A pastry fork, pie fork or cake fork is a
fork designed for eating
pastries and other
dessert
Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...
s from a plate. The fork has three or four tines. The three-tine fork has a larger, flattened and beveled tine on the side while the four-tine fork has the first and second tine connected or bridged together and beveled.
Pastry forks range in size from (in English pastry fork sets) to as serving pieces in silverware (sterling and silver plate) place settings. In many fine place settings, the pastry fork and pie fork may be two separate forks as well.
It is typically designed so that it can be used with the right hand, while the left hand holds the plate. It therefore the left side widened to be used like a
knife to cut the food when pressed down on the plate.
Left-handed pastry forks have the right side widened instead.
The pastry fork was invented by Francis Higgins in 1886 in London. Many believe it to have been made by Anna Mangin but her invention was used for mixing
pastry dough not eating. The two inventions however share a name but not a use.
Anna M. Mangin was awarded a
patent on March 1, 1892, for a pastry fork for mixing pastry dough.
See also
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Cheese knife
A cheese knife is a type of kitchen knife specialized for the cutting of cheese. Different cheeses require different knives, according primarily to hardness. There are also a number of other kitchen tools designed for cutting or slicing cheese, ...
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Knork
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Spork
References
{{Pastries
Forks