Which type of cutlery is most suited for eating soup?

The story behind the answer

A spoon is best for soup because its concave bowl holds liquid, letting you scoop and sip without spilling. By contrast, a fork’s tines let liquid drain away, a knife is for cutting, and chopsticks can only pick up solids, not contain broth.

Across cultures, spoon shapes reflect soup styles: Western soup spoons are larger and rounder to carry more broth, while Chinese and Japanese ceramic soup spoons have wide, flat bowls and short handles for sipping and supporting noodles. Spoons are among humanity’s oldest utensils, once made from shell, bone, or wood before metal and modern materials. Memory tip: “Spoon scoops soup”—and both start with S.