The eighteenth century saw the development of specialised pieces of cutlery intended for the serving of particular foods. This earthenware spatula was intended for the serving of fish, and the choice of material for such an implement was intentional. Fish was normally served with lemon juice, an acid that caused the discolouration of steel implements, in turn transmitting a metallic taste to the food. Ceramic or silver implements, unaffected by food acids, avoided such problems.