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Place of origin | Italy |
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Main ingredients | Any of cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, cheese, pickled meats and vegetables (in oil or vinegar) |
Variations | Seafood platter; calamari, mussels, smoked salmon, tuna fish, olives |
Antipasto (pl.: antipasti) is the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal. [1] Usually made of bite-size small portions and served on a platter from which everyone serves themselves, the purpose of antipasti is to stimulate the appetite. [2] Typical ingredients of a traditional antipasto includes cured meats, olives, peperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, various cheeses (such as provolone or mozzarella), pickled meats, and vegetables in oil or vinegar.
The contents of an antipasto vary greatly according to regional cuisine. Different preparations of saltwater fish and traditional southern cured meats (like soppressata or 'nduja) are popular in the south of Italy, whereas in northern Italy it is common to serve different kinds of cured meats and mushrooms and, especially near lakes, preparations of freshwater fish. The cheeses included also vary significantly between regions and backgrounds, and include hard and soft cheeses.
Many compare antipasto to hors d'oeuvre, but antipasto is served at the table and signifies the official beginning of the Italian meal. It may also be referred to as a starter, or an appetizer.
French cuisine is the cooking traditions and practices from France. In the 14th century, Guillaume Tirel, a court chef known as "Taillevent", wrote Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of medieval France. In the 17th century, chefs François Pierre La Varenne and Marie-Antoine Carême spearheaded movements that shifted French cooking away from its foreign influences and developed France's own indigenous style.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to meals:
An hors d'oeuvre, appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or they may be served before seating, such as at a reception or cocktail party. Formerly, hors d'oeuvres were also served between courses. There are two types of hors d'oeuvre from service point of view:
Meze is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Albanian, Bosnian, Armenian, Kurdish, Levantine, Turkish, Bulgarian, Greek, Iraqi, Egyptian, Balkan, Caucasian and Persian cuisine, to name a few. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A mezze may be served as a part of a multi-course meal or form a meal in itself. In non-Islamic countries, or in areas without alcohol restrictions, mezze are often served with spirits such as arak, raki, oghi or grappa.
A canapé is a type of starter, a small, prepared, and often decorative food, consisting of a small piece of bread or cracker, wrapped or topped with some savoury food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite.
Bruschetta is an Italian antipasto consisting of grilled bread often topped with olive oil and salt. Most commonly it's served with toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese. In Italy, bruschetta is often prepared using a brustolina grill.
Serbian cuisine is a Balkan cuisine that consists of the culinary methods and traditions of Serbia. Its roots lie in Serbian history, including centuries of cultural contact and influence with the Greeks and the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans, and Serbia's Balkan neighbours, especially during the existence of Yugoslavia. Historically, Serbian food develops from pastoral customs that involved the keeping of sheep in mountain highlands, in a climate and regional context that favoured animal husbandry over vegetable farming; Serbian food is therefore traditionally richer in animal products and basic grains—corn, wheat and oats—than fresh vegetable dishes. Following the abandonment of widely practiced pastoral lifestyles, Serbian food emerged through the Middle Ages heavily dependent not on lamb or mutton, but on the keeping of pigs for the annual cull and the production of various cured meats, such as sausages, bacon and ham products.
Arab cuisine is the cuisine of the Arab world, defined as the various regional cuisines of the Arab people, spanning from the Maghreb to the Mashriq. These cuisines are centuries old and reflect the culture of trading in ingredients, spices, herbs, and commodities. The regions have many similarities, but also unique traditions. They have also been influenced by climate, cultivation, and mutual commerce.
Norwegian cuisine in its traditional form is based largely on the raw materials readily available in Norway and its mountains, wilderness, and coast. It differs in many respects from continental cuisine through the stronger focus on game and fish. Many of the traditional dishes are the result of using conserved materials, necessary because of the long winters.
Arancini, also arancine, are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are a staple of Sicilian cuisine. The most common arancini fillings are: al ragù or al sugo, filled with ragù, mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, and often peas, and al burro or ô burru, filled with ham and mozzarella or besciamella.
A full-course dinner is a meal with multiple courses, almost invariably eaten in the evening or afternoon. Most Western-world multicourse meals follow a standard sequence, influenced by traditional French haute cuisine. It commonly begins with an appetizer, followed by the main course, the salad course, and eventually the dessert, but the exact sequence varies widely. Full-course dinners are generally very formal as well as very expensive, and can have as little as 3 or as many as 21 courses. Some major styles include service à la russe and service à la française.
Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine consisting of the ingredients, recipes and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Roman times and later spread around the world together with waves of Italian diaspora. Some of these foods were imported from other cultures. Significant changes occurred with the colonization of the Americas and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, maize and sugar beet—the latter introduced in quantity in the 18th century. It is one of the best-known and most appreciated gastronomies worldwide.
The historical form of service à la russe is a manner of dining with courses brought to the table sequentially, and the food portioned on individual plates by the waiter. It contrasts with the older service à la française, based on several courses brought to the table simultaneously, in an impressive display of tureens and serving dishes, with diners plating food themselves.
Bichak is a stuffed baked or fried pastry that comes in different forms appetizer or meal similar to a turnover, served in Central Asia cuisines including Uzbek cuisine, Tajik cuisine, Afghan cuisine, and Middle Eastern cuisine, most notably in Moroccan cuisine. It is often served during tea or coffee hour. Bichak can be stuffed with pumpkin, veggies and jam for a sweet taste, or meat and cheese for a savory addition to a lunch. Bichak are also popular because they can be prepared in large quantities. They are traditional for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. For kosher dairy meals, bichak stuffed with pumpkin or cheese are served with yogurt or sour cream.
Zakuski is an assortment of cold hors d'oeuvres, entrées and snacks in food culture in Slavic-speaking countries. It is served as a course on its own or "intended to follow each shot of vodka or another alcoholic drink". The word literally means 'something to bite after'. It probably originated and was influenced through the fusion of Slavic, Viking-Nordic and Oriental cultures in early Rus' regions like the Novgorod Republic.
Smörgåsbord is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and cold dishes.
Italian meal structure is typical of the European Mediterranean region and differs from Northern, Central, and Eastern European meal structure, though it still often consists of breakfast (colazione), lunch (pranzo), and supper (cena). However, much less emphasis is placed on breakfast, and breakfast itself is often skipped or involves lighter meal portions than are seen in non-Mediterranean Western countries. Late-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, called merenda, are also often included in this meal structure.
This is a categorically-organized list of foods. Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is produced either by plants, animals, or fungi, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.
Stuffed mushrooms is a dish prepared using edible mushrooms as its primary ingredient. Many fillings can be used, and the dish is typically baked or broiled. It can be served hot or at room temperature, and is sometimes served cold. The dish can have a meaty texture, and serves as an hors d'oeuvre, side dish, or snack.
A charcuterie board is an appetizer typically served on a wooden board or stone slab, either eaten straight from the board itself or portioned onto flatware. It features a selection of preserved foods, especially cured meats or pâtés, as well as cheeses and crackers or bread.