Delicatessen

Agrelma.com: What means the term delicatessen?

www.agrelma.com it includes the field delicatessen. Here some important information. A delicatessen is a type of store. The word entered English via German, meaning 'delicacies' but is ultimately of French origin. It has different meanings in different countries. Delicatessens are often referred to informally as a deli. A delicatessen is something between a fast-food restaurant and a grocery store. It offers a much wider and fresher menu than chain fast food restaurants, rarely employing fry machines (except for chicken) and typically making sandwiches to order. A grocery store or supermarket may make its own deli food, or even have a deli on site. Like a market, a delicatessen may also offer a selection of shelved food, often of the type that is not likely to be kept for more than a day. Produce, when present, is limited in quantity and often fresh. The Deli counter of a supermarket is where many Americans obtain their cold cuts. Delicatessens vary greatly in size, but are typically not as large as grocery stores. In areas with high rents for retail space, delicatessens are often quite small. Delicatessens can come from a variety of cultural traditions. Most numerous in the United States are Jewish delicatessens, both kosher and 'kosher style.' There are also Italian delicatessens and German style delicatessens, usually referred to as 'European Delicatessens.'

Delicatessen in Europe

In Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, 'Delikatessen' (as it is spelled) has a rather different meaning; it designates top-quality foodstuffs. A common synonym is Feinkost ('fine food') or similar to 'Good Eats'. The shops which sell them are called Delikatessenläden ('stores for delicacies'), and department stores often have a Delikatessenabteilung ('delicacies department'). You can also find Delicatessen in Denmark, The Netherlands and Belgium. None of these sells the take-out food that is characteristic of North American delicatessen.

Canadian usage

In Canada, both uses of the term are found. First-generation immigrants from Europe often use the term in a manner consistent with its original German meaning. As well, even Jewish delicatessens (as in Montreal, for example) can be either strictly take-out, or mixed take-out and sit-down restaurants.

Australian usage

In South Australia and Western Australia the terms delicatessen and deli are used to denote a small convenience store where people buy newspapers, milk, and sweets. In major centres outside of South Australia and Western Australia delicatessen retains the standard European meaning, and a delicatessen sells cured meats and sausage, pickled vegetables, dips, breads and olives. In South Australia and Western Australia these stores are called Continental delicatessen. The delicatessen or deli section in an Australian supermarket sells fresh foodstuffs similar to traditional European delicatessens.

Origin of the word

Reference works state that the word delicatessen comes from German Delikatessen, and that this German word is the plural of Delikatesse, which in turn comes from French delicatesse and means 'delicious things (to eat)'. The word delicate is recorded in Latin as delicatus, with the meaning 'giving pleasure, delightful'.

An alternative (although wrong) popular etymology supposes that the -essen part of the word is in fact the German word essen (= English: to eat, German: das Essen = English: the food). This would mean that the word is a portmanteau of the German words 'delikates' (delicious, nominative case) and 'Essen'. 'Delikat essen' (with delikat as an adverb) is also a comprehensible phrase in itself in modern German, meaning 'to eat delicious things'.