Why Appetizers Matter in a Meal (And How to Choose the Right Ones)

My family was invited to a dinner last night. We were all chatting, enjoying, having the time of our lives. And suddenly I heard my youngest child saying "Mom, I'm hungry!".

In that moment I couldn't really do anything but to tell him that he should wait. Then someone started serving appetizers. Nothing fancy, just small bite-sized food items enough to make the waiting comfortable.

This is exactly where I realized the importance of appetizers.

They're not merely fillers in an event. But they're the quite heroes that give first impression of the main meal, set the pace of the meal, and make the guests feel relaxed and comfortable.

Let's see what is the real importance of appetizers, why serve appetizers, how do they influence the whole meal flow, and what are some of the best tips to choose right kind of appetizers.

The Real Purpose of Appetizers

The real purpose of appetizers if to excite you up rather than filling you.

Here are some of the purposes of appetizers;

Stimulate Appetite

Appetizers are mainly served to stimulate your appetite. This is why they are smaller in size, different in textures, and contains bold flavors. They hint at the main meal coming in a short while.

Create Anticipation

Appetizers create curiosity among the guests. They get excited to see what's coming as main meal. And honestly, if your appetizers make your guests anticipated, that means you've done right with the appetizers.

Act As a Social Buffer

While the main course is still cooking, appetizers act as a buffer and bridge the gap of waiting between appetizers and main course.

They are a good reason to keep everyone waiting comfortably while being engaged in eating appetizers.

Appetizers Improve the Dining Experience

An ideal dining experience is always incomplete without appetizers. They balance the meals and make the overall dining experience improved. Let's see how;

By Adding Variety & Texture

While main dishes focus on one dominant texture, appetizers add variety and contrast.

Since appetizers are small in size, creating different textures and adding variety is easier. You can offer a variety of appetizers like creamy, crunchy, crisp, soft.

By Showing The Flavor Teaser

Appetizers are basically "previews" of the main dishes. Either spicy, acidic, or salty, they hint at what can you expect with the main course.

By Setting The Mood

Appetizers are enough to set the whole mood of the meal.

Light and fresh appetizers feel welcoming and calm. Spicy ones feel energetic and festive. On the other hand, elegantly plated ones feel refined.

Before the main course is serve, appetizers already let the guests know what is the tone of the meal.

How Appetizers Help Hosts

As a host, appetizers can be the smartest tool to opt.

They Help With Time Management

As a host, the most embarrassing thing you can expect is the guests asking you about how long will it take for the meal to begin. On the other hand, you cannot rush things just to put an end to their waiting.

In this case, appetizers solve both of your problems. They give you a room to calmly finish your main meals while keeping the guests busy and happy.

They Allow Flexible Serving

Unlike main courses, appetizers allow flexibility of serving and make the hosting experience enjoyable and relaxing. They can be prepared in advance, served hot or cold or even a mix of both, and most importantly there is no perfect time or format of their serving.

You can set appetizers out early, refill them gradually, or even serve in stages.

They're Easier to Scale

Being small sized food items make it easier for the hosts to scale appetizers. Whether you're hosting for two or twenty people, you can easily readjust the quantities of your appetizers without worrying about messing up the entire menu. This is because appetizers use minimum and easily available ingredients to make and assembling them is not an issue.

To get an idea of what to make for your next event, check out our Appetizers category for various options.

How Appetizers Fit Into Meal Flow

Appetizers are meant to fit into the meal flow by supporting it and not compete with it.

Here are a few tips to remember to make your appetizers to fit the meal flow;

Light Before Heavy

A balance of light and heavy food items make a perfect meal. If your main course is heavy, offer lighter appetizers. However, if your dinner is simple, you can offer more appetizers that are rich and filling.

Never ignore this balancing key while hosting a dinner.

Avoid Repeating Same Flavors and Textures

In order to avoid palate boredom, don't repeat same flavors and textures when serving appetizers. A diverse spread can keep the guests intrigued and enjoy the dinner.

If the dinner is cheesy or creamy and heavy, avoid creamy or cheesy appetizers. Rather opt for light and fresh appetizers. In the same way, offer crunchy and soft both kinds of appetizers to bring a variety in textures.

Balance Salt, Acid and Heat

Balancing salt, acid, and heat are major elements to create memorable appetizers. However, balancing these elements is important to create a stimulating experience without overwhelming the appetite.

• Use salt while cooking food and not in the end. This allows adjusted food in a well balanced way.
• A splash of acid can help to flavor balance, and steadiness of creamy or heavy fried items.
• Add a hint of heat by including some spicy ingredient(s) to intesify the appetizers experience.

How to Choose the Right Appetizer?

Understanding about appetizers is essential but what good can it be if you don't know when to choose what.

Here's how you can choose the right appetizer for your events;

Go Light Before Dinner

If you're offering a sit-down kind of dinner with rich and filling dishes, then always opt for lighter appetizers options. Your goal must be stimulating appetite not satisfying hunger.

Use fresh flavors, small portions, and variety of textures.

Go Heavy In Cocktail Parties

If you're hosting a cocktail party with no intention of serving proper main courses, then you get the liberty to choose appetizers that act as a meal.

Choose options that are filling, heavier, rich, and satisfy the hunger of guests so there's no need to have meal at the end.

Always Include One “Safe” Option

A safe option can be something that is generic and comfy food for picky eaters. It can have familiar taste and mild flavors which may not sound interesting but it's reassuring.

Common Appetizer Mistakes to Avoid

Appetizers can be simple as they may sound yet there are some common mistakes that can ruin your hosting experience.

I'm here to tell you those small mistakes to avoid;

1. Choosing Appetizers That Are Too Heavy: Although appetizers are supposed to be chosen according to the event. But, appetizers that are too cheesy, heavily fried, or too big in size kill appetite quickly.
2. Choosing Appetizers That Are Too Messy To Eat: Appetizers are meant to be for stress-free-eating. Dripping, crumbling, or overly stuffed appetizers may create stress while eating.
3. Choosing All Hot or All Cold Appetizers: Variety intrigues guests and keep them entertained. A mix of hot and cold appetizers always create an ideal spread. For example; serve Cane's Chicken Fingers and Cucumber salad to create variety of flavors and textures.

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