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Canapés are small, prepared, and usually decorative foods held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite. In some instances, canapés are the only food served at a gathering, such as a cocktail party -- call them sophisticated snacks, if you wish!
In western Canada, you are more likely to hear these called hors d'oeuvre.
The small bites served before a main meal are called appetizers.
Appetizers and hors d'oeuvre are intended to stimulate appetites before a meal.
Hors d'oeuvre is both singular and plural, and it means "apart from the main": thus, they are the appetizers served before the main courses of a meal. The guests are seated at the table, and most often the hors d'oeuvre are passed on small platters. These are usually finger foods that can be served hot or cold and can be sweet or savory.
On some occasions ready-made snacks such as nuts and chips can be used as appetizers. They usually are set out on a side table so guests may help themselves, placing the bites of food on small plates and continuing to stand or walk as they mix and mingle.
On other occasions, the host, hostess, or helpers might circulate among the guests with trays from which the guests can take hors d'oeuvre.
Sometimes, guests can help themselves to hors d'oeuvre arranged on platters on a side table.
In some instances, appetizers are the only food served at a gathering -- such as a cocktail party.
Appetizers and hors d'oeuvre must be simply presented and elegant looking when arranged on platters.
Following the principles of design allows you to achieve this objective.
Classification of these foods can be based on many factors such as the following:
Recipe name
Ingredients used to prepare the appetizer
Country of origin (such as Portuguese, Spanish, French)
Regardless of how one chooses to classify these foods, they should be easy to eat and light in texture.
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