by Chef Eric J. Means

Created on: April 19, 2008   Last Updated: April 23, 2008

Let us discuss the 17th century and 18th century concepts of formal dining, how they approached this concept and consider how it has affected us today here in the 21st century. In the late 17th century and early 18th century, fine dining was a privilege of the financially elite and powerful. This was a transitional period as concepts of opulence and convenience were colliding in a rudimentary fashion.

Until the middle of the 17th century in England, meals were eaten with the hands. The only common cutleries were the knife and the spoon. A silver spoon (as the adage goes) would have been a personal, bring your own item. In 1611, a well-traveled man by the name of Thomas Coryat introduced the fork to English society. Mr. Coryat discovered while on his travels to Italy, that Italians use a small fork to assist with the cutting of meat. The introduction of the fork into English society was unhurried at best. An interesting quote originating from "the Courtier and the Countryman" "We need no little forks to make hay with our mouths, to throw our meat into them." S. Williams, Brenton, (1993). Over 40 years later travelers continued to complain that there were still no forks In England. Even as the fork was adopted by English society, it was many years before it became a standard implement upon the layman's table.

The Earliest known English designed fork was a simple two-pronged fork dating back to approximately 1632. This fork is among the exhibits that belong to the Victoria & Albert Museum, which resides in London England. The introduction of the fork had decidedly changed the course of history for the knife. The fork was used to assist with the separation of meat and food delivery to the mouth, a job that had previously been held by the auspicious knife. The knife was still useful at an English table, but had been relegated to performing far fewer services. As a result knives were redesigned by rounding off the point; thus, rendering them useless as a tool to pick your teeth (or stab your neighbor). This lead to the introduction of the toothpick, as the knife no longer was capable of providing this service after the removal of the point.

The implementation of new table cutlery concepts has irrevocably changed the appearance and order of a formal table forever. In the 16th century, plates replaced wooden trenchers. Glassware and crystal goblets replaced the pottery goblet as the drinking vessel of choice. The 17th century ushered in the Continental concept of dining.

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