#Hors de vours full

As previously stated, they tend to compliment the main course.Īs a general guide (but by no means a rigid rule), appetizers tend to be 3-4 bites in size, often shared with other guests, while hors d’oeuvres tend to be 1-2 bites in size. Portion SizeĪppetizers tend to be slightly larger in portion than hors d’oeuvres which are a small serving of food. Hors d’oeuvres are typically served at a wedding’s cocktail hour, corporate events, fancier events, cocktail parties, etc. Appetizers, however, tend to mark that a meal is coming. While appetizers are typically served at the start of a meal, hors d’oeuvres can be served at any time, not necessarily at the beginning of the a meal.

#Hors de vours full

The main function is to prepare your appetite for a full dinner. They compliment the flavors of the main dish. Time EatenĪppetizers are the first course of an actual meal, typically served at the main table and meant to coordinate well with the rest of the dishes being served.įor example, you might typically see crab dip as an appetizer for a seafood meal or bruschetta served as an appetizer for an Italian meal. There are several subtle differences below but my personal opinion is that the main difference is both the size of the portion and when it is consumed. Hors d’oeuvres are an example ofan appetizer. They can both be served hot or cold, creamy of crunchy, etc.Īs you read in the official definition of hors d’oeuvres above, they are usually served as appetizers. It’s important to note that both appetizers and hors d’oeuvres are meant to stimulate but not fill the appetite. What is the difference between appetizers and hors d’oeuvres? As this new pre-dinner cocktail trend became popular, the British took inspiration from the French and took it one step further by serving hors d’oeuvres or one-bite items before dinner. Serving drinks prior to dinner became a custom towards the end of the 19th century. Merriam-Webster defines hors d’oeuvres as “any of various savory foods usually served as appetizers.” Hors d’oeuvre are often designed to be eaten by hand. It’s a dish that can stand on its own as a snack or support the main course. The word hors-d’œuvre (pronounced awr -durvz) is a French word that quite literally means “outside the work” aka “not part of the ordinary set of courses in a meal”. The word appetizer comes quite literally from the word “appetite”. What is an Appetizer?įirst things first, what is the actual definition of an appetizer? Merriam-Webster defines an appetizer as a “food or drink that stimulates the appetite and is usually served before a meal.” The term appetizer was first thought to have been used in the 1860s. Let’s dive in to the differences between appetizers and hors d’oeuvres. The words are commonly used interchangeably, but they actually have subtle differences that most people don’t realize.