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A cruet (), also called a caster, "caster", The American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd College Edition. Houghton Mifflin. 1982. is a small flat-bottomed vessel with a narrow neck. Cruets often have a lip or spout and may also have a handle. Unlike a small carafe, a cruet has a stopper or lid. Cruets are normally made of glass, ceramic, stainless steel, or copper.
They are also used for the serving of the wine and water in the Christian Mass, especially those of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions.
A few cruets dating from the Medieval ages still exist today. Its culinary use, however, was first introduced in the late 17th century. Cardinal Mazarin had a pair of salad cruets on his dining table at his home in France, one for olive oil and the other for vinegar.
The use of oil and vinegar cruets rapidly spread throughout Italy, where oil and vinegar were already in frequent use. Oil and vinegar cruets are common on Italian and Portuguese tables to this day.
During some Christianity religious ceremonies, primarily the Eucharist, are used to keep the sacramental wine and water. These cruets are usually made of glass, though sometimes they are made of precious metals such as gold or silver. Cruets specifically intended for religious ceremonies come in pairs: one to contain water, often marked A for Aqua, and one to contain wine, V for Vinum. These two liquids are mixed during the portion known as the Preparation of the Gifts.
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