A large, long-handled spoon with a deep bowl for serving liquids, or to serve using such a utensil.
From Old English 'hlædel', derived from 'hladan' meaning 'to load, lade'. Related to 'lade' meaning to load cargo, the tool was essentially for 'loading' liquid from one container to another.
The ladle is one of humanity's oldest serving tools, with archaeological evidence dating back thousands of years. Its design is so perfect that it's remained virtually unchanged - the long handle keeps hands away from heat while the deep bowl maximizes liquid capacity with each scoop.
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