Multicultural finger foods

Whether as an appetizer, finger food for a party or as a snack, these small bites are also served in Germany at all sorts of different occasions. Instead of the usual pasta and meat dishes, now the guest orders a little bit of this and a little bit of that and pays between three to five Euros per serving. By now this trend has conquered kitchens all around the world. And those who want to try to recreate these “small plates“ as they are called in the U.S., in their own home will find the products they look for in the freezer section.

Demand and supply in food trade have tremendously grown over the past few years. By now the Mediterranean products can predominantly be found on chilled food racks. The deli counter in particular is right on trend when it comes to antipasti. The quick sellers in the sales mix are olives of course, but also grilled vegetables or seafood.

Antipasti – Italian delicacies on everybody’s lips

These little morsels of food have a longstanding tradition in Italy, which can be traced all the way back to Renaissance times. During elaborate banquets small cold dishes, so-called servizi di credenza, were served at the buffet. A tradition which many Italian restaurants still maintain today - especially in Rome - by placing a table with a variety of antipasti at the entrance or in the middle of the dining room.

Today Italians serve many small dishes “anti pasti“– meaning before they serve the pasta. The choices differ depending on the region and the season: eggplant – grilled or marinated, grilled mushrooms or stuffed with cream cheese, mozzarella, olives, peppers – grilled or marinated, jalapeño peppers (stuffed or plain) and tomatoes (dried or semi-dried). Many of the classic antipasti misti are of humble origins and a testament to the creative methods of Italian cooks to make use of even the smallest of leftovers. Most notably known are the indestructible crostinis and the ever popular tomatoes with mozzarella.

Bacon-wrapped prune.

Tapas - Spanish treats in miniature format

Tapas are the Spanish version of the sophisticated Italian finger foods. The origin of these little appetizers or snacks is shrouded in legend. Translated the word “tapa” means “lid“ or “cover“. In the Late Middle Ages it was common practice to serve small morsels of food to go along with fine aromatic wines and sherries. To protect the contents from insects, the glasses were covered with a coaster. These coasters were garnished with a slice of Serrano ham, cheese or olives. Besides grilled vegetables and olives, the following are some traditional tapas: chorizo – a smoked pork sausage spiced with paprika, bacon-wrapped prunes, tortilla – an omelet with potatoes, and all kinds of differently prepared seafood. Small shrimp skewers with dip are also in style at the moment.

Little Hummus balls
An oriental appetizer.

Mezze – Finger food with an Oriental touch

These meals are known as mezze in Greece and Turkey. They are the equivalent to the Spanish tapas, but in part have other ingredients and spices, such as chickpeas, couscous and Ras-el-Hanoud (an Arabic spice mix). The Oriental cuisine exerts its influence here. The little bites are served with drinks and are originally intended as a gesture of hospitality. Unlike the European appetizers, Egyptian Moshahiat for instance, as the mezethes are called there, is not served with alcoholic beverages. Typical appetizers are feta cheese and stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki, but also hummus, stuffed pastry and falafel.


A different kind of treat

These delicacies in miniature format offer the hungry guest a chance to order several dishes all at once and try out all kinds of different dishes. The servings are small and for the most part so is the cost, so that it doesn’t take a huge toll on either the wallet or the scale. Finger food is an all-rounder for eating at home or on the go. It’s a market that is still not fully utilized. Creative minds, who can create finger food and snacks in new ways are in great demand here. In the area of seafood there are still many untapped possibilities, waiting to be discovered.

Ingrid Spicker, InterMopro.de

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