Delicacy

As a delicacy (of French délicieux = fine, délicatesse " delicacy ", " subtlety " ) is referred to since the late 16th century fine things. Today, it refers especially dishes which are also referred to as delicatessen. However, the main meaning of the term was initially sensitive or delicate.

In today's parlance, are delicacies Food and Drink, which delight by a special flavor, so-called " Flavours " or " treats ". Although the delicacy with a few exceptions such as oysters, caviar, shrimp, lobster or planed truffle is actually a performance art of cooking, increasingly luxurious and correspondingly costly food and beverage products shall be considered only as delicacies.

This is the view, which is a delicacy, subjected trends movements, including historical and non-European eating habits. So many long for ceps and chanterelles or on the herring dishes based time were a poor man's food and are now advanced to delicacies.

The food industry uses the term like as an additive for various preserving products such as Delikatessgurken and Delikatesshering.

Linguistic history

First, referring " delicacy " to the aesthetic influences of French culture during the absolutism that represented a model for Germany. Thus, the loan word from the language societies of the Baroque was also first minting " delicacy " compared.

Something to operate " with delicacy ," was the importance to treat it with tact.

In German dictionary of the Brothers Grimm delicacy has no separate entry, even though the word in connection with other terms as mentioned treat. As synonyms words like dainty food, Leckermahl and tidbits dive with Grimm on it. In the Encyclopedia of Johann Georg Krünitz delicacy is also a synonym for tidbits. Its definition is: "Under Tasty Bite, Leckereyen, or Delicatessen, I understand every thing that is enjoyed by a healthy person, irritates the nerve papillae of his tongue and his palate in a pleasant way, and their convenience thus greatly increased when at the same time there is a scent of it. "