Does fish fork need to be different from meat fork?

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Forum -> Household Management -> Kosher Kitchen

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amother

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 9:14 pm

Shabbos table discussion with DH:
We use nice plastic for shabbos table, When I set the table, I use 2 of the same forks (2 silver ones, while dh will set the table with 2 different forks. (A silver one and a white one). When I asked him why he didn't use 2 matching ones, he said that when he became frum he was taught that the fish fork has to be distinctively different from the meat fork. I grew up using real silverware and we used a small fork for fish, and large fork for meat. But that was because the small fork is for the appetizer and not for kashrus purposes.

So my question is-does the fish fork need to be noticably different than the meat fork?

Reality

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 9:16 pm

No.

ra_mom

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 9:17 pm

It doesn't need to be different in look. It just needs to be a different fork than the one you're sticking in to meat or just washed in between.

amother

Blush

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 9:19 pm

This sounds like a misunderstanding. He was told it needs to be different as in two different ones not that they need to look different just you can't use fork A for both fish and meat in one meal you need fork A and B. But they can be matching. I don't know any frum house that doesn't use a matching set.

Thisisnotmyreal

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 10:07 pm

Also all week long do you use different forks for fish and meat?

amother

Lotus

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 10:08 pm

Thisisnotmyreal wrote:

Also all week long do you use different forks for fish and meat?

Most people don’t have both fish and meat at one meal together during the week

Frumwithallergies

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 10:12 pm

As ra-mom explained, as long as the fish and meat are eaten with different utensils you are fine (two different plastic forks or metal forks, or the same fork washed in between). Same goes for plates; you change out the plate between fish and meat.

I use the salad fork for fish, and the dinner fork for meat.
During the week, I don't serve fish and meat at the same meal, except for a simcha or a siyum.

Thisisnotmyreal

Sat, Aug 19 2023, 10:14 pm

I heard once someone say that they have different for the week also because if meat is stuck between the fork prongs (gross) after being cleaned there still won't be mixing.

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