Sometimes
literally, sometimes
metaphorically, the wooden spoon is often the
booby prize handed out at
rugby matches,
game shows and other arenas of
humiliation.
Always use a wooden spoon when making
sauces: unlike a
metal spoon, it doesn't
transfer out the
heat and mess with the
temperature in unpredictable ways. If you are making sauces that are particularly
troublesome, like
hollandaise, this could solve the
curdling problems. Also, wooden spoons are less likely to damage any
nonstick pan surfaces.
Wooden spoons have been used as the basis of
dolls, with the bowl of the spoon used as the head. In some parts of the world this is seen as charmingly
old-fashioned and quaint. The majority of six year olds, however, would bop you over the head if presented with one of these instead of the latest
Barbie clone.