Forks have been used for a few thousand years in various cultures, but its adoption in northern Europe was first described in English by Thomas Coryat in a volume of writings on his Italian travels in 1611). Some writers of the Roman Catholic Church expressly disapproved of its use. "God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks, his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to Him to substitute artificial metallic forks for them when eating."
Forks were common in France, England and Sweden by the early 17th century.The curved fork that is used in most parts of the world today, was developed in Germany in the mid 18th century. The standard four-tine design became current in the early 19th century.
The earliest forks usually had only two tines, but those with numerous tines caught on quickly. The tines on thee early implements were straight, meaning the fork could only be used for spearing food and not for scooping it.
When dining with nobility, it was proper for a guest to arrive with his own fork and spoon enclosed in a box called a cadena.
There are hundreds of specialty forks, such as Asparagus fork, Beef fork, Berry fork, Carving fork, Cheese fork, Chip fork(french fries), Cocktail fork, Crab fork, Dessert fork, Dinner fork, Fish fork, Fondue fork, Meat fork, Olive fork, Oyster fork, Pastry fork, Pickle fork etc., etc. We should not forget the knork (knife fork) and the spork (spoon fork). Despite all the specialty forks, some foods are still best suited to be enjoyed with the fingers, such as chicken wings and bacon.