A dessert spoon is a spoon designed specifically for eating dessert and sometimes used for soup or cereals. Similar in size to a soup spoon (intermediate between a teaspoon and a tablespoon) but with an oval rather than round bowl, it typically has a capacity around twice that of a teaspoon. By extension, the term 'dessert spoon' is used as a cooking measure of volume, usually of 10ml or fl oz. Dining The use of dessert spoons around the world varies greatly; in some areas they are very common, while in other places the use of the dessert spoon is almost unheard of—with diners using forks or teaspoons for their desserts instead. In most traditional table settings, the dessert spoon is placed above the plate or bowl, separated from the rest of the cutlery, or it may simply be brought in with the dessert. Culinary measure As a unit of culinary measure, a level dessertspoon (dstspn.) equals 2 teaspoons. In the United States this is of a fluid ounce. In the UK it is 10 ml. Apothecary measure As a unit of Apothecary measure, the dessert-spoon was an unofficial but widely used unit of fluid measure equal to two fluid drams, or fluid ounce. However, even when approximated, its use was discouraged: "Inasmuch as spoons vary greatly in capacity, and from their form are unfit for use in the dosage of medicine, it is desirable... to be measured with a suitable medicine measure." In the United States and pre-1824 England, the fluid ounce was of a Queen Anne wine gallon (which was defined as exactly 231 cubic inches) thus making the dessert-spoon approximately . The post-1824 (British) imperial Apothecaries' dessert-spoon was also fluid ounce, but the ounce in question was of an imperial gallon, approximately 277.4 cubic inches, yielding a dessert-spoon of approximately . In both the British and American variants of the Apothecaries' system, two tea-spoons make a dessert-spoon, while two dessert-spoons make a table-spoon. In pharmaceutical Latin, the Apothecaries' dessert-spoon is known as , abbreviated as or less frequently , as opposed to the tea-spoon ( or ) and table-spoon ( or ). See also Cooking weights and measures Teaspoon Tablespoon Sources External links Silver place settings, from Butler's Guild Spoons Units of volume Alcohol measurement Cooking weights and measures Customary units of measurement in the United States