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About Appetizers

Appetizers can be the perfect start to a great meal. They are oftentimes richer in texture and flavor than other foods that will be served later, such as soup, salad or a protein dish, and can provide the perfect forum for guests to mingle and chat before the more formal dinner begins.

Function

Appetizers are small trays or platters of food that are consumed before a meal's soup, salad or main course. The point of an appetizer is to stimulate the taste buds just a bit and stave off hunger before the rest of the courses are served. Appetizers can be platters that are shared amongst restaurant diners or trays of small bites that are usually passed around or set out for consumption.

Geography

Appetizers are usually served during social get-togethers. Weddings, cocktail parties, holiday parties, birthday dinners, and bridal and baby showers are all places where you are likely to see appetizers. At some events, such as cocktail parties, appetizers may be the only form of food served. At other events, such as weddings or holiday parties, it is simply assumed that the guests will nosh on a few bites to eat before the main meal begins.

Types

An appetizer can take on almost any form. An entire pizza can become an appetizer if you cut it into small, bite-sized pieces. However, there are a few types of appetizers that are most common, including cheese, meats (cold cuts), bruschetta, vegetables, shrimp, puff pastries, mini quesadillas, fruit cups or platters, meatballs, pigs in blankets and crackers topped with various items such as salmon and cream cheese.

Time Frame

Because an appetizer serves as an appetite stimulant, it is usually served 20 minutes to an hour before a dinner will be served. For many events, such as weddings, this may mean serving the appetizers during the cocktail hour. This will allow the guests to counterbalance their cocktails with some food, and should prevent anyone from becoming famished before the sit-down dinner begins. At a restaurant, an appetizer will likely be served 15 minutes or so before the main course, though servers usually use their discretion as to whether tables seem ready to move onto the next course or not.

Misconceptions

Though the French term "hors d'oeuvre" is synonymous with an appetizer, an "amuse boush" is not. An amuse boush is literally a small, bite-sized culinary creation that is served before appetizers. An amuse boush might consist of a chip or fried wonton topped with some fixings, a small lettuce cup filled with caesar salad trimmings or a small serving of shrimp tempura.