If you are not aware of the fact, crockery and cutlery are both used in the serving and consumption of food, but while crockery is commonly a vessel into or onto which food is placed, cutlery refers to a range of hand tools that are used by both cooks and diners to prepare and eat meals. Kinds of crockery will include plates, bowls, and cups, and cutlery will be made up of knives, forks, and spoons. Saying that, specialised kinds of crockery and cutlery are out there to work with foodstuffs that will require special handling.
The term crockery is generally used in the United Kingdom to describe what Americans often call dishes, dishware, or just plain old dinnerware. Distinctions are sometimes made between crockery used for containing food that has yet to be served and particular individual pieces of dinnerware off of which individual diners will eat. Many crockery sets include large platters, plates, and bowls that are designed to hold quite large amounts of food from which people are to be served or to simply help themselves. And interestingly enough, going wholesale for crockery products have never been more popular or affordable than they are at present.
Different Cultures and Practices
Depending on different cultural practices, individual diners may have their own plates and bowls into which they or their hosts will place the food intended for them to eat. These diners will then eat from their own plate or bowl. And yet, in some areas, formal meals are distinguished by the utilisation of a number of different kinds of crockery at a single meal, which can include separate plates or bowls for meal courses as well as side dishes such as a salad or simple bread and butter.
As with crockery, differences are made between different kinds of cutlery that are used for preparing, serving, and eating food. Kitchen knives, for instance, have to be naturally very sharp and used to cut and cut a whole range of food in preparation of being cooked or added as an ingredient to a dish. Serving forks and spoons are usually large pieces that can be used to provide food to individual diners from communal serving plates and bowls. In some countries, each diner will have his or her own set of cutlery, which will be made up of a knife, fork, and spoon, all of which are allocated to perfectly assist him in the eating and enjoyment of his or her food.
Household Necessities
Both crockery and cutlery are seen as common household necessities in many countries, particularly in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States and in some other countries in which it is the norm to eat food from individual plates and bowls and to use personal utensils when doing so. Many households will have differing sets of crockery and dining cutlery for formal and informal meals, using inexpensive and simple designs for everyday use, while keeping aside the more expensive and classy items for those special occasions. And in some families, sets of crockery and cutlery have even become family heirlooms which are passed on down through the generations!
Make sure to keep your crockery and cutlery in good supply!