A dessert spoon is a spoon designed specifically for eating

dessert Dessert is a 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 most parts o ...

and sometimes used for soup or cereals. Similar in size to a soup spoon (intermediate between a

teaspoon A teaspoon (tsp.) is an item of cutlery. It is a small spoon that can be used to stir a cup of tea or coffee, or as a tool for measuring volume. The size of teaspoons ranges from about . For cooking purposes and dosing of medicine, a teaspoonf ...

and a

tablespoon A tablespoon (tbsp. , Tbsp. , Tb. , or T.) is a large spoon. In many English-speaking regions, the term now refers to a large spoon used for serving; however, in some regions, it is the largest type of spoon used for eating. By extension, the ter ...

) but with an oval rather than round bowl, it typically has a capacity around twice that of a teaspoon. By extension, the term 'dessert spoon' is used as a cooking measure of

volume Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). ...

, usually of 10ml or fl oz.

Dining

The use of dessert spoons around the world varies greatly; in some areas they are very common, while in other places the use of the dessert spoon is almost unheard of—with diners using forks or teaspoons for their desserts instead. In most traditional

table setting Table setting (laying a table) or place setting refers to the way to set a table with tableware—such as eating utensils and for serving and eating. The arrangement for a single diner is called a place setting. It is also the layout in which ...

s, the dessert spoon is placed above the plate or bowl, separated from the rest of the cutlery, or it may simply be brought in with the dessert.

Culinary measure

As a unit of culinary measure, a level dessertspoon (''dstspn.'') equals 2 teaspoons. In the United States this is of a fluid ounce. In the UK it is 10 ml.

Apothecary measure

As a unit of Apothecary measure, the dessert-spoon was an unofficial but widely used unit of fluid measure equal to two fluid drams, or fluid ounce. However, even when approximated, its use was discouraged: "Inasmuch as spoons vary greatly in capacity, and from their form are unfit for use in the dosage of medicine, it is desirable... to be measured with a suitable medicine measure." In the United States and pre-1824 England, the fluid ounce was of a Queen Anne wine gallon (which was defined as exactly 231 cubic inches) thus making the dessert-spoon approximately . The post-1824 (British) imperial Apothecaries' dessert-spoon was also fluid ounce, but the ounce in question was of an imperial gallon, approximately 277.4 cubic inches, yielding a dessert-spoon of approximately . In both the British and American variants of the Apothecaries' system, two tea-spoons make a dessert-spoon, while two dessert-spoons make a table-spoon. In pharmaceutical Latin, the Apothecaries' dessert-spoon is known as , abbreviated as or less frequently , as opposed to the tea-spoon ( or ) and table-spoon ( or ).

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Silver place settings
from Butler's Guild Spoons Units of volume Alcohol measurement {{cooking-tool-stub Cooking weights and measures Customary units of measurement in the United States

Dining

Culinary measure

Apothecary measure

See also

Sources

External links