# Eating Utensils

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 19, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630 "2003-07-19T20:29:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630/1 "2003-07-19T20:29:34Z")

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At what point in human history did eating utensils come into use?  
Why is eating some foods with the fingers o.k.,while eating other foods with the fingers frowned upon?  
🆒

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**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630/2 "2003-07-19T20:51:31Z")

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[The History of Eating Utensils](http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/utensil/)

Don’t know about your second question, though I’ve always liked the idea of [eating asparagus with your fingers](http://www.cuisinenet.com/digest/custom/etiquette/finger_food.shtml).

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**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630/3 "2003-07-19T20:52:48Z")

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The arrival of eating utensils varies widely between different cultures. I’d venture that China was among the first to use them in the form of chopsticks.

Eating with one’s hands fell out of favor as more societies began to link (a lack of) personal hygeine with disease and poor food handling practices.

Forks were used in the Middle East before the year 1,000. Chopsticks were used in China up to 5,000 years ago.

Research Islamic traditions about using only the right hand to eat with if you want some background on dining without utensils.

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**Author:** ![NadaHappyCamper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/278dde/32.png) [@NadaHappyCamper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NadaHappyCamper)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630/4 "2003-07-19T20:58:32Z")

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thanks to earthling ,looks like a couple of interesting links,and to zenster,the question came to mind when i was eating Pho trying to use chopsticks.

```
   catch me later.
                 nadahappycamper
```

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**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630/5 "2003-07-19T21:11:40Z")

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What the phô?

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**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630/6 "2003-07-19T21:15:17Z")

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pho-geddaboutit.

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**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-utensils/189630/7 "2003-07-19T21:40:20Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Earthling \*  
> **[The History of Eating Utensils](http://www.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/utensil/)**

The link about forks doesn’t address much of their history in the US. Like the British, Americans thought that a fork was a fancified way of eating, and until around 1850 or so, only the rich ate with forks. (Large forks were sometimes used in cooking, though.) The common man made do with a spoon and knife.