Tablespoon

This tablespoon has a capacity of about 15 ml.

Measuring spoons

A tablespoon is a large spoon used for eating or serving. In most English-speaking regions, the term now refers to a large spoon used for serving, however, in some regions, including parts of Canada, it is the largest type of spoon used for eating. By extension, the term is used as a measure of volume in cooking. In this capacity, it is most commonly abbreviated tbsp or T, and occasionally referred to as a tablespoonful to distinguish it from the utensil. The unit of measurement varies by region: a United States tablespoon is approximately 14.7 ml, a United Kingdom tablespoon is exactly 15 ml, and an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml.^[1] The capacity of the utensil (as opposed to the measurement) is not defined by law or custom and bears no particular relation to the measurement.

History

Before about 1700, it was customary for people of European descent to bring their own spoons to the table. Spoons were carried as personal property in much the same way as people today carry wallets, key rings, etc. From about 1700 the place setting became popular, and with it the "table-spoon", "table-fork" and "table-knife". The 18th century witnessed a proliferation of different sorts of spoons, including the tea-spoon, coffee-spoon, dessert-spoon, and soup-spoon. In the UK, the dessert-spoon and soup-spoon began to displace the table-spoon as the primary implement for eating from a bowl, at which point the name "table-spoon" took on a secondary meaning as a much larger serving spoon.^[2] At the time the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was published, "tablespoon" (which by then was no longer hyphenated) still had two definitions in the UK: the original definition (eating spoon) and the new definition (serving spoon).

In the 18th century, the table-spoon became an unofficial unit of the Apothecaries' system of measures, equal to 4 drams or ¹⁄₂ fl oz. It was more commonly known by the Latin cochleare majus (abbreviated cochl. maj.) or, in Apothecaries' notation, f℥ss or f℥ß.^[3][4][5]

Variants

A level tablespoon, the usual meaning without further qualification, is measured by filling the spoon and scraping it level. In contrast, a heaped, heaping, or rounded spoonful is not leveled off, and includes a heap above the spoon. The exact volume of a heaped tablespoon depends somewhat on the shape and curvature of the measuring spoon being used, and so is not a precise unit of measurement.

Common tablespoons intended for use as cutlery (called dessert spoons in the UK, where a tablespoon is always a serving spoon) usually hold 7 ml to 14 ml,^[6] considerably less than some tablespoons used for serving.

Relationship to teaspoon and fluid ounce

In most regions (including the US, UK, most Commonwealth countries, East Asia and the Philippines), one tablespoon equals three teaspoons. In these regions, one tablespoon is approximately 15 ml, which is about ¹⁄₂ US fl oz. In some places like the US, the tablespoon was historically defined as ¹⁄₂ US fl oz (2 tbsp. = 1 US fl oz). In Australia a tablespoon is defined as four teaspoons (20 ml). Victorian and Edwardian era tablespoons used in the UK are often 25 ml or sometimes larger. They are used only for preparing and serving food, not as part of a place-setting.

In writing volume-based recipes, an abbreviation like tbsp. is usually used to refer to a tablespoon, to differentiate it from the smaller teaspoon (tsp.). Some authors additionally capitalize the abbreviation Tbsp., while leaving tsp. in lower case, to emphasize that the larger tablespoon, rather than the smaller teaspoon, is wanted. The tablespoon abbreviation is sometimes further abbreviated to T.

Traditional definitions

The traditional US interpretation of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is:^[7]

1 US tablespoon	= 4 fluid drams
	= 3 teaspoons
	= ^1⁄2 US fluid ounce
	= ^1⁄3 US shot
	= ^1⁄8 US gill
	= ^1⁄16 US cup
	= 14.8 ml[8]

In nutrition labeling in the US and the UK, a tablespoon is defined as 15 ml.^[9] (Tablespoon (metric) is exactly equal to 15 cm³.)^[10]

The Australian definition of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is:

1 Australian tablespoon	= 20 ml
	≈ ^2⁄3 fl. oz.
	= 2 dessertspoons
	= 4 teaspoons

See also

• Dessert spoon
• Teaspoon

References

1. Chuck Smothermon (2002). Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes. Meredith Books. p. 416. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
2. Simon Moore (2005). Spoons 1650-2000. Osprey Publishing. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7478-0640-0. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
3. Alexander Whitelaw, ed. (1884). The popular encyclopedia; or, 'Conversations Lexicon'. p. 11. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
4. Thomas Jefferson Ritter; Elizabeth Johnstone (1910). Mother's remedies; over one thousand tried and tested remedies from mothers of the United States and Canada. G. H. Foote pub. co. p. 637. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
5. Hazell's annual. Hazell, Watson and Viney. 1910. p. 584. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
6. Dean BS, Krenzelok EP (April 1986). "Syrup of ipecac dosing ... How much is a tablespoonful?". Vet Hum Toxicol 28 (2): 155–6. PMID 2871653.
7. A. Thompson and B. N. Taylor. The NIST Guide for the use of International System of Units. United States Government.
8. Mechtly, E. A: The International System of units. NASA-SP=7012, 1964, 1973. The reference indicates the exact conversion to cubic meters, which has been converted to 14.78676478125ml here for convenience.
9. 21 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 101.9(b)(5)(viii)
10. Cardarelli, François Cradarelli (2003). Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights and Measures. London: Springer. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-4471-1122-1.