The word delicatessen designates a type of food store. The word entered English via German, meaning "delicacies" but is ultimately of French origin. It has different meanings in different countries. A North American delicatessen is often referred to, informally or affectionately, as a deli. In some regions of Australia, the same words can be used to mean a general store or convenience store, or the same as the US usage.
U.S. delicatessen
The delicatessen, as found in the cities of the United States (and occasionally the UK and Canada), emphasizes take-out food. It is a boon to the contemporary city dweller with a distaste for fast food from a chain store but without time for a sit-down or home-cooked meal. It is meant to be a one-stop in-and-out dining venue.
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 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 freshness. 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 is the Jewish delicatessen, either specifically kosher, or merely "kosher style." There are also Italian delicatessens and German style delicatessens, usually referred to as a "European Delicatessen."
Product base
Most delicatessen have a sandwich menu, most of which are made to order behind the counter. Delicatessens often sell their meats by weight, as cold cuts, and prepare party trays.
In addition to made-to-order sandwiches, many delicatessens offer made-to-order green salads. Equally common is a selection of pre-made pasta, potato, chicken, tuna, shrimp, or other variety of "wet" salads, displayed underneath the counter and bought by weight or on a sandwich. Pre-cooked chicken, shrimp, or eggplant products, possibly fried or parmigiana style are found frequently, though they do not constitute the mainstay of a delicatessen.
In order to provide an opportunity for a complete meal, delicatessens also offer a wide variety of beverages, usually pre-packaged soft drinks, coffee, teas, milk, etc. Chips and similar products are available in some variety, though they rarely rival the selection of small package cookies and snack foods; some pre-packaged, others store-made and cellophane wrapped.
Alongside these primarily lunch and dinner products, a delicatessen might also offer a number of additional items geared toward the breakfast eater, including baked goods (breakfast pastries, bagels, toast), yogurt, and warm, egg "breakfast sandwiches". Newspapers and small food items such as candy and mints are also usually available for purchase.
Urban affiliation
The North American delicatessen distribution is skewed towards cities, particularly older cities that are less car-oriented, thus favoring walk-in traffic. The residents of New York City have a particularly close connection to their delis, and many delicatessens outside of New York call themselves "New York Delicatessen," to evoke the emotional appeal of the traditional New York City delicatessen.
Delikatessen 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"). The shops which sell them are called Delikatessenläden ("stores for delicacies"), and department stores often have Delikatessenabteilung ("delicacies department"). You can also find Delicatessen in The Netherlands. Not any 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 delicatessens (delis) sell a variety of food including sandwiches. The traditional deli is a place where people pick up a newspaper and buy milk. Another form of deli is the contintental deli, so named for its stocking of European foods (salamis, cheeses, italian hams etc.). In recent years there has been a trend for delis to sell more snack foods and hot foods (pies, pasties and sausage rolls). Delis also sell a variety of small cakes. Most delis have a place where patrons can sit down to consume food. Larger delis often stock items normally found in a general store (canned goods, toiletries, and cleaning goods, to name a few). However, the Delicatessen or Deli in a supermarket refers to the same thing as the US usage. There are also standalone delicatessens of this style in Australia, but they are not terribly common.
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 and means "delicate things (to eat)". The word delicate is recorded in Latin as delicatus, with the meaning "giving pleasure, delightful".
An alternative 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" (delicate, nominative case) and " Essen". The Germans may have seen the "esse" on the end of the French "delicatesse" and corrected it to "essen" - the German infinitive meaning "to eat", or, regarded as a gerund, meaning "eating" - refined eating.
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