A fork in the road - When eating habits changed

[packman]

The year is 1004 and at the party celebrating her marriage to the son of the doge of Venice, Maria Argyropoulina, niece to the emperor of Byzantium, has scandalised the guests. Her crime: using a fork to eat.

At the time, people generally cut up food with knives and transferred it to their mouths with their fingers. Forks did exist, but they were large, two-pronged implements used for toasting or carving meat. Occasionally, people used smaller versions to fish things out of jars. Maria, however, used one of these to put food in her mouth.

Her wayward behaviour was immediately condemned by the clergy. One priest declared that “God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks – his fingers.” When Maria died of the plague two years later, it was seen as divine punishment for her decadence. Yet today we would look down on anyone who didn’t use a fork. Its transformation from a heretical utensil into an everyday one is a parable of technological adoption.

More on this earth shattering evolution of eating utensils:


https://www.1843magazine.com/technology/rewind/waiter-theres-a-fork-in-my-soup

[elleng]

1. "God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks - his fingers."

[underpants]

2. We continue to evolve

[Socal31]

3. Spooning leads to forking.

[delisen]

4. I like to use fingers for food as much as practical. So earthy and tactile.

I find I eat less also because picking up each pea or corn kernel is so tedious.

Oh human sensory equipment and experiences-I will miss them when once again disembodied.

[Harker]

5. One of my favorite Yogi Berra lines...

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

[wishstar]

6. Maria was right-it's hard to twirl spaghetti without a fork!

One of life's greatest pleasures is twirling noodles with a fork