Portable, easy to handle and silverware-free, canapés afford us many special freedoms, including the benefit of being able to taste a large variety of foods without over-eating!

Thank The French!

Rising in popularity around the same time cocktail parties started to become fashionable, we can thank the French for calling fancy finger foods, “canapés,” since the late 18th century.

Originally served as a thin slice of toasted or fried bread that was then covered with something savory, canapés earned their name by their physical nature, which is to have ingredients “sitting” on top of bread.

A little later on, the English began a similar tradition that they referred to as, “amuse-bouche,” which translates ironically from French to mean, “mouth amuser or palate pleaser.”

Micro-Sized Portions of Delight

Given that today’s canapés are both savory or sweet and also feature just about anything served in a micro-sized portion, its likely that what we whip up today is a blending of an amuse-bouche and a canapé. However, the latter name sounds more appealing so it’s quite likely why it’s the one that “stuck.”

Today’s canapés are an excellent option for any size gatherings, but most especially those where you have people arriving at different times and you are not sure how many guests to expect or how hungry they might be.