A bowl is a round, open-top container used in many cultures to serve hot and cold food. Bowls are also used for drinking, as in the case of caffe latte. Bowls used for storing non-food items range from small bowls used for holding tips at a coffeeshop to large bowls used for storing DVDs or CDs. Bowls are typically small and shallow, as in the case of bowls used for single servings of soup or cereal. Some bowls, such as punch bowls, serving bowls, fruit bowls and salad bowls are larger and often intended to serve many people.
Bowls have existed for thousands of years. Very early bowls have been found in China, Ancient Greece, Crete and in certain Native American cultures. Modern bowls can be made of ceramic, metal, wood, plastic, and other materials. Their appearance can range from very simple designs of a single color to desingns sophisticated artwork.