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All about Eating |
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Did you know that possibly the Americans are correct when they name their main course the entrée. Whilst it is true that the word means beginning, it does not necessarily mean that in a culinary sense.
Did you know that possibly the Americans are correct when they name their main course the entrée. Whilst it is true that the word means beginning, it does not necessarily mean that in a culinary sense. According to Larousse Gastronomique the entrée is the course which follows the fish and any other immediate course in a French banquet. This means it could the third course! Common usage however in other English speaking countries and indeed now in France means that entrée on the menu has gone back to its literal meaning of the beginning or first course.
The Italians on the other hand do not have a main course except for rare exceptions such as osso buco. The first course (I Primi ) is either a soup, a pasta or risotto dish. This course in Italian cooking, according to Marcella Hazan, is accorded the same weight as the next course (I Secondi) which is either meat or fish with a side dish of vegetables. Antipasti sits in a place of its own. In home meals it is used sparingly but has a marvellous part to play in parties.
Dishes in most Asian countries however do not come in set courses. Except for soup which, if it is served, is served on its own, all the courses for the main meal come together. This gives the diner the means to try small amounts of whatever is on the table.
Eating utensils also vary country to country. Chopsticks which are used over most of Asia are not part of the culture of Thailand. There a spoon and fork are the common utensils at each setting. One explanation for this is that centuries ago everyone ate with their hands (or hand) and when forks first came they were only used for serving the food from the middle of the table to the individual plates. Over the years these forks with their matching spoons became place settings.
It is common practise in Asian food cultures to serve your guests first to make sure that they get the best and most succulent foods on the table. To do this the host or hostesses' chopsticks are turned around so that the guest is served from the end of the chopsticks rather than from the front which may have already been used.
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