Finger foods, starters, appetizers, hors d'oeuvres. These terms are often used interchangeably, especially as we approach another season of holiday entertaining. But I've come to wonder: is there a difference between appetizers and hors d'oeuvres? Although both are meant to foster an appetite and they're listed as the same thing [1] in Wikipedia, there is a subtle difference between the two courses.
The French term hors d'oeuvre (pronounced "or-derves"), which literally means "out of work" but translates to "outside the meal," is a one-bite item that's either stationary or passed and served separate from or prior to a meal. An hors d'oeuvre is typically finger food [2] and might refer to, among other items, canapés, crudités, deviled eggs [3], and bruschetta.
Appetizers, on the other hand, appear as the first courses when seated at the table. They're often slightly larger and composed in a way that complements the entrée and dessert courses to follow. Which do you prefer — or is it all the same to you?
