Is the first course of a meal always starters?

These days, the "starter" of a dinner is almost always the first course, and it is typically served soon before the "main" course. There is a wide variety of choices for starters, some of which can be served hot (such as vol-au-vents and soufflés), while others can be served cold (such as cold cuts and patés). However, in the context of a more formal meal, they can be served after the soup or the hors d'oeuvres course. In this particular instance, the appetizer is served not as the first course of dinner but rather after the second or third main dish has been had. The size of the dishes that make up a starter is greater than that of an appetizer. They are served at the beginning of the meal as a way to whet the appetite without being unduly filling and are made up of a mix of hot and cold items that are passed around the table.

Starters’ Changes Over The Centuries

Nowadays, it seems natural for a meal to have three courses: an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert. But formal dinners in France, and later in the rest of Europe, were divided into several courses, each made up of several dishes, from the 16th century until the 19th century. Service à la française, or French-style service, refers to this method of accommodating customers. The various delicacies offered in each course were available for the guests to help themselves. There were more courses as there were more guests. Typically, a minimal three-course meal would consist of three courses: the first course of soups, hors d'oeuvres, and starters; the second course of roasts, cold cuts, vegetables, and entremets; and the third course of sweets (pastries, fruit, sorbets, ice cream and petits fours). There was always a special place for soup. It was not placed on the table with the other dishes during service à la française; rather, it was served simultaneously to each guest at the beginning of the meal and primarily in the evening.

Throughout the course of the 19th century, service à la russe, sometimes known as Russian-style service, steadily supplanted service à la française in popularity. This type of service is still in use today. This kind of service features hors d'oeuvres, an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert course. Each course is comprised of a singular dish, which is presented to the diners simultaneously in the form of their individual portion on a plate. When there are a number of different appetizers, all of them are served at the same time.

Hors d'oeuvres and Appetisers

The food provided with an aperitif is not the same as hors d'oeuvres, which are a formal component of the meal. Additionally, it might be challenging to distinguish between starters and hors d'oeuvres because some foods, such as Greek-style vegetables, fit into both categories. Hors d'oeuvres and starters can both be served hot or cold and can include a variety of foods; therefore, what distinguishes them is more about when the dishes are presented and the number of servings than about the type of dishes. The purpose of the appetizers, which come before the starter, is to pique your interest. They frequently include a variety of finger-food delicacies that can be eaten in any order. In contrast, a beginning is a bigger serving of a single dish