Apéro Dînatoire
Also called apéro dinhutoire in my family..
Snicky snacks, tasty drinks, zero stress, and good company… What more could you ever need?! Let me introduce you to the apéro dînatoire, or what we call apéro dinhutoire* in my family.
Coined by Olivia Maher, “girl dinner” has become an online sensation this past year. If you haven’t been privy to the fun small bites and chaotic combinations, I implore of you to go look up “girl dinner” on TikTok immediately. Sure, girl dinner can seen as a lazy mish mash of random ingredients in your fridge but it can also be an opportunity to explore new pairings and flavors. I’m a huge fan of it.
Many choose to believe that calling it “girl” dinner makes it sound condescending towards women, I rather think it makes all girls sounds brilliant.
Maximal flavor, minimal rules or effort.
A few weeks ago, I was interviewed for the morning news on KSL-TV, the Salt Lake City NBC affiliate, and chose to speak about a way of eating that is very dear to my heart - apéro dînatoire. During this live interview, it suddenly hit me… girl dinner is just apéro dînatoire?!? My definition of it was “a meal composed of snicky snacks that may be small but pack a flavor punch served alongside an exciting beverage”.
I mean, regardless of if your snicky snacks consist of tinned fish + carrot sticks or paté + radishes and butter, the concept is the same.
*My last name, Dinhut, is pronounced dee-newt hence apéro “dinhut-oire”
The Apéro Dictionary
In France, l’apéro is a ritual. Regardless of what region you’re in, this time amongst friends is sacred. Whether you’re enjoying apéro after work, before a dinner, or whilst playing pétanque, it’s an important chunk of time where you switch off your brain and just ENJOY yourself.
An apéro dînatoire, or dinhutoire, takes it one step further. Not only are you able to relax and hang out with friends with a drink, but you can also enjoy loads of fun snacks for an extended period of time. There is no set table, no seating chart, and there are usually no plates. Food and drink are placed anywhere and everywhere for all to enjoy as they please. Just think of it as an easy breezy cocktail hour and dinner party mished mashed into one.
Let’s recap with an apéro dictionary:
Apéro = apéritif, pre-dinner drink (occasionally with some salty nibbles)
Dînatoire = dîner = dinner
Apéro dînatoire = a chilled, informal “dinner x cocktail hour” composed of enough snacks to get you full and paired with exciting beverages
Snicky snacks = small but mighty snacks, loads of flavor in one bite
Apéro Dînatoire Around The World
When I shared this comparison on my TikTok last week, the comments were flooded by people around the world sharing their culture’s apéro dînatoire. How fun is THAT! The concept is the same but the bites and bevs are distinct.
Let’s take a quick trip across the globe:
Italy - Apericena, aperitivo + cena (dinner)
Greece - Mezedakia or τούτα τ’αλλα, small dishes aka meze spreads
UK - Picky bits, small bits and bobs to pick at and munch on!
Switzerland - Apéro Riche: rich, heavy apéro
Austria - Jause, mid-afternoon snack usually served on a wooden board
Argentina - Picada, picar = to bite, picada = small bites spread
Palestine - نواشف (nawashef): anything that is eaten cold, and is not cooked or spiced
Syria - Hawadir: food eaten straight from the pantry or refrigerator
Spain - Cena de picoteo, dinner composed of small bites
Portugal - Lanche ajantarado: a mix between an afternoon snack and dinner
Germany - Brotzeit, Vesper: “bread time”, cold cuts and bread
And for the heck of it, here were some other variations courtesy of my hilarious comment section:
Fend for yourself
YO-YO aka you’re on your own
Dinner picnic
I’m sure I’m missing many other variations so please do comment below if your culture (or family) enjoys this style of eating!
I hope this international display of apéro dînatoire proves to you that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, you can also throw your own. Take advantage of your taste preferences, cultural heritage, and introduce your friends to flavors they may not understand or know about. Realistically, it doesn’t matter what you serve, as long as you’re surrounded by loved ones that’s all that counts!
Although I could go on forever about this style of eating, let’s save that for BOOK TWO …?!
I was born in Montreal, QC Canada and my parents always called it : ce soir, on grignotte! C'était et c'est encore mes repas préférés!!!!
Hi Claire, it's not identical but in my family and area, in rural Co. Waterford, Ireland, a meal like this would be called a 'tea supper', in farming houses particularly as they usually had their largest meal at 1pm so the evening meal would consist of cold cuts of meat, pickled onions or beetroot, a scallion, a slice of loaf or soda bread with lots of butter and plenty of tea on the side. Some may have boiled eggs with bread, jam and tea for their 'tea supper'. And in this Ireland tea is often pronounced 'tay' as the Irish word for tea is 'tae'