A cruet (), also called a caster, is a small flat-bottomed vessel with a narrow neck. Cruets often have an integral lip or spout, and may also have a handle. Unlike a small carafe, a cruet has a

stopper Stopper may refer to: * Bung, a plug used to stop the opening of a container ** Laboratory rubber stopper, a specific type of bung * Plug (sanitation), used to stop a drainage outlet * Defender (association football), in soccer (association footba ...

or lid. Cruets are normally made from glass, ceramic, or stainless steel.

Uses

Cruets today typically serve a

culinary Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of outline of food preparation, food preparation, cooking and food presentation, presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as res ...

function, holding liquid condiments such as

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

and balsamic vinegar. They often have a filter built into them to act as a strainer, so that vinegar containing herbs and other solid ingredients will pour clear. Cruets also serve as decanters for lemon juice and other oils. In Canada and the United Kingdom, a small cruet can also hold previously ground salt or pepper, according to Merriam-Webster sources. They are also used for the serving of the wine and water in the Christian Mass, especially those of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions.

History

The English word "cruet" originates with the Old French ''crue'', "earthen pot".
Cruet
. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. 2001. Retrieved 2009-01-01. Some speculate that the early use of cruets was ecclesiastical —there is for example Biblical use of a "cruse of oil", a jug or jar to hold liquid (I

Kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...

17:16). A few cruets dating from the Medieval ages still exist today. Its culinary use, however, was first introduced in the late 17th century. Cardinal Mazarin had a pair of salad cruets on his dining table at his home in France, one for olive oil and the other for vinegar. The use of oil and vinegar cruets rapidly spread throughout Italy, where oil and vinegar were already in frequent use. Oil and vinegar cruets are common on Italian and Portuguese tables to this day.

Types

Mair Pair of cruets set with gemstones 02

Cruets range from nominal decanters to the highly decorative cut glass. Some cruets are unusual, and can either be intended to be ornamental or functional. During some

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

religious ceremonies, primarily the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instit ...

, altar cruets are used to keep the sacramental wine and water. These cruets are usually made of glass, though sometimes they are made of precious metals such as gold or silver. Cruets specifically intended for religious ceremonies come in pairs: one to contain water, often marked ''A'' for ''Aqua'', and one to contain wine, ''V'' for ''Vinum''. These two liquids are mixed during the portion known as the Preparation of the Gifts.

References

External links

* {{CatholicMass, collapsed Christian religious objects Serving and dining