# Dessert spoon > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dessert_spoon > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dessert_spoon.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert_spoon > Source revision: 1269750567 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Spoon designed for eating dessert}} thumb|upright=1.3|Dessert spoon [[File:Loeffel 03.JPG|thumb|left-to-right: {{unbulleted list |[Serving spoon](/source/Serving_spoon) |[Tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) (tbsp.) |Dessert spoon (dsp.) |[Teaspoon](/source/Teaspoon) (tsp.)}}]] A '''dessert spoon''' is a spoon designed specifically for eating [dessert](/source/dessert). Similar in size to a [soup spoon](/source/soup_spoon) (intermediate between a [teaspoon](/source/teaspoon) and a [tablespoon](/source/tablespoon)) 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](/source/cooking_measure) of [volume](/source/volume), usually of 10 [millilitres](/source/Litre) (mL), {{frac|1|3}} [US fl oz](/source/Fluid_ounce), or {{frac|1|4}} [imp fl oz](/source/Fluid_ounce). ==Dining== The use of dessert spoons around the world varies massively; 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 as a default.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30340-2005Mar12.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=On the Offensive |date=March 13, 2005 |first=Judith |last=Martin}} In most traditional [table setting](/source/table_setting)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.{{cite web |url=http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/setting.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980125085802/http://www.cuisinenet.com/glossary/setting.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1998-01-25 |title=The Secret of the Formal Place Setting |date=1997 |work=Diner's Digest |publisher=CyberPalate LLC }} ==Culinary measure== As a unit of [culinary measure](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures), in the United States, a level '''dessert spoon''' (''dsp., dspn. or dstspn.'') equals 2 US customary teaspoons, which is 2{{sfrac|2|3}} US customary fluid drams ({{sfrac|1|3}} of a US customary fluid ounce). {| |- |1 US customary dessert spoon  ||= |align=right|2{{sfrac|2|3}}||US customary fluid drams |- |||= |align=right|{{sfrac|1|3}}||US customary fluid ounce |- |||= |align=right|{{sfrac|2|3}}||[US customary tablespoons](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||= |align=right|2||[US customary teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |- |||= |align=right|4||US customary coffee spoons |- |||= |align=right|8||[US customary salt spoons](/source/Salt_spoon) |- |||= |align=right|16||[US customary dashes](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures) (solids only) |- |||= |align=right|32||[US customary pinches](/source/Pinch_(unit)) (solids only) |- |||= |align=right|64||[US customary smidgens](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures) (solids only) |- |||= |align=right|192||[US customary drops](/source/Drop_(unit)) (liquids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|2·78||[British imperial fluid drachms](/source/Dram_(unit)) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·35||[British imperial fluid ounce](/source/Fluid_ounce) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·69||[UK tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|1·39||UK dessert spoons |- |||≈ |align=right|2·78||[UK teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|5·55||[UK salt spoons](/source/Salt_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|11·1||[UK pinches](/source/Pinch_(unit)) (solid only) |- |||≈ |align=right|166·53||[UK drops](/source/Drop_(unit)) (liquids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|9·86||[millilitres](/source/Litre) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·66||[international metric tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·49||[Australian metric tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·99||[metric dessert spoon](/source/Dessert_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|1·97||[metric teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |} In the United Kingdom, a '''dessert spoon''' is traditionally 2 [British imperial fluid drachms](/source/Dram_(unit))[https://www.victorianschool.co.uk/ebooks/enquire%20within/10766-h/10766-h.htm#p665 Paragraph 665], page 119, ''Enquire Within Upon Everything'' (1894) ({{sfrac|1|4}} of a British imperial fluid ounce). 1 UK dessert spoon is the equivalence of {{sfrac|1|2}} [UK tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon), 2 [UK teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon), or 4 [UK salt spoons](/source/Salt_spoon). {| |- |1 UK dessert spoon  ||= |align=right|2||British imperial fluid drachms |- |||= |align=right|{{sfrac|1|2}}||UK tablespoon |- |||= |align=right|2||UK teaspoons |- |||= |align=right|4||UK salt spoons |- |||= |align=right|8||[UK pinches](/source/Pinch_(unit)) (solids only) |- |||= |align=right|120||[UK drops](/source/Drop_(unit)) (liquids only) |- |||= |align=right|{{sfrac|1|4}}||British imperial fluid ounce |- |||≈ |align=right|1·92||[US customary fluid drams](/source/Dram_(unit)) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·24||[US customary fluid ounce](/source/Fluid_ounce) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·48||[US customary tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·72||US customary dessert spoon |- |||≈ |align=right|1·44||[US customary teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|2·88||US customary coffee spoons |- |||≈ |align=right|5·76||[US customary salt spoons](/source/Salt_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|11·53||[US customary dashes](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures) (solids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|23·06||[US customary pinches](/source/Pinch_(unit)) (solids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|46·12||[US customary smidgens](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures) (solids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|138·35||[US customary drops](/source/Drop_(unit)) (liquids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|7·10||[millilitres](/source/Litre) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·47||[international metric tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·36||[Australian metric tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·71||[metric dessert spoon](/source/Dessert_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|1·42||[metric teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |} A metric '''dessert spoon''' is 10mL, the equivalence of 2 metric teaspoons. {| |- |1 metric dessert spoon  ||= |align=right|10||mL |- |||= |align=right|{{sfrac|2|3}}||[international metric tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||= |align=right|{{sfrac|1|2}}||[Australian metric tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||= |align=right|2||[metric teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|2·81||[British imperial fluid drachms](/source/Dram_(unit)) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·35||[British imperial fluid ounce](/source/Fluid_ounce) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·7||[UK tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|1·41||[UK dessert spoons](/source/Dessert_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|2·81||[UK teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|5·63||[UK salt spoons](/source/Salt_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|11·26||[UK pinches](/source/Pinch_(unit)) (solids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|168·94||[UK drops](/source/Drop_(unit)) (liquids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|2·71||[US customary fluid drams](/source/Dram_(unit)) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·34||[US customary fluid ounce](/source/Fluid_ounce) |- |||≈ |align=right|0·68||[US customary tablespoons](/source/Tablespoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|1·01||[US customary dessert spoons](/source/Dessert_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|2·03||[US customary teaspoons](/source/Teaspoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|4·06||US customary coffee spoons |- |||≈ |align=right|8·12||[US customary salt spoons](/source/Salt_spoon) |- |||≈ |align=right|16·23||[US customary dashes](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures) (solids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|32·46||[US customary pinches](/source/Pinch_(unit)) (solids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|64·92||[US customary smidgens](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures) (solids only) |- |||≈ |align=right|194·77||[US customary drops](/source/Drop_(unit)) (liquids only) |} ==Apothecary measure== As a unit of [Apothecary measure](/source/Apothecaries'_system), the dessert-spoon was an unofficial but widely used unit of fluid measure equal to two fluid drams, or {{sfrac|1|4}} [fluid ounce](/source/fluid_ounce).{{cite book|author=Sir Robert Christison|title=A dispensatory, or commentary on the pharmacopoeias of Great Britain: comprising the natural history, description, chemistry, pharmacy, actions, uses, and doses of the articles of the materia medica|url=https://archive.org/details/b21461703|quote=dessert spoon.|accessdate=20 December 2011|year=1842|publisher=Black|page=[https://archive.org/details/b21461703/page/38 38]}} 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."{{cite book |title=The Parmacopeia of the United States of America, Ninth Decennial Revision|year=1916 |url=https://archive.org/stream/pharmacopeiaofun09unit#page/n54/mode/2up | access-date=2016-09-22}} In the United States and pre-1824 England, the fluid ounce was {{sfrac|1|128}} of a Queen Anne wine gallon (which was defined as exactly 231 [cubic inches](/source/cubic_inch)) thus making the dessert-spoon approximately {{convert|1/4|USfloz|ml|disp=out|2}}. The post-1824 (British) imperial Apothecaries' dessert-spoon was also {{sfrac|1|4}} fluid ounce, but the ounce in question was {{sfrac|1|160}} of an imperial gallon, approximately 277.4 cubic inches, yielding a dessert-spoon of approximately {{convert|1/4|impfloz|ml|disp=out|2}}.{{cite book|author=Robert Borneman Ludy|title=Answers to questions prescribed by pharmaceutical state boards|url=https://archive.org/details/answerstoquesti03ludygoog|accessdate=20 December 2011|year=1907|publisher=J.J. McVey|page=[https://archive.org/details/answerstoquesti03ludygoog/page/n137 125]}} 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 {{lang|la|cochleare medium}}, abbreviated as {{lang|la|cochl. med.}} or less frequently {{lang|la|coch. med.}}, as opposed to the tea-spoon ({{lang|la|cochleare minus}} or {{lang|la|minimum}}) and table-spoon ({{lang|la|cochleare magis}} or {{lang|la|magnum}}).{{cite book|author=Robert Gray Mayne|title=A medical vocabulary; or, An explanation of all names, synonymes, terms, and phrases used in medicine|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.221197|quote=dessert spoon cochl.|accessdate=20 December 2011|year=1881|page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.221197/page/n99 91]}} ==See also== * [Cooking weights and measures](/source/Cooking_weights_and_measures) * [Teaspoon](/source/Teaspoon) * [Tablespoon](/source/Tablespoon) ==Sources== ==External links== {{Commons category|Dessert spoons}} * [http://www.butlersguild.com/index.php?subject=273 Silver place settings], from Butler's Guild Category:Spoons Category:Units of volume Category:Alcohol measurement {{cooking-tool-stub}} Category:Cooking weights and measures Category:Customary units of measurement in the United States --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dessert spoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert_spoon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert_spoon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.