The spoon (used for eating) originated in China.　

The earliest evidence of ancient Chinese using spoons for eating found in archaeology belongs to the Neolithic period, which is 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. The invention of spoons for eating by the ancient Chinese is directly related to the emergence of the farming culture.

China's Neolithic crop varieties were mainly rice and corn, suitable for cultivation in the humid south and the arid north, respectively. These two kinds of grains were relatively simple to cook, and could be eaten directly from grains, with water added to make congee and rice to be eaten.

The hot porridge, especially the semi-liquid porridge, is not easy to grasp directly with the hands, need to borrow the intermediary apparatus, so the simplest spoon was invented. Because of the urgent need, so people casually pick up animal bone bone fragments or clam shells.

At first, they probably didn't trim them before eating with them. Later, people were no longer satisfied with the natural state of the bone fragments, and spoons were made in the true sense of the word.

Extended information:

History of the development of spoons:

The earliest table spoons were called "dagger " and its appearance can be traced back to the Neolithic era. Most of the early table spoons were made of bone, some with a flatter front end, similar to a knife, and some with a concave front end, which could be used as both a knife and a spoon.

The emergence of the spoon is related to the consumption of staple foods, because in ancient times, the Yangtze River and Yellow River Basin's main crops were rice and corn, and the use of tools with a certain degree of curvature makes it easier to consume rice porridge made from these raw materials, which is the earliest prototype of the spoon.

Later, with the progress of science and technology, bronze smelting technology has been developed, copper spoons began to appear, and gradually replace the bone spoon became the mainstream. And with the emergence of lacquer craft technology, the role of the spoon is not only limited to eating and pouring wine.

Also produced a certain ornamental value. After the Tang and Song dynasties, the shape of the spoon is basically determined, the Tang Dynasty's thin handle tongue-shaped spoon spoon became the paradigm. At this time also appeared to gold and silver and other precious metals such as table spoon and chopsticks, became a symbol of honor and status.

Spoons were first introduced to the Chinese table over chopsticks because in ancient times, ingredients were limited to cooking techniques and most of the formed food came in soups and broths, from which chopsticks were only used to retrieve solid ingredients such as vegetables and leaves.

What really fills people's stomachs is still the pot of soup, and the table spoon is essential for drinking soup. In the Liao, Song, Jin and Yuan dynasties, in addition to the mass production of copper spoons, there were also many spoons made of silver.

In this large period of time, the shape of the spoon basically inherited the tradition of the Tang Dynasty fine handle tongue-shaped spoon dinner spoon, the difference is only in the end of the handle is slightly wider. Later, with the diversification of the era and catering development, the level of craftsmanship gradually improved, the spoon also became more practical, more exquisite, the shape is also more and more diversified.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Spoon