Understand the historical evolution of western tableware in one minute

Compared with Chinese food, Western tableware has a wide variety of types and complicated procedures, but in fact, before the 13th century, Europeans still used their hands to eat, and they also set some rules for themselves: Romans would use the number of fingers to eat. To distinguish identities, for example, commoners can only use five fingers downward, while nobles can only use three fingers, and the ring finger and little finger cannot touch food. This dining etiquette continued into the 16th century. Today's western tableware includes large plates, small plates, shallow dishes, deep dishes, forks for salads, forks for meat, spoons for soup, spoons for desserts, etc. The development of these tableware is actually related to the use of the hands of the Europeans before eating. The tableware has become an extension of the hand. For example, the plate is the expansion of the entire palm; the fork is the finger. fork The fork used for eating began in the 11th century in Tusca, Italy, and the first fork had only two tines. At that time, people did not think that having a fork was a good thing. On the contrary, people at that time believed that human beings should touch the food given by God with their hands, and believed that the rich Tasca people were tempted by Satan to create tableware. A blasphemous act. In the 12th century, the Archbishop of the Earl of Canter in England introduced the fork to the people of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom, but the nobles at that time did not like to eat with a fork, but only held the fork in their hands for duels. By the 14th century, forks were still a rarity for the Anglo-Saxons, and Edward I had seven forks made of gold and silver. For most Europeans at the time, they preferred to use a knife to cut food into pieces and then pick it up with their hands and eat it into their mouths. They still thought that eating with a fork was a woman and sissy behavior. In the 18th century, French aristocrats began to prefer eating with forks, so forks became a symbol of status, luxury, and sophistication, and then gradually became a must-have tableware. table knife Western food cooking likes to cut food into large pieces. When individuals enjoy it, they can cut food into different size pieces according to different preferences. This is completely different from Eastern eating habits, especially Chinese food. Determine the shape of the food before cooking, such as shredded meat, sliced ​​meat, and then carry out subsequent processing. As a member of tableware, table knives have appeared in human history very early. Many years ago, human ancestors would use knives made of stones to cut barbecue, or to defend themselves against enemies, and knives for different purposes. It is a symbol of status and status, and generally only leaders can use knives for different purposes. Time came to the period of Louis XIII in France, when a grand duke made great improvements in the form of table knives. In France at that time, the top of the knife was not the oval blunt we are familiar with today, but a very sharp tip, so many French bureaucrats and politicians used the other end of the knife when they were eating. To pick teeth, the grand duke saw such a scene and thought it was very rude, so he ordered people to sharpen the tip of the kitchen knife into an oval shape, and it was not allowed to use it for tooth picking. This practice was popular all over France for a while. , and gradually evolved into the table knife we ​​see now. spoon The history of spoons is even longer, which can be traced back to Paleolithic Asia, and spoons made of wood, stone, ivory, gold and other materials have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. The nobles of Greece and Rome liked to use spoons made of copper and silver. In Italy in the 15th century, when baptizing children, the most popular gift was the "baptism spoon", which made the guardian angel into a spoon handle, meaning protection and blessing.

How many types of stainless steel tableware are there?

Stainless steel Chinese tableware, stainless steel western tableware Chinese style: mainly gold and silverware used in hotels. Western style: mainly the knife, fork and spoon used in western food are mostly used in western restaurants.

Western tableware placement standard

Meal preparation before table service is the arrangement of the utensils before the guests arrive. The way the tableware is arranged is based on the menu content. According to the Western food menu, there are so-called regular meals, that is, set meals, loose meals, or ordering, and large meals, which are banquets. The tableware changes according to the content and time of the food, and there are certain rules. Now, the arrangement of a set of tableware for a set meal is described as follows: (1) The range of tableware placement is based on the table top used by each guest 24 inches horizontally and 16 inches straight. (2) When the chassis is used for dinner, it is pre-placed in the center of the guest seat, and the edge of the plate is no more than 1/4 inch away from the edge of the table. (3) A table knife, placed on the right side of the chassis, with the edge of the knife facing the chassis. (4) One spoon, placed on the right outer side of the knife, with the center of the spoon facing upwards. (5) Two forks, a lettuce fork on the left inner side of the chassis, followed by a table fork on the left outer side, with the tines pointing upwards. (6) One dessert fork and one spoon each, placed on the front and upper end of the chassis; in fact, the dessert fork and spoon are not required to be placed on the table, they can be brought to the table before or at the same time as the dessert is served. (7) The bread and butter plate is placed on the left front of the fork, and a butter knife is placed horizontally on the plate, parallel to the fork. (8) The drink cup is placed in the central position of the upper end of the knife. (9) The condiments and ashtrays are placed in the center of the dining table, and the two-seater table against the wall is placed on the edge near the wall. ●Notes: (1) All cutlery for each person should be arranged neatly on the base plate. Since the diameter of the base plate is 101/2 inches, the distance between the knife and the fork is 11 inches, and the distance between the table edge and the edge of the table should be 1/4 inches. . (2) The napkin is perfectly folded and placed on the chassis. If there is no chassis, it can be placed in the middle of the knife and fork.

How to sterilize newly bought stainless steel tableware

The temperature of steam is higher than that of boiling water, so it can be used to sterilize stainless steel dishes. The specific method of sterilizing stainless steel tableware with water steam is to separate the stainless steel tableware with a bracket when the water is boiled, and put the stainless steel tableware on it and steam for 2-3 minutes. Sterilizing with steam can not only shorten the time, but also have a better sterilization effect.

Western dining etiquette

1. The most appropriate way to sit is from the left side. When the chair is pulled away, the body is standing upright at a distance that almost touches the table, the leader will push the chair in, and when the legs are bent against the chair behind, they can sit down. When seated, the body should be straight, the elbows should not be placed on the table, and the feet should not be crossed. Do not fiddle with the tableware already placed on the dining table. Gently fold the napkin in half on your lap. 2. When using a knife and fork to eat, take the knife and fork from the outside to the inside, hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right; when cutting things, hold the fork in the left hand and hold the food, and hold the knife in the right hand to cut it into small pieces and send it into the mouth with a fork middle. When using a knife, the blade must not face outwards. When putting down the knife and fork during the meal, it should be placed in the shape of "eight" and placed on the side of the plate. The blade is facing itself, indicating that it will continue to eat. After each meal, place the knife and fork close together on the plate. If it's a conversation, you can hold a knife and fork without putting it down. When not using a knife, you can hold a fork in your right hand, but if you need to make a gesture, you should put down the knife and fork. Never shake the knife and fork in the air, and do not hold a knife or fork in one hand and a napkin in the other hand. Do not hold a wine glass in one hand and a fork in the other to take vegetables. Remember, at no time should one end of a knife and fork be placed on the plate and the other end on the table. When eating, rest your upper arms and back against the back of the chair, and keep your stomach about a fist distance from the table. Sitting with your feet crossed is best avoided. 3. Don't sip when you drink soup, and keep your mouth shut and chew when you eat. Do not lick or smack your lips to make noise. If the soup is overheated, it can be eaten after it has cooled down a bit. Do not blow it with your mouth. When drinking soup, use a spoon to scoop from the inside to the outside. When the soup in the soup plate is almost finished, use your left hand to slightly tilt the outside of the soup plate and scoop it up with a spoon. When you are done eating your soup, leave the spoon in the soup plate (bowl) with the handle pointing towards you. 4. When eating dishes with spines or bones, such as fish and meat, do not spit directly out. You can cover your mouth with a napkin and gently spit it on the fork and put it in the plate. If there is a small amount of dishes left on the plate, do not scrape the bottom of the plate with a fork, let alone eat with your fingers, but use a small piece of bread or a fork to eat. When eating noodles, use a fork to roll up the noodles first and then put them in your mouth. 5. The bread is generally broken into small pieces and sent to the mouth, do not bite the whole piece of bread. When spreading butter and jam, also break the bread into small pieces before spreading. 6. When eating chicken, European and American people mostly value chicken breast meat. When eating chicken thighs, you should first remove the bones with force, and do not eat them with your hands. When eating fish, do not turn the fish over. After eating the upper layer, use a knife and fork to remove the bones of the fish and then eat the lower layer. When eating meat, you should cut a piece and eat a piece. The piece should not be cut too large, or the meat should be cut into pieces at one time. . 7. If you are willing to add milk or sugar when drinking coffee, use a small spoon to stir evenly after adding, and place the small spoon on the coffee plate. When drinking, you should hold the cup handle in your right hand and a saucer in your left hand, and drink directly with your mouth, instead of scooping spoon by spoon. When eating fruit, don't bite the whole fruit, you should first cut it into four pieces with a fruit knife, then use a knife to remove the skin and core, and eat it with a fork. 8. When eating meat with bones with a knife and fork, you can eat it with your hands. If you want to eat more elegantly, it is better to use a knife. Use a fork to hold the whole piece of meat in place (you can turn the fork up and press the back of the fork against the meat), then insert a knife along the bone to cut the meat open. It is best to eat it as you cut it. When you must eat with your hands, hand soap is attached. When hand soap is served with bone-in meat, it means "please eat with your hands". After eating with your fingers, wash your fingers in a bowl of hand soap. When eating ordinary dishes, if you get your fingers dirty, you can also ask the waiter to bring hand-washing water, and pay attention to wash your hands gently. 9. Don't dip the bread into the sauce until there is no sauce left. This is a courtesy to the chef. Be car

Precautions for using stainless steel cutlery:

Stainless steel tableware should not hold salt, soy sauce, vinegar, vegetable soup, etc. for a long time, because these foods contain a lot of electrolytes. If they are stored for a long time, stainless steel tableware will also chemically react with these electrolytes like other metals, causing harmful effects. metal elements are dissolved out. Do not use strong alkaline or strong oxidizing chemicals such as baking soda, bleaching powder, sodium hypochlorite, etc. to wash stainless steel tableware. Because these substances are strong electrolytes, they will also chemically react with stainless steel. Stainless steel utensils should not be burnt empty. Compared with iron and aluminum products, stainless steel tableware and stainless steel cookware have lower thermal conductivity and slower heat transfer time. Empty burning will cause the aging and falling off of the chrome-plated layer on the surface of the cookware.