A spork is an unusual dining implement that is part spoon,
part fork. Basically, it is a spoon with tines on the end, suitable
for using as a fork, while still having a spoon portion. It is the
utensil of choice for eating cole slaw, potato salad, and many other
take-out foods.
Please don't confuse sporks with woons, those wooden planks you
get with ice cream and "malts" at the ballgame/fairs/etc. Woons are not
sporks, and are in fact just a cheap ripoff of a spoon.
2. Where do sporks come from? (Brief History of Sporks)
It would appear that the spork has a very long, and interesting history.
pali151@netcom.com writes:
The spork is actually nothing more than a plastic decendant of the
runcible spoon, the earliest mention of which I've found in Lewis
Carrol's "The Walrus & the Carpenter."
And, then theres this little tidbit of info contributed by Chris
McCarter (mutant@tmn.com):
the spork was invented not in the '60s, but in the 40's. when the us army
occupied japan after the war, gen mcarthur (who wanted truman to enthrone
him as emperor of japan) decreed that the use of chopsticks was
uncivilized, and the conquered foe should use forks and spoons like the
rest of the 'civilized' world. but fearing that the japs might rise up and
retake their country with their forks, he and the us army invented the
'spork,' which was then introduced into the public schools. the army, which
had taken over all government enterprises and the schools, enforced the
use of the 'spork,' and made the use of chopsticks in the schools as
punishable offense. this is a bit of spork history that's absolutely true,
but not very funny.
In more contemporary times, the spork has obtained the status of
an urban legend. Sometime in the 1960's, they started appearing at fast
food restaurants, the first being Kentucky Fried Chicken. Later, other
chains had sporks, including Taco Bell, and even a few McDonald's stores.
It has been suggested that the disappearance of sporks at KFC and
Taco Bell may have something to do with Pepsico's buyout of these companies.
Any one with info on this please mail us.
(ObNotSporks: Sporks dissappeared about the same time that the
Encherito went away at Taco Bell. The sporks were missed greatly...)
3. What restaurants currently use sporks?
Currently, many companies that manufacture plastic utensils
make sporks. Sweethart's sporks are used by KFC. I have seen, however,
cheap "spork clones" that don't have very sharp tines in use at some
inexpensive eateries, I can only assume that these are made in China
somewhere.
By all means, no. I have seen metal sporks, wooden sporks,
and even soft rubber sporks.
7. What is the biggest spork known?
According to our records, the United States Navy uses a spork-like
utensil that's 6 feet long. Being as it is a spoon with tines cut out,
we must consider this a spork.
8. How can I manufacture my own spork?
The easiest way to make your own spork is to use a inexpensive
stainless steel spoon and make three triangular-shaped cuts at the bottom
of it. Be sure to sand it down, make it all nice and neat, and place them
at your placesettings.
9. What is proper etiquette for sporkware?
In modern society, it is important to ensure that you do not offend
anyone with your spork. So please, only use sporks when the meal calls for
them. Serving sporks with no suitable alternative is not acceptable when
soups or sauces are a dominant portion of the meal in question.
As far as placesetting with your spork, simply substitute the dinner
fork with the spork, leaving the knife and the salad fork present (eat
lettuce with a spork? never!). You may wish to leave the spoon present in
case their are "spork-ignorant" guests.
When using a spork to eat mashed potatoes out of a styrofoam container,
it is common courtesy to leave a little "spork waste" at the bottom rather
than scrape the styrofoam with the spork to get every last morsel. If you must
have every little bit of potato, please use your finger.
The use of sporks for launcing peas, mashed potatoes, or other
inedibles is acceptable, as long as you pay the management of the KFC for
any damages caused. If at home, please ensure you clean up yourself.
10. What is the purpose/rules for the newsgroup a.p.u.s.s.s.?
Basically, our only rule is that all postings should have something
to do with sporks. It is our endeavor to further the use and understanding
of this, the most humble of eating utensil, the spork. All topics regarding
proper use, where to get them, other applications of sporks, etc. are welcome.
Please do not discuss any other utensil such as forks, knives, spatulas, etc.
Common abbreviations used on a.p.u.s.s.s:
"nsu's": Non-Spork Users -- that tasteless group of people that
cannot seem to handle sporks. These are the people who
perpetually ask for REAL forks at KFC. How dare they!
11. Spork Haiku (included as a public disservice):
(Haiku posted on a.p.u.s.s.s.)
Erin Sharwell (scylla@chopin.udel.edu) writes:
All bow to the spork
Lovely plastic work of art
In rainbow colors
Captain Sarcastic (kkoller@nyx10.cs.du.edu) writes:
I am the spork man
Missing my odd-numbered teeth
Left by the wayside