40: History of Forks

Activity 1. Read the fact below

Constantly evolving for the past millennium or so, kitchen forks trace their origins way back from once upon a time in ancient Greece. The prototypical fork was enormous, with two tines that aided in the carving and serving of meat. They kept it from twisting or shaking whilst preparing in the kitchen and enabled food to slide off more easily than it would with knives. At the turn of the 17th century, royal courts in the Muslim realm of the Middle East began employing forks in dining. In another century, the Byzantine world inherited forks as symbols of wealth and nobility. In a matrimonial alliance with the Byzantine, forks were adapted by the Italians. Succeeding a long dormant period, the kitchen utensil found its way into France upon the marriage of Catherine de Medicis to Henry II. The fork was not introduced to the English world until Thomas Coryate brought them to England in the 17th century and withstood the cultural rejection it met in the beginning.

Activity 2. Answer the questions below

• Where did forks originate?
• What was their initial use?
• When did the Muslims begin using forks while dining?
• What did forks symbolize in the Byzantine period?
• Who introduced forks to the English world?