Difference Between Entree and Appetizer

Entree vs Appetizer

Appetizer is a word used for a wide variety of food items that one can eat before the main course in a meal. There is another word entree that confuses many as it is a word used to refer to the food items served before the main course. It is a word of French origin that means beginning or entrance, and in culinary terms, it is not the main course, but the first course served during a meal. Americans love to use the word entrée where it can be found mentioned on menu cards. People remain confused between entree and appetizer. This article attempts to highlight their differences to use the correct term when having a meal.

Entree

French use the word entrée to refer to the first course served during a meal. However, it is not the main course. The word, when it first appeared in French society, was actually entrée de table, where the first food item served before the main course was brought to the table with sound of trumpets and much fanfare during fancy dinners. In fact, soups were second to entree while it was roast after the soups. Finally, the main course was served. With the passage of time, the meaning of the word somewhat changed with entree being any hot dish that was served after soups during a meal. It was in the 20th century that the word entree came to signify the food item that constituted a light course before the main course.

However, in US, entree is a word that is spoken in the same breath as one would talk about the main course. In fact, up until the WW I, in US, UK, and even France, the term entree came to refer to hot food item served after soups and before roast. However, there are many British and American people who prefer to equate entree with starter or appetizer.

Appetizer

The name of the word appetizer gives away its meaning as it is a food item that is meant to stimulate or increase your appetite. Thus, it is served before the main course, and it could take the shape of soups, chips, or other small food items that are usually shared by guests at a party before they get down to eat the main course served during the meal. Appetizers are small sized food items that get juices flowing inside stomach. In some places, appetizers are small food items that are served before soups or entree. When at a restaurant, people order appetizers when they are hungry but before they are served the main meal.

What is the difference between Entree and Appetizer?

• Entree is a word of French origin and was used in earlier times, in France, to refer to the first course served with much fanfare before the soup, the roast, or the main course was served.

• Appetizer is a word common all over the world for small food items that are served before the meal, to increase the appetite of the people.

• In US, entree is often used to indicate the part of the main course in a meal.

• If you are in a confused state, it is better to use the word appetizer or the main course in place of entree.