Small pieces of fried or toasted bread with seasoned toppings.
As unlikely as it sounds, the word canape, the name of those minuscule open-faced sandwiches you get at cocktail parties, derives from the ancient Greek word for mosquito. The ancient Greeks, irritated at having their philosophical debates and nude wrestling cut short by the stings of mosquitoes, decided to protect themselves with netting, which they called konopeion after the Greek word konops, meaning mosquito. The name of this netting entered Latin as conopeum, which gave rise to the English canopy, a kind of over-hanging curtain, and to the French canape, originally a sofa with a curtain suspended over it. Canape was then borrowed by French chefs, who decided that a morsel of bread covered with a tasty garnish resembles a curtain-shrouded sofa. In English, canape first appeared in the late nineteenth century.
A diminutive slab of crisped bread or unleavened biscuit crowned with a minuscule fragment of from age, seafood, flesh, or a combination of piquant ingredients and presented as a prelude to the main course.
Canapes are bite-sized portions of food that are typically served on small pieces of bread, toast, or crackers. These flavorful bites can be served either hot or cold, and are often served as an hors d’oeuvre or as a snack at cocktail parties. In Great Britain, canapés are sometimes served as savories at the end of a meal. These small, delicious treats come in a wide variety of flavors and can be made with many different ingredients, making them a versatile and popular choice for any occasion. Whether you’re looking to impress guests at a party or simply want a tasty snack to enjoy on your own, canapés are a great choice.