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How a Byzantine Princess Introduced Forks to Europe
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In Forks We Trust HOW EUROPE EVENTUALLY STOPPED EATING WITH THEIR HANDS
If you attend a dinner party, go on a date at a restaurant, or eat a plate of pasta, you’ll use a fork without thinking twice. This is proper etiquette — and the cleanest and most efficient way to eat a meal! Could you imagine trying to eat a plate of spaghetti and meatballs without one? Wealthy people in other parts of the world, such as the Byzantine Empire and the Middle East, have been using forks since the 17th century. However, before that, forks were considered to be sacrilegious and rude to use at the dinner table in Europe! In fact, in the 11th century, a Byzantine princess was ridiculed for bringing forks into her new husband’s home. Maria Argyropoulina, the Greek niece of Emperor Basil II of Byzantium, arrived in Venice, Italy, prepared to marry Giovanni, the son of Pietro Orseolo II, the Doge of Venice. She brought all of her belongings with her to move into her new house,
including a case of golden forks. At the
wedding, she pulled out one of her golden forks to partake in her wedding feast, and the reaction she got took her by surprise. The clergy lambasted her, saying things like, “God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks — his fingers. Therefore, it is an insult to him to substitute artificial metal forks for them when eating.” However, this didn’t urge the princess to eat with her hands, and she stuck with her forks. Shortly after the marriage, the Byzantine princess, unfortunately, contracted the plague and passed away. Many believed this was “karma” for refusing to eat with her hands and bringing a fork to her husband’s home. But thanks to Maria Argyropoulina, Europe was introduced to the fork and never had to worry about eating spaghetti and meatballs — or any other dish — with their hands again.
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