I was just having lunch using a plastic utensil (spoon) at a cafetaria when a guy approached me asking where he could find the silverware.

At first, I was caught off guard and didn’t really get what he was asking until he repeated the word “silverware” for me. I guess the reason I didn’t get the word the first time was because the word just didn’t register right away since I was eating using a plastic spoon.

Why do people still refer to spoons, forks, and knives as silverware even though they are often made of plastic, wood, ot other materials? What word is commonly used to refer to this set of items?

Context: I’m an international student in the US