What is cutlery?
Q: What is cutlery?
A: Cutlery refers to tools used for preparing, serving and eating food.
Q: What are the most common types of cutlery?
A: The most common types of cutlery are knives, spoons, and forks.
Q: What other words are used for cutlery?
A: Other words for cutlery are silverware, tableware, utensils, and flatware.
Q: What materials are used in making the best quality cutlery?
A: The best quality cutlery may be made of silver, but more often silver plating. Stainless steel is used for most good quality household cutlery.
Q: What was often used in the past for cheap cutlery?
A: Pewter was often used in the past for cheap cutlery.
Q: What is plastic cutlery used for?
A: Plastic cutlery is used for eating fast food because it is very cheap and may be thrown away afterwards.
Q: How does serving practice and use of cutlery vary between cultures?
A: Serving practice and use of cutlery varies somewhat between cultures. Formal dinners have cutlery set out in a traditional manner. There will be two sets of knives and forks, an outer smaller set for the first course and a larger inner set for the main course. Cutlery for later courses will usually be delivered with those courses. In an informal restaurant, cutlery may come wrapped in a cloth napkin (serviette). Chinese and Japanese food is eaten with chopsticks, and food pre-cut to a size suitable for that method. Some other oriental cuisines are eaten by fork and spoon, with no knife.
