Dishes

My niece Sue brought up a subject the other night that I hadn’t given much (make that any) thought about. She wondered why a lot of dinnerware, that a lot of people refer to as china, is made in Japan or some other country. Time for some extensive research…..

I immediately ran across an article that said that in 1890, President McKinley instituted a tariff requiring imports to show the country of origin. Dishes from China were marked CHINA, which is why Americans came to call all dishes “china.”

But — that’s not true. Americans don’t refer to their dishes as “china” because it says China on the back. According to historians, the term became shorthand among early American settlers because a lot of those dishes originated in China or was made in England to approximate Chinese wares — not because pieces were stamped CHINA.

So what’s the difference in “China” and “Dinnerware?” 
China is crockery made from clay, kaolin, feldspar, and quartz. That combination is then fired up in a kiln to create intricate, beautiful crockery designs.Usually the term China is used generically to describe high-quality dishes reserved for use during special occasions. 
Dinnerware is a broad definition of plates, dishes, serving bowls, platters, etc., used for serving and eating meals. Because it’s definition is so broad, dinnerware often includes China as a subset. 

China doesn’t just refer to fancy dishes. There are different types of China dishes — each with their own distinct qualities and features.
For instance, Fine China is made from fine-particle clay combined with feldspar, kaolin, and quartz, fired up at high temperatures in a kiln. This makes it extremely durable and nonporous. This procedure allows the dishes to be more delicately constructed with a heavier body and a smooth, white, lustrous appearance. It also allows shaped details to be incorporated into the body’s design.
Bone China is made from feldspar, ball clay, quartz, kaolin, and bone ash from farm animals, ground into a fine powder or ash. The mixture is then heated at a lower temperature than fine china. The technique results in a lightweight and delicate feeling with a translucent milky appearance. Bone China looks and feels more fragile, but it’s the strongest and most durable.

I’m sure there’s much more to be learned about this subject, but honestly, I think I’ve learned enough. What I eat off of really isn’ that important to me. If you want to call all nice dishes china, I’m good with that — you can even call it fine china if that makes you feel better…. or if it’s porcelain you can call them porcelain or even fine porcelain. I think I’ll just stick with a term I know— even if they’re ridiculously overpriced — dishes.
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