A canapé is a type of hors d’œuvre, a small, prepared and usually decorative food, consisting of a small piece of bread (sometimes toasted) or puff pastry or a cracker topped with some savoury food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite.The name comes from the French word for sofa,[1] drawing on the analogy that the garnish sits atop the bread as people do a couch.
Because they are often served during cocktail hours, it is often desired that a canapé be either salty or spicy, in order to encourage guests to drink more. A canapé may also be referred to as finger food, although not all finger foods are canapés. Crackers or small slices of bread or toast or puff pastry, cut into various shapes, serve as the base for savory butters or pastes, often topped with a “canopy” of savory foods as meat, cheese, fish, caviar, foie gras, purées or relish.