoon is derived from the Greek word "cochlea," which refers to a spiral-shaped snail shell.

The word "spoon" has an Anglo-Saxon sense of "wood splinter or chip."

Fact 5: According to archeological reports, spoons with handles were used for religious purposes in ancient Egypt as early as 1000 BC.

Most spoons were made of ivory, flint, wood, or slate at the time. Ornate decorations and hieroglyphics decorated the spoons as well.

Fact 6: During the Greek and Roman empires, bronze and silver spoons were popular in the homes of the rich.

This was so up to and including the Middle Ages.

Fact 7: Spoons were first used in England in 1259, according to historical records.

It was a critical item in King Edward I's cabinet.

Fact 8: In the 1200s, spoons were used in ornate rituals in Britain, much as they were in Egypt.

Spoons symbolized wealth and strength in addition to being an eating utensil. Every new British king, for example, must be anointed with a ceremonial spoon before being crowned.

Fact 9: Spoons were commonly given as christening gifts during the Stuart and Tudor periods.

This is referred to as a "Apostle Spoon."

Fact 10: A christened infant and their parents will receive a gift of 12 spoons from the wealthy. If you were bad, you would give them just one spoon.

A 13th spoon, nicknamed the "Master Spoon," can be inserted at any time. It also despises Jesus Christ's figure.

Fact 11: Spoons were only introduced to modern tables in the 18th century.

Spoons came in a range of shapes and sizes, ranging from soup spoons to caviar spoons.

Fact 12: Spoon derivatives known as "sporks" and "sports" are now available.

They pair the spoon's bowl with the tines of a fork and the knife's cutting tip.

Fact 13: Food is often measured with spoons.

Aside from baking, spoons are widely used to administer drugs to patients since they can be adapted to the dosage of the drug.

Fact 14: Spoons are sold all over the world as souvenirs and collector's items.

Antique spoons can fetch up to $2500.

Fact 15: Metal spoons are usually made using a flat metal sheet that is cut and formed into spoons using dies.

The basic shape is cut out of a sheet of sterling silver, nickel silver alloy, or stainless steel for machine-made spoons.

Fact 16: When stirring with a spoon, most people do so in a circular motion to keep the ingredients from sticking to the dish.

Muddled drinks are made by grinding and combining ingredients like mint and sugar on the bottom of a bottle or mixer with a spoon.

Fact 17: Spoons, forks, and knives were often kept in knife boxes in the 18th century.

These boxes are usually made of wood with a slanted top and ornate designs.

Fact 18: A ship-shaped ornamental utensil called a "nef" will hold a napkin, knife, and spoon on the table.

Some nefs were used solely for decoration, while others were used to preserve condiments.

Fact 19: In 2009, the short film "Spoon" portrayed a killer who used spoons as his primary weapon.

It has over 34 million views on Youtube and has received several Youtube awards, including #5 – Top Favorited of All Time in Film & Animation and #11 Top Rated of All Time in Film & Animation.

Fact 20: In the 2003 film "The Room," spoons were depicted in a number of scenes.

Throughout the film, there were several images of silver spoons in different settings.

Fact 21: Forks and spoons are often used together.

Forks are kitchen utensils with a long handle that terminates in a head that branches into many short, slightly curved tines. Food is speared with forks or kept while cutting with a knife.

Fact 22: Spoons were crafted from cow horns, wood, brass, and pewter in Medieval Europe.

Durable metal spoons began to replace wooden spoons around the 15th century.

Fact 23: Spoons were also used for religious purposes.

A Cochlear spoon is a religious spoon used to serve consecrated wine in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Fact 24: There's also a spoon made especially for eating caviar.

Since silver appears to alter the flavor of caviar, most caviar spoons are made of mother of pearl, gold, wood, or animal horn.

Fact 25: There are over 5,400 spoons in the world's largest spoon set.

The Lambert Castle Museum in Paterson, New Jersey, houses the extensive collection of the Passaic County Historical Society.

Do you like these facts? The No Spoons Only Knives Shirt Spoon Theory Shirt might interest you.

Read next: The Different Types of Kitchen Knives and Their Use