15. The use of table forks in Europe began in 11th century Italy
Personal table forks were in use in the Eastern Roman Empire and in Persia for centuries before they began to appear in Europe. When they did it was mainly to facilitate the serving of pasta to oneself. By the beginning of the 14th century, they were relatively common among the upper classes of the Italian states and by the middle of the 15th century their use was known in the Iberian Peninsula. It was expected of guests invited to dinner to bring their own fork (and knife) with them. Both were considered to be too personal of an item for the host to provide. In some countries, a spoon designed for personal use began to emerge around the same time. Prior to their arrival, most foods at the table were eaten off of a personal knife, or delivered to the mouth using the fingers, or bread, as the implement.
The rest of Europe, including France, was reticent in adopting the use of forks, though it became common in France long before the Anglo-Saxon countries accepted them. Some church leaders and theologians considered them to be vain and argued against their use. Most of Europe adopted the personal spoon, and knife, as suitable implements with which to convey one’s food to one’s mouth in the late medieval period, but not until the 1700s did forks begin to appear commonly on English tables and in the hands of English diners. Until that time the English and the Germanic regions preferred using the trencher – a plate made of bread – as the means of conveyance, supplemented with a knife and spoon.
