It is generally eaten with the right hand without the aid of cutlery and often rolled into a ball before being dipped into a variety of condiments such as sauce/ gravy, sour milk, or stewed vegetables. The name translates roughly to "large eating bowl." In Zimbabwe, sadza is traditionally eaten from a communal bowl, a tradition that is still maintained by some families, mainly in rural areas. In Mali, the name of the town of Bandiagara ( French pronunciation: ) refers to the communal bowl meals are served in. In many cultures, food and drink are shared in a communal bowl or cup. Lakh - millet flour porridge in communal platter served topped with sweetened fermented milk (sow). In examining bowls found during an archaeological dig in North America, the anthropologist Vincas Steponaitis defines a bowl by its dimensions, writing that a bowl's diameter rarely falls under half its height and that historic bowls can be classified by their edge, or lip, and shape. As of 2009, the oldest bowl found is 18,000 years old. Moreover, in Chinese pottery, there are many elaborately painted bowls and other vessels dating to the Neolithic period. In the 4th millennium BC, evidence exists that the Uruk culture of ancient Mesopotamia mass-produced beveled rim bowls of standardized sizes. For example, the bridge spouted vessel design appeared at the Minoan site of Phaistos. Some Mediterranean examples from the Bronze Age manifest elaborate decoration and sophistication of design. Phiales were used for libations and included a small dent in the center for the bowl to be held with a finger, although one source indicates that these were used to hold perfume rather than wine. In Ancient Greek pottery, small bowls, including phiales and pateras, and bowl-shaped cups called kylices were used. Very early bowls have been found in China, Ancient Greece, Crete and in certain Native American cultures. Bowls have been made for thousands of years.
Modern bowls can be made of ceramic, metal, wood, plastic, and other materials. 1550 BC burnished earthenware overall: 15.5 × 31.3 cm Cleveland Museum of Art (U.S.A) Romanian large bowl from the Middle Bronze Age c.
In Western culture plates and cups are more commonly used. Historically small bowls were also used for serving both slay and alcoholic drinks. In many cultures bowls are the most common kind of vessel used for serving and eating food. Very small bowls, such as the tea bowl, are often called cups, while plates with especially deep wells are often called bowls. There is some overlap between bowls, cups, and plates. The size of bowls varies from small bowls used to hold a single serving of food to large bowls, such as punch bowls or salad bowls, that are often used to hold or store more than one portion of food. The exterior of a bowl is most often round but can be of any shape, including rectangular. This makes bowls especially suited for holding liquids and loose food, as the contents of the bowl are naturally concentrated in its center by the force of gravity. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom forming a seamless curve. Self-identified bowl performing one of the most common functions of bowls: the serving of food (in this case, chili)Ī bowl typically is a round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, or consuming food.