Plates: origin, types, selection and care

Among connoisseurs of beauty, there are those who love to choose and buy new dishes. In the ceramics and porcelain department, their eyes run wide and serving gives them a special aesthetic pleasure. Plates - this is what they choose most often. Small dessert and gourmet large ones for serving slices, plates for soup and pies, scallops and other interesting items. Only the hostess herself knows what is in her arsenal of dishes and why it is worth updating.

Plates appeared before knives and spoons, they arose in the Neolithic era. Then the plates were sculpted from clay, burned and used for food. The modern plate looks a little different, because its analogue in our ancestors is more correctly called the word "capacity". And these capacities changed: from rather rough they became elegant. A person experiencing a natural craving for beauty, decorated dishes with patterns and ornaments, covered them with glaze.

In ancient Rome and ancient Greece, ceramics reached its peak. In those days, there was a division of dishes into the front, everyday and decorative. China gave the world china: it began to be made there around 600 AD.

In medieval Europe, large plates were placed on the table; they were originally common. Everyone could take food from them with their own hands or take advantage of the help of servants: there were no personal plates. Centuries have gone by so that people realize the need to use individual dishes for food.

By the way, the word "dish" in Russia has been known since the 11th century: food was also served on a platter for several people at once. Clay, wood, tin, steel, silver — these were what plates were made of. The royal dishes were gold.

The origin of the word "plate" is no less interesting: the kings awarded the so-called plates of their servants. For special merits, they received beautiful dishes decorated with monograms, designed for displaying in a prominent place.

The plate (the original - German. Thaler) replaced the word "bowl". Variations were as follows: toler, thaler, plate. At the end of the XVIII century, a plate became a necessity for eating, and the individual use of a plate became widespread.

There are two classification branches of plate types. The first divides the dishes according to their purpose, the second - according to the material of manufacture.

Plates for their intended use (use) have many varieties.

• Deep dining or soup plate. In such dishes, it is customary to serve soups, broths and other variations of the first dishes. The diameter of the soup plate is 20-24 cm.

• Shallow dining room. The dishes are intended for serving second courses, the optimum diameter is 27-32 cm.

• The diner. It serves light snacks, a distinctive feature of this dish is that it is completely flat.

• Dessert. The name says: dishes are needed for serving desserts and fruits. The diameter is small - only 20 cm. Often such dishes have wavy edges.

• Saucer. This cute word refers to the smallest round plate, which is used as a stand for a cup or glass.

• Showplate (serving plate). Suitable for serving other plates, its other usual name is wildcard. It is needed in order to put another plate on it, for example, deep soup.

• Pie. Serves for sliced ​​bread, rolls and pastries. Sometimes cheese and fruit are brought on it.

• Bouillon cup and saucer. If you want to serve liquid soup or broth to the table, it is better to do it in cups rather than in deep soup plates. Not to be confused with bowls - in such cups without handles koumiss or green tea is served.

• Plate with a deep bottom. There are also such special plates in which it is convenient to serve spaghetti, pasta, etc.

• Kremanka. So they call a vase on a leg made of glass. It brings ice cream, fruit and dessert cocktails.

• Chill plate. Suitable for snacks (for oysters, for example). It can also serve salads and vegetable stew.

• Salad bowl. Portion salad bowls - for each of the guests, general - for serving the entire volume of salad on the table. Both options are appropriate, do not contradict table etiquette.

• Herring girl. Herring and cold canned fish are served on such a plate.

In some services there is a special saucer for lemon. Also in the kit can be extended plates for meat and cheese cuts. But there are no strict requirements for their shape and volume. How to serve meat slices or cheese platter, the hostess decides for herself.

Another interesting type of plates - scissors (in some sources they may be called interethnic, this is a regional variation). In essence, this is a plate-puzzle equipped with removable segments, which are complete dishes. It is installed on a special stand.

Usually, when serving a table, scrambled eggs are used as dishes for salads. But this happens in an interesting way: in each cell there is a separate ingredient, in one of them - sauce, and on the table the salad is served in separate form. Before the meal, the hosts or one of the guests combines the ingredients and mixes with the sauce.

The variety of materials from which the plates are made, will allow you to choose the dishes of various options.

• The most common material for utensils is ceramics. And although often these plates are relatively thick and heavy, they have little strength. They often fall unsuccessfully and fight. The main raw material for ceramic dishes is clay with additives.

• Faience. We can say that this word means advanced ceramics. Improved her special additives and a single firing. On top of the faience is covered with glaze or enamel.

There is a drawback to the material: the dishes are porous, and therefore - quite fragile. But if you take care of earthenware dishes, it will certainly serve for many years.

• China. This is also the clay group ware, but its distinctive feature is that clay of the best grades is used for its manufacture. The product is fired several times at high temperatures. Unlike other materials, porcelain is thin and light, but due to the lack of pores, it is quite durable.

The most expensive dishes are made from hard porcelain. Despite its outstanding features, Do not expose porcelain dishes to such stress as a microwave oven, very hot water and concentrated detergents.

• Glass. On the table, glassware looks stylish and modern. You can buy plates of any volume and diameter, deep (250 ml) and saucers. The decorative side involves a modest option (just a transparent plate without a picture) and various shades of glass, drawings, plots, ornaments, structures.

• Metal. Dishes exclusively for traveling conditions and situations close to them. You won’t put a metal plate in the microwave, but please on the grill.

• Plastic. The dishes will help out in a situation where there are no catering places nearby, but you will not take ceramics or its alternative with you. It is not suitable for reusable use, the level of environmental friendliness of such dishes is very low.

• Wooden. Most often serves for decorative purposes, but recently wooden salad bowls and fruit bowls have returned to fashion.

If you do not like to buy things without a brand in your home, you will have to compare the dishes and the reputation of its manufacturer. Someone is a supporter of one brand and rarely dilutes the collection with another brand, while others like to collect dishes from different manufacturers in the kitchen and in the cupboard.

We offer options that are most often used by housewives.

• Tescoma. Such dishes are almost completely made of Czech glass. There are dull products, there is transparent. But the main thing is that these plates will fit into almost any serving, merge with any interior.

• Luminarc. Flagship in the manufacture of glass products. The manufacturer relies on a classic design and puts practicality at the forefront. Therefore, by purchasing this dishware, you can be sure: the plates are made of shockproof glass.

• Posud de Luxe. The brand offers both high-quality ceramics and refined porcelain. The products of this company will appeal to those who appreciate the original shape of the dishes and non-trivial design.

• Helfer. Austrian porcelain is often chosen by restaurants. Probably because it is quality, classic and dazzling whiteness.

• Krauff. Once the manufacturer was engaged in the production of stainless steel cookware. Today the company offers china dinner sets. A distinctive feature - lace bright patterns.

This is just a small list of brands that are well-known and whose quality deserves that the buyer consider this option.

First, decide what you need the plates for. Someone sorely lacks dishes for a festive serving; someone wants to update the dishes for every day. Of course, for a ceremonial serving, the option with a service looks better. This is not a "hodgepodge" of plates that are neither stylistically nor color suitable for each other. Everything is harmonious in the service: form, design, and color.

Another cool option is a spinning (or rotating) plate. And if you say correctly, then it is called tortoise maker. But this is not always practical, though spectacular: just in case, it is better to have a classic cake stand in the cupboard.

The rules for care depend on the material from which the dishes are made. Although the basic principles are universal: protect, wash and dry in a timely manner, store in a designated place.

There are several recommendations that will help in the care of the dishes.

• Pottery is perfectly washed with soapy water. Such plates should always be kept open. If you cover with a lid, the smell will not be pleasant.
• Faience and porcelain love warm soapy water. But glaze can crack from very hot water.
• To revive the whiteness of porcelain, you need to wipe the porcelain plate with salt or baking soda. Ammonia copes well with spots on china.
• And to porcelain plates retained their splendor longer; they should be shifted to white paper.

First of all, you should like the dishes visually.. If its decor is attractive, if the food in it will look appetizing, if the plates are perfect for your cozy kitchen - these are the main selection criteria. But do not forget about quality.

The following video will tell you more about tableware.