Weddings are all about blending families and cultures, everything from your great-aunt's wedding jewelry to your fiance's family church. Beyond wedding jewelry and the like, another fantastic opportunity for mixing cultures is with the wedding food. Here are some great suggestions for an international array of wedding hors d'oeuvres.
Exploring different cultures and traditions through food is one of the best parts about weddings. The foods need not be from your own cultural background or heritage. One very modern approach to the cocktail hour is to offer guests a variety of appetizers from all around the globe. It can be set up in stations, with each one representing a different region or type of cuisine. Your guests will really enjoy snacking their way around the world in the course of an hour or two.
Asian food is very popular and it makes a great place to begin planning your international wedding hors d'oeuvres menu. Fried wontons with little dipping sauces are a sure-fire hit. Another delicious appetizer idea is tiny mu shu pancakes tied with a piece of scallion or other edible tidbits. Little cups of egg drop soup will be much enjoyed by guests on a cool evening.
Greek cuisine offers many tasty appetizer options for wedding cocktail hours. You can bet that guests will gobble up mini pitas stuffed with gyro meat, feta, and a cool cucumber sauce. Phyllo dough is a favorite ingredient for Greek food, and it lends itself beautifully to creating yummy hors d'oeuvres. Phyllo triangles filled with spinach and goat cheese are elegant and delicious, perfect for a passed tray of appetizers. Stuffed grape leaves are another excellent addition to the cocktail hour menu.
Mexican and Spanish cuisine offer many more delicious ideas for the wedding cocktail hour. Empanadas are loved for their savory/sweet combination, and the closed shape of them makes them an easy food to eat while standing up. Mini tacos or chimichangas may remind the bride too much of sports bar food, but guess what: the guys at the reception will wolf them down. Or arrange for a Spanish tapas bar, serving all the little bites which are so popular: everything from olives, battered squid, chorizo, cured meats, cheeses, and small pieces of bread. A tapas station is an upscale addition to any wedding reception.
French cuisine has long held a reputation as the pinnacle of culinary delights, and it also has many hors d'oeuvres which would be ideal for an international selection of appetizers. The word hors d'oeuvres itself is French, after all. There are any number of French appetizers, ranging from delightful canapes to crispy cold crudites to luscious cheeses served with fruit. For passed hors d'oeuvres, you might consider croutons topped with foie gras and caviar, artichoke hearts filled with chicken mousse, and smoked salmon on croutons. French cuisine also lends itself to a fabulous spread at a wedding reception station. The centerpiece can be puff pastry wrapped baked Brie with apricots. Other additions to the station can include an assortment of French goat cheeses and pates with crackers.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Your around the world appetizers stations can also include Japanese sushi, Italian antipasto, and maybe even something American like comfort food (mashed potato shooters, anyone?) or soul food. Whichever cultures and cuisines you choose to represent, one thing is for sure: your guests will not leave your wedding hungry!
