The term “couverts,” used to refer to knives, spoons, and forks, is believed to have appeared during the Renaissance. One of the hypotheses regarding its origin comes from the medieval expression “mettre le couvert” (set the table): while all the diners used to serve themselves from a single shared dish, kings and lords, fearing poisoning, ordered that the dishes be covered before they were served.
They were presented “à couvert” (covered). This habit eventually extended to the entire table, and the nobles began covering their utensils with a case. Gradually, with changing dining customs, the wealthy started having their coats of arms engraved on their “couverts,” which now had to be displayed to show their status—forks with the tines downward in France and upward in England due to the placement of the engraving. But do you know when and where they really originated? And how long have they actually been in use? Discover the history of couverts.
Eating With Fingers but Serving With Utensils!
Knives are certainly among the first utensils to have appeared, descended from the oldest human tools such as “modified pebbles,” which can be dated back to the Lower Paleolithic era (between 3.3 million and 300,000 years ago), as early as the Bronze Age. Spoons, on the other hand, could have quickly evolved from any object designed for scooping liquids. The Latin word “cochlearium” is actually derived from “cochlea,” meaning “snail shell.”
However, while in ancient Greece, Poseidon wielded a trident, Greeks used their hands, spoons to serve sauces from a communal dish, or knife tips. There were no forks. The first traces of an object used as a fork appear in Constantinople around 350, then from the 8th or 9th century onwards, they were used by Persian nobles. Its use was also observed in the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century, with illustrated manuscripts depicting men using an instrument with two prongs at the table.
The object, equipped with two prongs and a long handle, is said to have arrived in Italy via Theodora Komnene Angelina, a Byzantine princess who came to marry the Doge of Venice around 1056. However, the adoption of the “fork” was limited to high society. During the Middle Ages, slices of stale bread called “trenchers” were used as plates, and food could be brought directly to the mouth in this manner. Knives and spoons were used to handle what one hand could not.
Legend has it that it was Catherine de’ Medici, traveling from Italy to marry the future Henry II in 1538, who introduced the fork to the French court. According to Montaigne’s writings from the 1570s, it occasionally served as a symbol of refinement, particularly for desserts. Upon returning from a trip to Venice, her son, Henry III, also adopted it in 1574. It is sometimes said that the king, wearing the ruffled collar of the time, used it to avoid staining his attire.
The Fork Was Initially Rejected
The fork had even been seen some time before at the courts of Francis I and Charles V. However, with Henri III, it was particularly rejected, considered effeminate by his opponents, and seen as a sign of degeneracy. The clergy called it the “devil’s instrument,” inciting gluttony.
Nevertheless, its usage slowly gained acceptance. While Louis XIV criticized it, Queen Marie-Theresa of Austria used it to convey food to her mouth. The Sun King himself preferred to eat with his fingers, and each guest had one fork, although it was not frequently used. Louis XVI, on the other hand, forbade his children, who had been encouraged by their tutors to use the utensil, from doing so.
It wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that the aristocracy began to buy silverware sets—to the point where those who didn’t possess them were criticized. In the Age of Enlightenment, the fork went from having two to four tines.
By the early 19th century, it was firmly established on French tables, especially in bourgeois households, with the development of dining etiquette and tableware. Utensils became ornate objects meant to signify one’s status and impress guests. Among the working classes, the primary utensil remained the spoon, used for heartier dishes.
Ultimately, it was the evolution of cuisine and attitudes towards food that brought the fork to the entire population. In the 19th century, people began using utensils to transfer food from their plates, particularly for hygiene reasons. This shift was facilitated by the invention of silver-plating techniques, which allowed for the use of materials other than silver, a metal that was scarce in the 18th century. As soon as it arrived next to the plate, the knife also acquired its pointed end.
3.3 Billion People Use Cutlery
Today, cutlery has become widespread in Europe and some parts of the world. According to data compiled by Le Monde’s Decoders, nearly 3.3 billion people exclusively or partially use cutlery for eating. However, nearly 3.5 billion people, primarily in the entire African continent and in countries in Asia and South America, do without it entirely.
The fork, in the end, has become “exotic” in the countries where it originated. In China, for example, where it was used early on for several centuries, it was banned as early as the 3rd century and replaced by chopsticks, following the recommendations of Confucius, according to China Daily.
Cutlery was indeed considered barbaric and dangerous, mainly due to the possibility of guests turning them into weapons and the fear of assassinations. As a Chinese proverb goes, “We sit at the table to eat, not to carve up animals.
Further reading:
- Chopsticks. China Daily.
- et Pierre Breteau, W. A. (n.d.). Fourchette, doigts, baguettes. . . avec quoi se nourrissent les 7,5 milliards d’humains ? Le Monde.fr.