Topic · Appetizers Mastery

Vocabulary

These are quick definitions of different words you may read on a menu. You will have the opportunity to create some of the below-mentioned items later on in this and the following courses.

Entrée	The French word for ” appetizer”.
Canapés	A small, bite-sized portion of food, made with a base of “pain de mie” (looks like denser and thinner sandwich bread) and nicely “decorated” with various ingredients. The literal translation of “canapé” is “sofa.”
Amuse-bouche	The literal translation is “mouth amuser.” This is a bite-sized hors d’oeuvre that should excite the taste buds and not at all fill up your stomach. It should be served before an appetizer. A good amuse-bouche can allude to the quality of the rest of the menu.
Entremet	This term (literally meaning “between servings”) refers to a small dish served between courses, or simply a dessert.
Amuse-gueule	It is the same thing as an amuse-bouche but is not as sophisticated. While “bouche” is the French word for a human “mouth,” “gueule” is the word used for the mouth of a dog. Still acceptable but not as elegant as “bouche.”
Mise en bouche	An elegant way to say “amuse-bouche.” “Mise en bouche” can literally be translated as “put in mouth.” The translation does not seem very appealing, but it really means “bring an appetite.”
Petit four salé	Bite-sized savory baked pastry. The term “petit four” alone denotes something sweet, but the word “salé” indicates that it is a savory pastry.
Verrine	Very trendy in France, it consists of serving a variety of hors d’oeuvre in small glasses (shouter sized ).
Antipasti	Means “before the meal” and is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal.
Smörgåsbord	The Swedish word for “appetizers.”
Zakuski	The Russian word for “appetizers.”
Tapas	Tapas is the name for a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine.
Meze or mezze	In the Eastern Mediterranean, this is a selection of appetizers or small dishes, often served with a drink.

All these words with different meanings could be very confusing if people are using them interchangeably.