Entrée and appetizer- both are words which most people are likely familiar with because of how widely they are used. For several years there have been many who debate over the two. This debate is entrée vs appetizer, and just how the two differ between one another in terms of meaning as well as other aspects that are important.
Such debates are found for many similar words in the English language, but this one in particular is awfully confusing for a number of different reasons which will be discussed more in detail down below.
We’re here to weigh in on the matter and talk about just how an appetizer is different from an entrée and vice versa, and how there’s actually no difference at all depending on the situation at hand.
The main thing to consider is that different parts of the world have different meanings for certain words, and that’s exactly what has caused this debate for so long. The meaning of both words differs depending on the location you’re in and the given context. That said, here’s a detailed explanation on said differences and similarities between an entrée and an appetizer depending on location.
Entrée vs Appetizer
Differences in Europe
The reason why a lot of people believe appetizers and entrées to be the exact same thing is because of what both of the words mean in most European regions. They both are technically synonyms, which causes in this part of the world, which is why there are many confused regarding the subject.
To be more specific, an entrée in Europe is a part of a meal which is served before the main course. It acts as a teaser of sorts to tempt one’s appetite and prepare them for the food that they’re about to be served once the main course is ready.
Appetizers are just about the exact same thing in Europe. They’re also defined in a similar way regardless of what restaurant users will go to. So in this specific region of the world along with a few others, there’s not really any kind of major difference between both the words since they share the same definition.
Much of the English speaking world uses these definitions for both the words, including France where the word entrée came into being. That is why they are both the same in most parts of the world, except for a select few which we will discuss next.
Differences in Northern America
The entirety of the United States of America as well as many parts of Canada have a different definition for the word entrée. Much like the rest of the English speaking world, both of these countries have the same definition for appetizers. They are small dishes which are meant to be served before the main meal to spark one’s hunger instead of getting rid of it. But the definition for entrée is quite different as already mentioned.
In the regions which were just mentioned, entrées are an entirely different parts of the meal compared to appetizers. They are usually the main dish meant to be served right after the appetizer instead of being something that’s leading up to the full course. In some cases, these entrées are something which fall right between the territory of a main meal and the appetizer which is served before it.
Which is the Right Definition?
As you can see, it all depends on where you live when it comes to entrée vs appetizer debate. Most of the English speaking world makes it completely clear that there is no difference between them, and this is what a vast majority of people believe. However, US English says otherwise as entrées are main dishes instead of appetizers.
There is no right definition as it all comes down to preference and language, but the European definition is considered the correct one according to international standards. That’s because it is the most common one, and the area from which the word even originated is European itself. That said, an entrée and an appetizer can be the same thing or completely different depending on your area of residence as well as personal choice.