Delicatessen

A delicatessen or deli is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, unusual, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessen originated in Germany (original: Delikatessen) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the mid-19th century. European immigrants to the United States, especially Ashkenazi Jews, popularized the delicatessen in American culture beginning in the late 19th century.

An array of meats and cheeses at an Italian delicatessen in Rome

Etymology
French delicacies sold in delicatessens: foie gras and Sauternes

Delicatessen is a German loanword which first appeared in English in the late 19th century and is the plural of Delikatesse.[1] The German form was lent from the French délicatesse, which itself was lent from Italian delicatezza, from delicato, of which the root word is the Latin adjective delicatus, meaning "giving pleasure, delightful, pleasing".[1] The first Americanized short version of this word, deli, came into existence ca. 1954.[2]

History

The German food company Dallmayr is credited with being the first delicatessen created. In 1700,[3] it became the first store to import bananas, mangoes, and plums to the German population from faraway places such as the Canary Islands and China. Over 300 years later, it remains the largest business of its kind in Europe.[4]

The first delicatessens to appear in the United States were in New York City in the mid-1800s, with the first known use of this word occurring in 1885.[5] These catered to the German immigrant population living there.[6] As the German-Jewish population increased in New York City during the mid- to late 1800s, kosher delicatessens began to open; the first was founded in 1889.[6][7][8] In the United States, by the late 20th to early 21st centuries, supermarkets, local economy stores, and fast food outlets began using the word (often abbreviated as "deli") to describe sections of their stores.[9] The decline of the deli as an independent retail establishment was most noted in New York City: from a high in the 1930s of about 1,500 Jewish delicatessens, only 15 still existed in 2015.[10]

By country and region

Australia
An Italian-style delicatessen in Five Dock, Sydney

In most of Australia, the term "delicatessen" retains its European meaning of high-quality, expensive foods and stores. Large supermarket chains often have a deli department, and independent delicatessens exist throughout the country. Both types of deli offer a variety of cured meats, sausages, pickled vegetables, dips, breads and olives.

In South Australia and Western Australia, "deli" also denotes a small convenience store or milk bar, and some businesses use "deli" as part of their business name. Traditional delicatessens also exist in these states, with "continental delicatessen" sometimes used to indicate the European version.

Canada

In Canada, both meanings of "delicatessen" are used. Customers of European origin often use the term in a manner consistent with its original German meaning but, as in the United States, a deli can be a combined grocery store and restaurant.

The fish counter at Harrods in London

Europe
Various delicatessen foods

In Europe "delicatessen" means high-quality, expensive foods, and stores. In German-speaking countries a common synonym is Feinkost (fine food), and shops that sell it are called Feinkostläden (delicacy stores). Department stores often have a Delikatessenabteilung (delicacy department). European delicatessens include Fauchon in Paris, Dallmayr in Munich, Julius Meinl am Graben in Vienna, Harrods[11][12] and Fortnum & Mason in London, Peck in Milan and Jelmoli in Zurich.

Although U.S.-style delicatessens are also found in Europe, they appeal to the luxury market. In Russia, shops and supermarket sections approximating U.S.-style delis are called kulinariya and offer salads and main courses. Delicate meats and cheeses, cold-cut and sliced hot, are sold in a separate section. The Eliseevsky food store in central Moscow, with its fin de siècle decor, is similar to a European delicatessen. From the Tsarist era, it was preserved by the Soviets as an outlet for difficult-to-obtain Russian delicacies. Delicatessens may also provide foods from other countries and cultures that are not readily available in local food stores. In Italy, the deli can be called gastronomia, negozio di specialità gastronomiche, bottega alimentare and more recently salumeria. In France it is known as a traiteur or épicerie fine.

United States
A typical deli in the United States

In the United States, a delicatessen (or deli) is often a combined grocery store and restaurant, although the term may also be used for a strictly take-out or sit-down restaurant. Delis offer a broader, fresher menu than fast-food chains, rarely employing fryers (except for chicken) and routinely preparing sandwiches to order. They may also serve hot foods from a steam table, similar to a cafeteria. Although delicatessens vary in size, they are typically smaller than grocery stores.

American delis sell cold cuts by weight and prepare party trays. In addition to made-to-order sandwiches, many U.S. delicatessens offer made-to-order green salads. Equally common are prepared pasta, potato, chicken, tuna, shrimp, or other salads, displayed under the counter and sold by weight. Precooked chicken (usually roasted or fried), shrimp, or eggplant dishes (fried or parmigiana-style) are also sold. Delicatessens offer a variety of beverages, such as pre-packaged soft drinks, coffee, tea, and milk. Potato chips and similar products, newspapers, and small items such as candy and mints are also usually available.

Menus vary according to regional ethnic diversity. Although urban delis rely on ethnic meats (such as pastrami, corned beef, and salami), supermarket delis rely on meats similar to their packaged meats (primarily ham, turkey, and American bologna). North American delicatessen distribution is primarily in older, pedestrian-friendly cities. Delicatessens from a number of cultures can be found. In the United States, many are Italian, Greek, or Jewish, both kosher and "kosher style". The American equivalent of a European delicatessen may be known as a gourmet food store.

See also
  • Appetizing store
  • Charcuterie
  • List of delicatessens
  • Osteria
  • Pastrami on rye – a classic sandwich made famous in the Jewish kosher delicatessens of New York City
  • Salumeria
  • Salumi
  • Save the Deli – a book about the decline of the Jewish delicatessen
  • Specialty foods
  • Traiteur
  • Trattoria

References
  2. "Deli". merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  3. "Step by step to success". www.dallmayr.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  4. History of New York Delis (Report). pastramiblog.blogspot.com. 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  5. "Delicatessen". merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  6. Tracing The Path Of The 'Deli Man' Across North America (Report). NPR. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  7. Kriftcher, Noel (2009). Review: Save the Deli (Report). Jewish Book Council. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  8. Sokan, Kenny (31 March 2016). Pastrami on rye: A full-length history of the Jewish deli (Report). Public Radio International. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  9. Naylor, Tony (16 March 2010). "The Deli Directive". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  10. "The rise and fall of the Jewish deli". The Economist. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  11. "Are pork scratchings going posh? - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  12. "Delicatessens in Knightsbridge, Central London | Reviews – Yell". Trustedplaces.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2015.

Further reading
  • Merwin, Ted. Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli (New York University Press, 2015.) xviii, 245 pp.
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