Oyster pail
An oyster pail (also known as a paper pail, Chinese food box or Chinese takeout container) is a folded, waxed or plastic coated, paperboard container originally designed to hold oysters. It commonly comes with a handle made of solid wire. It is often used by American Chinese cuisine restaurants in the United States to package take-out food. It can also be found in other Western countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Poland, England and Brazil, but is rarely seen in China and other Asian countries with high numbers of ethnic Chinese.
Uses
The container is inexpensive, durable and fairly leak-proof when kept upright. The top usually has a locking paperboard tab that is self-closing. The simple origami-like folded construction allows for some escape of steam from hot food. It is common to eat directly out of the container with chopsticks. The containers are primarily used with American Chinese cuisine, though they have begun to spread in some European and Latin American countries.[citation needed]
Oyster pails that can be used safely in
The containers may also be used for storing or transporting non-food items, such as soap
History
Early patents date to 1890,[2] 1894,[3] and 1908.[4] The paperboard oyster pail was invented at a time when fresh oysters were more popular and plentiful and less expensive than they are today. Since shucking oysters (removing the raw meat from the shell) takes some skill and can be difficult and dangerous, it was common to have the oyster seller open the oysters so they could be taken home for use in recipes[citation needed]. The oyster pail provided an inexpensive and sanitary way to do this. In the early 20th century oyster pails were used to hold honey.[5] In the mid-20th century, overfishing (and the subsequent rise in price) of oysters left manufacturers with a significant number of unsold oyster pails.
In the United States after
The containers are also used by restaurants offering classic American takeout food, such as
See also
Notes
- ^ Hofmann, Deborah (December 14, 1988). "New Gift Wraps: Gloss, Glitter and Ease". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
- ^ States426698 United States 426698, Wilcox, F W & Moshier, W D, "Paper pail", published April 19, 1890
- ^ "Paper pail". google.com.
- ^ United States 886074, Reber, J G, "Oyster pail", published April 28, 1908
- ^ Root, Amos Ives (1905). The ABC of Bee Culture: A Cyclopaedia of Every Thing Pertaining to the Care ... Retrieved December 12, 2012.
- ^ "Sweet & Sour: A Look at the History of Chinese Food in the United States". Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2013.