Why the American main course is linguistically backwards compared to the rest of the world

Food & Drink · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In North America, the centerpiece of a meal is called an entrée. Yet, in modern France and across much of Europe, that same word describes a light dish served before the main event. This culinary confusion reveals how dining traditions have shifted across centuries and continents, transforming our language along the way.

The definition of a main course is inherently fluid, shifting based on cultural context and historical dining customs. Historically, the Romans structured their meals into three distinct phases: the gustatio, which acted as an appetizer, followed by the mensa prima, or main course, and concluding with the mensa secunda, or dessert. This tripartite structure was later popularized in 9th-century Al-Andalus by the polymath Ziryab, setting a standard that persists in various forms today.

The linguistic divergence regarding the term entrée is rooted in the evolution of French service styles. During the 16th century, specifically in a 1534 to 1536 Parisian text titled Petit traicté by Pierre Sargent, the phrase 'entree de table' was used to denote the very first course of a meal. As the term evolved, it became associated with the initial meat dishes served during elaborate feasts. While the French eventually shifted the meaning of entrée to refer specifically to the course preceding the main dish, North American usage remained anchored to the older, original definition of the term as the primary meat course.

Dining mechanics also played a significant role in how these courses were presented. In 17th-century France, the service à la française style dominated, where all dishes were placed on the table simultaneously, allowing guests to serve themselves in a buffet-like fashion. This was eventually superseded by service à la russe, which introduced the modern practice of having waiters bring courses to the table in a specific, sequential order. This transition helped solidify the concept of a distinct 'main' dish that stands out from the preceding courses, even as the names we use to describe that dish continue to reflect centuries of historical drift.

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