Do you ever wonder where knifes, forks, and other kitchen appliances, that we take for granted, such as the oven or refrigerator originated from? Well have a look below, you might be suprised:
The Knife – A technology that began with flints. Knives were first used as weapons until it was discovered that it was easier to cut meat than tear it apart with your teeth or fingers.
The Fork – The name fork comes from the Latin word furca, meaning “pitchfork.” The use of forks first occurred in Ancient Egypt where large forks were used as cooking utensils. It states in the Bible, in Samuel: “the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand”. However, it was not until the 18th century that a fork was commonly used in Great Britain, although some say forks were used in France, England and Sweden by the early 17th century.
The Spoon – There are been various forms of spoons found and these were first used by the ancient Egyptians. Some were composed of ivory, flint, slate and wood and many of them would be carved with religious symbols. The earliest reference to the use of spoons appears in Edward I’s will of 1300, when he mentions, gold and silver spoons marked with the fleur-de-lis mark. One of the most interesting medieval spoons found was the coronation spoon which was used in the anointing of the English sovereign.
The Oven – The earliest ovens, almost as old as the fire, were found in Central Europe, and dated back to 29,000 BC, it was used for roasting and boiling and they were located within yurt structures. One was actually found with the remains of the last meal cooked in it, the bones of the Mammoth!
Refrigeration – The first known artificial refrigeration was demonstrated in 1748, by a Glaswegian, William Cullen. The first refrigerator to be used within a household was introduced in 1927. It was called the General Electric “Monitor-Top” refrigerator because of the resemblance to the gun turret on the ironclad warship USS Monitor of the 1860s.
Frying – The first known use of frying was by the Mesopotamians around 2,000 years ago in copper pans. Characteristically these pans are highly decorated. They have been found at sites throughout the Aegean but are not common: around 200 have been unearthed to date.
Microwave Oven – Dr. Percy Spencer invented the first microwave oven from radar technology developed after World War II. It was called a “Radarange”, and was first sold in 1947. Raytheon licensed its patents for a home-use microwave oven and was first introduced by Tappan in 1955, although these were still too large and expensive for general home use. The countertop microwave oven was then introduced in 1967 by the Amana Corporation, which was acquired by Raytheon in 1965.
So, next time you are eating your dinner with family or friends, you’ll have a topic of conversation, right at your fingertips!!