By Caroline Mora
When I’m eating cereal. Small spoon. When I’m eating ice cream. Small spoon. Even when I’m eating a big bowl of soup. Small spoon. I am sick and tired of explaining myself to big spoon users when I tell them that even the thought of using the big spoon makes my skin crawl.
Those who are “pro-big spoon” will always say, that the big spoon gives you more food per bite. That’s their reason. Their one argument. It’s weak. Why would anyone prefer to eat with a shovel, than with a delicate piece of cutlery that lets you enjoy a more focused taste experience?
Let’s start with how the handle of the big spoon is always disproportionately small compared to the actual scooping part of the spoon. It digs into your hand and you have to work extra hard to hold up the spoon because it’s generally ten times heavier than the handle. It’s like holding onto one side of a see-saw, but an elephant sits on the other.
Trying to fit the big spoon in my mouth is just a terrible experience when I go to use the spoon. The scoop is always too wide and feels like it might cut the sides of my mouth. When I remove the spoon, my teeth scrape it, and that is just too much for me to bear.
Some might also claim that big spoons are best used for scooping ingredients out of jars and containers. But the mouth of the spoon is too big for those containers too. The smaller spoon is easily maneuvered into and around jars, to ensure that the maximum amount of food makes it onto the spoon.
A jelly jar, for example, or any kind of sauce. You can easily scrape the sides, and the food doesn’t fall off the spoon when you take it out of the jar. They’re practical and create less potential for mess.
Little spoons make your food last longer. It’s as simple as that. You’re only allowed to take small bites, so even if you eat quickly, the meal will last longer than it would’ve if you ate with a big spoon. This also gives you more time to enjoy the different levels of flavors that might be present in your meal. Are you eating tomato and basil soup?
With the little spoon, you can taste the acidity of the tomatoes, the butter they used to cut it down, the herbaceous flavor from the basil and the earthy yet savory flavors of the garlic and onions. It can also make you more mindful and aware of what you’re eating. This creates a general sense of gratitude and awareness regarding how your meal made it to the table, and the privilege you have, to be eating a warm meal with a small spoon on any given day.
At the end of the day, I’m just a girl. And sometimes I like to feel dainty and cute. The little spoon makes this possible. The small spoon, is, you guessed it, small! Eating with a smaller spoon can invoke feelings of nostalgia, remembering a much simpler time, in your childhood when you felt safe and cared for, and ate with a small spoon.
It can also make you feel playful, a sort of, out-of-the-ordinary feeling. The same feeling you might get when eating breakfast for dinner, or browsing the toy aisle as someone who, unfortunately, hasn’t truly played with toys in a while. Simply put, it’s fun.
The small spoon is one of the most practical utensils, enhancing your dining experience and even healing your inner child. The only thing the big spoon has accomplished is being bigger than the best spoon (the small spoon).
If the small spoon has a million fans, then I’m one of them. If the small spoon has one fan, I’m that one. If the small spoon has no fans at all, that means I’m dead.
