A picnic basket or picnic hamper is a

basket A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehai ...

intended to hold

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...

and

tableware Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, List of glassware, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variet ...

for a

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

meal. Picnic baskets are standard equipment at many picnics. A traditional picnic hamper is made of woven

wicker Wicker is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. It was first documented in ancient Egypt using pliable plant material, but in modern times it is made from any pliable, easily woven material. ...

. While the basic concept of a picnic basket is quite simple, some picnic baskets sold by

gourmet Gourmet (, ) is a cultural idea associated with the culinary arts of fine food and drink, or haute cuisine, which is characterized by refined, even elaborate preparations and presentations of aesthetically balanced meals of several contrasting, of ...

stores are quite large and elaborate, with insulated compartments to hold hot and cold foods, and dishware including

wine glass A wine glass is a type of glass that is used to drink and taste wine. Most wine glasses are stemware (goblets), i.e., they are composed of three parts: the bowl, stem, and foot. Shapes The effect of glass shape on the taste of wine has not been ...

es and

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...

plates which are secured in pockets along with items of

cutlery Cutlery (also referred to as silverware, flatware, or tableware), includes any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in Western culture. A person who makes or sells cutlery is called a cutler. The city of Sheffie ...

condiments A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to impart a specific flavor, to enhance the flavor, or to complement the dish. A table condiment or table sauce is more specifically a condiment that is served separate ...

corkscrew A corkscrew is a tool for drawing corks from wine bottles and other household bottles that may be sealed with corks. In its traditional form, a corkscrew simply consists of a pointed metallic helix (often called the "worm") attached to a hand ...

etc. Many modern picnic baskets also have a special storage section to hold a bottle of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

, the traditional beverage brought along to intimate picnics. Some modern picnic baskets come with detachable blankets (to sit on) as well. An innovative picnic hamper advertised for American families in 1953 was designed to clamp over the seat at the back of the family car. The hamper opened with a "built-in midget-size icebox" and slide-out trays "for everyone who wants to eat away from the ants." Picnic hamper foods usually include pre-prepared sandwiches, pies, fruit, cake, pre-made salads and other items that need minimal preparation. An Australian newspaper article from 1917 lists the items to pack in a picnic hamper for 12 people as, "Ham and mustard sandwiches, tomato and cucumber sandwiches, lettuce and salmon sandwiches, roast fowl, one sponge cake, one currant cake, two dozen scones, one dozen Queen cakes, two dozen lemon cheese tartlets, two dampers, 18 blocks lamington cake, one dozen cream puffs, one dozen custard puffs, 1lb biscuits, 1lb butter, one bottle home-made lemon syrup, one bottle milk, 2lb sugar, 1/4lb tea, four dozen mixed fruit, sweets, one small kettle, six plates, one dozen cups, one jug, one drying cloth, one

Billycan A billycan is an Australian term for a lightweight cooking pot in the form of a metal bucketFarrell, Michael. "Death Watch: Reading the Common Object of the Billycan in 'Waltzing Matilda. ''Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian L ...

, one box matches, four knives, four spoons."

Etymology

Hamper comes from ‘hanapier’, meaning a case for goblets. The concept came from France via William the Conqueror in the 17th century. Portable wicker wine carriers became adopted as travellers’ refreshment baskets. Long journeys often meant overnight stays in coaching inns where the food was not reliable so travellers would carry better food with them in these baskets or hampers. Picknickkoffer - Picnic hamper (4902176744)

Picknickkoffer - Picnic hamper (4902176744)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Picnic Basket Serving and dining Food storage containers

Basket A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehai ...