Pâté
From Freepedia
A pâté (also spelled paté) is a spreadable paste, usually made from meat although vegetarian variants exist, and often served with toast as a starter. It is a French word which translates as "paste".
It is generally made from a finely ground or chunky mixture of meats such as liver, and often additional fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and possibly other ingredients.
In French or Belgian cuisine a pâté may be cooked in a crust as pie or terrine, in which case it is called pâté en croûte. On the other hand, it may be cooked in a terrine (or other mold), often lined with fat, in which case it is known as pâté en terrine. Traditionally, a forcemeat mixture cooked and served in a terrine is called a terrine, but when it is unmolded it becomes a pâté.
The most famous pâté is probably the pâté de foie gras.
In Holland, Germany and Austria liver pâté is often made as a cooked sausage, called leverworst (Dutch) or leberwurst (German). In English, these are sometimes called "liverwurst" (mixing English and German). Some of these products result in a meat texture which is difficult to smear, and often eaten in chunks or slices. These types have become a popular export into Eastern Europe, with significant local production now also taking place. Others are spreadable as is most French or Belgian pâté, and this has been more popular in England.
