Hors d'œuvre
Encyclopedia
Hors d'oeuvre also known as appetizers, starters, or the first course, are food
items served before the main courses of a meal
. The French (singular and plural) is hors d'œuvre; in English, the œ ligature is usually replaced by the digraph "oe" with the plural often written as "hors d'oeuvres" and pronounced ɔr.
There are several related terms, such as a one-bite appetizer, as an amuse-bouche (or other terms below, under: See also).
If there is an extended period between when guests arrive and when the meal is served (for example during a cocktail
hour), these might also serve the purpose of sustaining guests during the wait, in the same way that aperitifs are served as a drink before meals. Hors d'oeuvre are sometimes served with no meal afterward. This is the case with many reception
and cocktail party
events.
Hors d'oeuvre may be served at the table, as a part of the sit-down meal, or they may be served before sitting at the table. Hors d'oeuvre prior to a meal are either stationary or passed. Stationary hors d'oeuvre are also referred to as "table hors d'oeuvre". Passed hors d'oeuvre are also referred to as "butler-style" or "butlered" hors d'oeuvre.
Though any food served prior to the main course is technically an hors d'oeuvre, the phrase is generally limited to individual items, not crudités
, cheese or fruit. For example, a glazed fig topped with mascarpone
and wrapped with prosciutto
is considered an "hors d'oeuvre," whereas figs on a platter are not.
A more substantial starter or first course served at the table might be referred to as an entrée
(outside the U.S. and English Canada).
Examples of Hors d'oeuvre include:
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
items served before the main courses of a meal
Meal
A meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
. The French (singular and plural) is hors d'œuvre; in English, the œ ligature is usually replaced by the digraph "oe" with the plural often written as "hors d'oeuvres" and pronounced ɔr.
There are several related terms, such as a one-bite appetizer, as an amuse-bouche (or other terms below, under: See also).
Use
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
hour), these might also serve the purpose of sustaining guests during the wait, in the same way that aperitifs are served as a drink before meals. Hors d'oeuvre are sometimes served with no meal afterward. This is the case with many reception
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
and cocktail party
Cocktail party
A cocktail party is a party where cocktails are served. Women may choose to wear what has become known as a cocktail dress.Although many believe the inventor of the cocktail party to be Alec Waugh of London, who in 1924 found a need for this pleasant interlude before a dinner party, an article in...
events.
Hors d'oeuvre may be served at the table, as a part of the sit-down meal, or they may be served before sitting at the table. Hors d'oeuvre prior to a meal are either stationary or passed. Stationary hors d'oeuvre are also referred to as "table hors d'oeuvre". Passed hors d'oeuvre are also referred to as "butler-style" or "butlered" hors d'oeuvre.
Though any food served prior to the main course is technically an hors d'oeuvre, the phrase is generally limited to individual items, not crudités
Crudités
Crudités are traditional French appetizers comprising sliced or whole raw vegetables which are sometimes dipped in a vinaigrette or another dipping sauce...
, cheese or fruit. For example, a glazed fig topped with mascarpone
Mascarpone
Mascarpone |denaturation]], whey is removed without pressing or aging. One can manufacture mascarpone by using cream and tartaric acid, citric acid, or even lemon juice....
and wrapped with prosciutto
Prosciutto
Prosciutto |ham]]) or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto....
is considered an "hors d'oeuvre," whereas figs on a platter are not.
A more substantial starter or first course served at the table might be referred to as an entrée
Entrée
An entrée is a dish served before the main course, or between two principal courses of a meal.The disappearance in the early 20th century of a large communal main course such as a roast as a standard part of the meal in the English-speaking world has led to the term being used to describe the main...
(outside the U.S. and English Canada).
Examples of Hors d'oeuvre include:
- Buffalo wings
- CanapéCanapéA canapé is a small, prepared and usually decorative food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite.- Details :...
s - CaviarCaviarCaviar, sometimes called black caviar, is a luxury delicacy, consisting of processed, salted, non-fertilized sturgeon roe. The roe can be "fresh" or pasteurized, the latter having much less culinary and economic value....
- Cold cutsCold CutsCold Cuts is a 2002 live album by English acoustic roots duo Show of Hands. It was their first live album to be released in a gatefold/digipack case...
- CruditésCruditésCrudités are traditional French appetizers comprising sliced or whole raw vegetables which are sometimes dipped in a vinaigrette or another dipping sauce...
(raw vegetables used for dipping) - Deviled eggDeviled eggDeviled eggs or eggs mimosa are hard-boiled eggs cut in half and filled with the hard-boiled egg's yolk mixed usually with mayonnaise and mustard. Deviled eggs are usually served cold...
s - CheeseCheeseCheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
s - NachosNachosNachos are a popular food based on nixtamalized corn, of Mexican origin associated with Tex-Mex cuisine that can be either made quickly to serve as a snack or prepared with more ingredients to make a full meal. In their simplest form, nachos are tortilla chips or totopos covered in melted cheese...
- SausageSausageA sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s - DumplingDumplingDumplings are cooked balls of dough. They are based on flour, potatoes or bread, and may include meat, fish, vegetables, or sweets. They may be cooked by boiling, steaming, simmering, frying, or baking. They may have a filling, or there may be other ingredients mixed into the dough. Dumplings may...
s - BruschettaBruschettaBruschetta is an antipasto from Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. It consists of roasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper...
- Cocktail wienersHot dogA hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
- Tongue toastTongue toastTongue toast is an open faced sandwich prepared with sauteed beef tongue, and scrambled eggs. It is seasoned to taste with black pepper and onions. Sometimes the tongue is served on buttered toast instead, with a poached egg instead of a scrambled one...
Other languages and cultures
- ZakuskiZakuskiA zakuski is a kind of traditional Russian hors d'oeuvre served before meals. Usually presented buffet style, it often consists of cured meats and fishes, various pickled vegetables such as beets, cucumbers, and garlic, mixed salads, caviar, and breads.These appetizers are often present at parties...
are hors d'oeuvre in Russian cuisineRussian cuisineRussian cuisine is diverse, as Russia is the largest country in the world. Russian cuisine derives its varied character from the vast and multi-cultural expanse of Russia. Its foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of...
s. Usually presented buffetBuffetA buffet is a system of serving meals in which food is placed in a public area where the diners generally serve themselves. Buffets are offered at various places including hotels and many social events...
style, it often consists of cured meats and fishes, various pickled vegetables such as beets, cucumbers, and garlic, prepared salads, caviar, and breads. - In ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, it is called lěng pán 冷盘 ("cold plate"), or qián cài 前菜 ("before dish") in Mandarin. is JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese hors d'œuvre.
See also
- Amuse-bouche
- AntipastoAntipastoAntipasto , means "before the meal" and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. Traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, roasted garlic, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses...
- BanchanBanchanBanchan refers to small dishes of food served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. This word is used both in the singular and plural....
, Korean side dishes - CicchettiCicchettiCicchetti are small snacks or side dishes, typically served in traditional "bàcari" in Venice, Italy...
- Dim sumDim sumDim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
- Finger foodFinger foodFinger food is food meant to be eaten directly using the hands, in contrast to food eaten with a knife and fork, chopsticks, or other utensils. In some cultures, food is almost always eaten with the hands; for example, Ethiopian cuisine is eaten by rolling various dishes up in injera bread. In the...
- Garnish
- Kujulpan
- MezeMezeMeze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
- PicadaPicadaThe picada is one of the characteristic sauces and culinary techniques essential to Catalan cuisine. It is not an autonomous sauce like mayonnaise or romesco, but it is added as a seasoning during the cooking of a recipe....
- PreprandialPostprandialPostprandial means after eating a meal while preprandial is before a meal.-Usages of the term:This term is used in many contexts but also in relation to blood sugar levels, which are normally measured 2 hours after and before eating in a postprandial glucose test...
, a term sometimes used to refer to hors d'œuvre. - Pu pu platterPu pu platterA Pu Pu platter, Pu-Pu platter or pupu platter is a tray of American Chinese cuisine consisting of an assortment of small meat and seafood appetizers...
- SmörgåsbordSmörgåsbordSmörgåsbord is a type of Scandinavian meal served buffet-style with multiple dishes of various foods on a table, originating in Sweden. In Norway it is called koldtbord, in Denmark it is called det kolde bord, in Finland seisova pöytä and in Estonia rootsi laud...
- SushiSushiis a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
- TapasTapasTapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold or warm ....