Today, we barely realize how to pick up a fork. It is part of a standard cutlery set, as essential as the plate itself. But not so long ago, this now very commonplace utensil was greeted with suspicion and mockery, going so far as to cause a scandal. It took centuries, royal marriages and a touch of cultural rebellion for the fork to move from the kitchens of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) to the tables of Europe.
A scandalous cover
The earliest versions of the fork were found in Bronze Age China and ancient Egypt, although they were probably used primarily for cooking and serving food. The Romans had elegant bronze and silver forks, but again primarily for meal preparation.
Eating with a fork – especially a small personal fork – remained rare. Toe century, Byzantine elites used it freely, shocking their guests from Western Europe. And towards the XIe century, the table fork began to appear at meals throughout the Byzantine Empire.
In 1004, Maria Argyropoulina (985-1007), sister of Emperor Romanos III Argyros, married the son of the Doge of Venice and caused a scandal by refusing to eat with her fingers. She used a golden fork. Later, the theologian Peter Damien (1007-1072) stated that Maria’s vanity, which used “artificial metal forks” instead of God-given fingers, had brought about the divine punishment of his untimely death, which occurred in his twenties.
However, in the 14the century, the fork had become common in Italy, partly thanks to the rise of pasta. It was much easier to eat slippery filaments with a toothed implement than with a spoon or knife. Italian etiquette quickly adopted the fork, especially among wealthy merchants. And it was through this wealthy class that the fork was introduced to the rest of Europe in the 16th century.e century, thanks to two women.
The role of Good Sforza
Born into the powerful Sforza families of Milan and Aragon of Naples, Bonne Sforza (1494-1557) grew up in a world where forks were used and, better yet, fashionable. His family was accustomed to the refinements of Renaissance Italy: court etiquette, artistic patronage, ostentatious dressing for men and women, and elegant meals.
When she married Sigismund I, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1518, becoming queen, she arrived in a region where table customs were different. The use of forks was largely unknown there. In the courts of Lithuania and Poland, the use of cutlery remained limited. Spoons and knives were used for soups, stews, and cutting meat, but most food was eaten with the hands, aided by bread or “slicers”—large slices of stale bread used to absorb juices from dishes.
This method, both economical and deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of the nobility, reflected a social etiquette where common dishes and shared meals were the norm. The court of Bonne Sforza introduced Italian ways to the region, bringing more vegetables, Italian wine and, most importantly, the table fork.
Although initially its use was probably limited to formal occasions or court ceremonies, it made a strong impression. Over time and especially from the 17th centurye century, the fork became widespread among the nobility of Lithuania and Poland.
Catherine de Medici and France
Catherine de Medici (1519-1589) was born into the powerful Florentine Medici family, niece of Pope Clement VII. In 1533, at the age of 14, she married the future French king Henry II, as part of a political alliance between France and the papacy, thus leaving Italy to join the French court.
Catherine de Medici introduced silver forks and Italian culinary customs to the court. As with Bonne Sforza, these new items were part of her trousseau. She arrived from Italy with cooks, pastry chefs, perfumers, but also artichokes, truffles and refined tableware. His culinary sense helped transform court meals into real spectacles.
If the legend has undoubtedly amplified his influence, many dishes today considered emblematic of French cuisine actually find their origins in his Italian table: onion soup, duck with orange or even sorbet.
The “right way” to eat
An insatiable traveler, the English writer Thomas Coryate (1577-1617) reported at the beginning of the 17the century stories of Italians using forks, a practice that still seemed ridiculously affected in his country. In England, the use of the fork at the beginning of the 17th centurye century was considered a sign of pretension. Even in the 18the century, it was considered more manly and more honest to eat with a knife and fingers.
But across Europe, change was afoot. The fork began to be seen not only as a practical utensil, but also as a symbol of cleanliness and refinement.
In France, it became a reflection of court civility. In Germany, specialized forks multiplied in the 18th century.e and XIXe centuries: for bread, pickles, ice cream or fish. In England, its use ended up becoming a social marker: the “right way” to hold it distinguished polite people from ill-mannered people.
With the rise of mass production in the 19the century, steel made cutlery affordable and the fork became omnipresent. At that time, the debate was no longer about whether to use one, but about the correct way to use one. The etiquette manuals now dictated the rules: no question of picking up food as if with a spoon, nor of stabbing it wildly, and always holding the fork tines down.
It took scandals, royal infatuations and centuries of resistance for the fork to establish itself at the table. Today, it is almost impossible to imagine eating without it.
