Did You Know....? - Food for Thought

Whereas the spoon dates back thousands of years, the fork was not invented until the 11th century, and was not accepted until the 18th century. For centuries, clergymen had condemned the use of the fork, arguing that only human fingers, created by God, should touch God's bounty. Also, the use of a fork by men was considered effeminate. Finally in the 18th century, aristocrats used forks at separate place settings to distinguish themselves from the lower classes who still shared bowls and glasses.