Forks, Spoons, Threeks, and Sporks!

It is a debate as old as time… well as old as the 18th century as that is when the modern spoon was developed! Which is better, fork or spoon? Would you rather be able to poke through your food and more conveniently be able to pick it up? Or, would you rather be able to successfully pick up liquids with your utensil of choice? 

A fork is defined as a long handle that turns into four small prongs that are used to spear food to either hold it in place or bring it to the mouth. Interestingly enough, the correct term for the “prongs” on forks, is tines! When Maya Borrowman was asked why she preferred forks, she replied that “forks are so much easier. You can eat ice cream with a fork, however, you can’t eat a salad with a spoon.” She stated that forks are more practical, and thinks that they are more aesthetically pleasing. When asked how she would solve the problem of not being able to eat soup, she replied, “That’s why the bowl is there. You can just drink it from the bowl, and the spoon is rendered useless!”

On the flip side, there is team spoon. Spoons are defined as small shallow bowls connected to a handle. There are over 50 variations of spoons in the modern world! An interesting fact about spoons is that caviar spoons are often created from mother of pearl, gold, animal horns, or wood because the typical silver spoon changes the taste of caviar! In an interview with Gavin Kuebler, the question of why he preferred spoons was posed. He replied that “they are just objectively better, they can be used as a fork, knife, and a spoon!” He said that forks cannot be used for liquids, and the sides of a spoon can be used as a knife in a pinch. Kuebler also believes that spoons are much cuter, and you do not have to fear being stabbed. He also stated, “There are no constellations named after forks. Spoons have the Big Dipper and Little Dipper!”

One point that both parties agreed on is that forks need four prongs. Both Borrowman and Kuebler, when asked the question “Are three or four prongs better on a fork?” said four prongs, because if there were three, it would be called a threek, not a fork. Fork has a better ring to it than threek!

At the end of the day, the debate on fork vs. spoon comes down to the chosen foods being discussed as well as personal preference. However, there is a solution to this debate, and that is the spork! A spork is defined as a hybrid form of cutlery with a shallow scoop that connects to anywhere between two and four tines. The first use of this utensil dates back to a more effective utensil for eating ice cream! KFC was the first restaurant to offer this utensil in their restaurants. The Van Brode Milling Company was the first company to file a patent to make plastic sporks. So, if you can’t choose, why not pick a utensil that has the benefits of both!