Catering Lingo 101

Here at Crave Catering we know event planning can come with many stresses, but we want to make sure that communicating with your caterer is easy as pie. There are some catering terms that may get lost in translation and we are here to interpret them to make your catering experience the best yet.

Below are some common words you may hear in the catering world. Soon, you’ll be well on your way to throwing a great event and being a first-class host!

A la mode: A phrase meaning that dessert (normally pie or cake) will be topped with ice cream.

Hors d’oeuvres: An appetizer served before a meal.

Amuse-bouche: A bite-sized hors d’oeuvre that is prepared according to the chef’s selection. A French word for “mouth amuser”, these mini delicacies are great to tide you over before the first course.

One of our favorite examples of amuse-bouche style catering are our mini kobe beef sliders.

Apéritif: A light alcoholic beverage served before dinner. Normally used to stimulate the diner’s appetite.

Canapé: These are bite-sized snacks that are often served at cocktail parties. Most consist of thin pieces of bread or cracker topped with endless combinations. Our delicious crostini’s spread with local Texas goat cheese and topped with candied jalapeños are quite the treat.

Displays: These are foods that are placed on a table and people serve themselves. Fruit and cheese are often presented in this manner at receptions.

This is one of our cheese and fruit displays we did for a wedding. The amazing cheese tray included triple cream brie, manchego, gouda and gruyère with candied pecans and fresh grapes.

Now that you have become well versed in the ways of catering, we hope you can use some of the lingo to show off your learned knowledge. Send us an email to see our various menus as well, we’d be happy to “talk catering” with you!