We had a close race this quarter with CANAPÉS pulling ahead by one vote to become our Spring 2025 DOTQ. Looking forward to seeing your creative Spring ideas for these delectable little bites, HOs!
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What better or more seasonal canapé than deviled eggs?
Here’s a lively thread with many delicious ideas.
I’m officially craving some right now 
Some ideas from an Oscar’s party I hosted many moons ago:
Stuffed Medjool dates with a piece of parm (or manchego, taleggio, fresh goat cheese, or mozzarella. Sky’s the limit). Bake until the cheese begins to melt.
Spicy shrimp patties/balls: Put peeled raw shrimp in a food processor with garlic, chili, ginger, shallot or red onion, salt, pepper and cilantro; chop finely. Shape into small patties and shallow-fry or broil, then serve with napkins or on buns, with lime juice or spiced mayonnaise. These were a hit & gone in seconds. All of them >poof<
Sliced baguette with
- horseradish sauce, smoked salmon, capers & shallot rings on top for decoration & flavah
- horseradish cream cheese with rare roast beef & oak leaf lettuce
- creamy brie with grape & walnut (so simple, but such a great combo)
- melted taleggio and sautéed mushrooms
Skewers with
- satay chicken
- ciliegine, halved flavor bomb tomatoes, basil
- melon balls & Serrano ham
Some other ideas here:
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These diverse recipes lead me to ask - what exactly does “canapé” mean to you/in your area of the world? Not sure if the semantics vary regionally in the US or not - I’m from the Midwest but probably didn’t learn the word canapé until I was in college or after (so living primarily in NY state). Personally, I define canapés as bite-sized finger foods that are composed atop a cracker/Melba toast/sturdy chip/other “platform.” I wouldn’t call anything served on a skewer a canapé, nor would I call a finger food without a “base” (like shrimp cocktail, deviled eggs, pigs in a blanket, finger sandwiches, etc.) a canapé. Even something like a mini-tartlet would be pushing it, in my book. Interested to hear how this word is defined elsewhere - and of course hear about all your delicious creations!
For my part, I made myself tuna melt canapés for dinner last night - a spoonful of tuna salad on top of a Ritz cracker, topped with swiss and broiled briefly to melt, then garnished with a pickled jalapeno. Not fancy (or particularly pretty, hence no photos), but delicious!
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Do you have a recipe for the spicy shrimp patties? Sound delicious!
I would say that, traditionally speaking, a canapé consists of a base, a spread, and a topping (or several of those, besides the base). The first link I shared actually begins with the very definition of a canapé (they add garnish as an element, too).
That said, at least where I grew up it evolved to mean bite-sized appetizers that may indeed include skewered (like mini-satay) or wrapped finger foods (like spears of melon wrapped in prosciutto attached with a toothpick).
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It’s included in the post in which I mention them 
I don’t see an actual recipe, amounts of each item.
Yeah, sorry. I don’t tend to write things down, nor do I generally follow actual recipes.
I guess I added ginger, garlic, and chili peppers in equal amounts relative to the amount of shrimp meat I used (maybe a tbsp or two each?), and kinda eye-balled the s&p.
The dipping sauce was probably a simple sriracha-lime-mayonnaise
It really is dead simple to make.
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Agree. Canapé means the specific thing you described (adding a bite-sized piece of bread / toast / crostini to your list of bases).
Like the petit fours of the appetizer course.
The rest of those items could be hors d’oeuvres / appetizers / starters, but they aren’t canapés (in the venn diagram of snacky things, canapes would be a small subset of hors d’oeuvres).
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More canapé inspo. Perhaps not surprisingly, a lot of the recipe sources for canapés I found seem to play rather fast and loose with the “official parameters” of base, spread, topping & garnish:
https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/collections/canape-recipes/
I can’t wait to see some of our HO’s homemade creations!
I rarely hear the word canapé used in English for food. Maybe twice out loud.
Some canapés are high fiber. Haha
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That explains it! 
Some time ago I made all the arrangements for a high school reunion, and when it came to selecting food for a meet and greet, I chose a number of canapés and asked one of the other people his thoughts about my selection. His only comment was that his wife said I was getting too much food, and “BTW, what are canapés?” 
At that point I decided I was not going to solicit about any more comments about the food, and make unilateral decisions. It all worked out great!
BTW, it was a wonderful location for a summer reunion….the White Oaks Resort and Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake. On one day we had a great lunch at a restaurant at one of the wineries.
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Canapés and Crudités. Posh Dr. Oz lingo. LOL.
I am glad it all worked out.
A former Chowhound relocated to Niagara Region 15 years ago, and she hosted a lot of foodie meets. I drove past White Oaks Resort on the way to her place a few dozen times. I’ve never been inside.
I have been to the outlets nearby twice. The outlets were a highlight for my teenage cousins visited from Saskatchewan. LOL Possibly a bigger deal than the Falls, the Stratford Festival or the CN Tower.
From my understanding and common usage here in France, “canapés are essentially small, open-faced sandwiches. They typically have a base made of bread, cracker, or pastry crowned with toppings and garnishes.” (Tasting Table) The word canapé as others has noted, is sofa in French, in here the toppings are sitting on the baked support. So its the same definition as @biondanonima and @Saregama.
All the other small bites, deviled eggs, skewers, stuffed mushrooms etc should belong to the category bouchées, hors d’œuvres or apéro.
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There’s pretty much an identical description in the very first link I posted, but apparently nobody bothered to read it 
:
A canapé is a small, decorative finger food that is often served as an appetizer during events. The term “canapé” comes from the French word for “couch” or “sofa,” which is an apt description since the food typically consists of a base (the “couch”) that supports a flavorful topping. Traditionally, canapés are made up of four main components:
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Base: The base is typically a small piece of bread, cracker, or pastry. This provides a sturdy foundation for the toppings and is often toasted or lightly buttered to add texture and flavor.
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Spread: The spread adds moisture and flavor to the canapé. Common spreads include flavored butters, cream cheese, pâté, or hummus. The spread helps to keep the toppings in place and adds a layer of richness to the bite.
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Topping: The topping is the star of the canapé, offering the main flavor component. This could be anything from smoked salmon or shrimp to vegetables, cheeses, or even fruits. The topping is usually arranged artfully to make the canapé visually appealing.
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Garnish: Finally, the garnish adds a finishing touch, both in flavor and presentation. Popular garnishes include herbs like dill or chives, a sprinkle of caviar, or a drizzle of sauce. Garnishes are often used to complement the flavors of the topping and to enhance the overall aesthetic of the canapé.
Since I was the person who originally nominated this category, I shall eliminate any future contributions that do not adhere to The Canapé Ordinance.
Still super-excited about seeing everyone’s creations here 
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I see even Jamie Oliver or this book included all types of small bites or just party food, i was thinking maybe it means something else in some part of the world.
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Sometimes, those non-couch-like appetizers are called soupçons in Canada. Of course, the word soupçon means small serving, so it could be used for other small servings that are not appetizers.
Many, if not most of the links I shared seemed to indicate a revolution/change in meaning for the term, where it’s more inclusive to mean hors d’œuvres and finger foods as well. I’d also linked the Jamie Oliver canapé ideas in my earlier comment, btw 
Again, I nominated the dish in the first place, but if the moderator running this particular thread wishes to set up clear parameters about what is or isn’t allowed to be included in this category then so be it.
Plenty of Real™ canapé varieties out there.
Interesting, it’s not used in here, but h explained probably the Canadians’ use of old French, so there is the expression « un soupçon de » which means a bit of …
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