I don’t know it. I have seen it before, but only today, in Monstro’s thread, so I said that I never had.
I had never heard of the word before seeing it here in the Dope in the last few days. I never knew there was a word that meant ‘vegetable tray’. I was was thinking that maybe I had heard the word but wasn’t recognizing it from it’s spelling, Nope, from the pronunciation sound clip, it sounds just like it is spelled. Now it is a word I wish I didn’t know. I’ll never be able to look at another vegetable tray without thinking about ‘crud-ities’
Actually, “crudités” refers to the vegetables themselves. They still come on a plate, tray or platter.
Is this a whoosh? It’s not really pronounced like it looks, at least to an English speaking eye (it is pronounced like it’s spelled if you know French). It’s not crud-ities, it’s krew-dee-tay, or krew-duh-tay.
When I heard it but hadn’t seen it in writing, I assumed it was cru d’étet, or something, based on too many but obviously not enough years of French class.
Same, first read/heard it probably Gourmet or Bon Apetit magazines late 70s.
Why would you think that, when it’s pronounced crooditay?
Me (London/North East/other places): very common, wouldn’t think twice about using it or hearing it.
Partner (North West) says it’s out of fashion, but was more common ten or fifteen years ago. Cannot however come up with a sensible alternative word. Admits such a foodstuff would be called crudites. Ha!
Neither of us has ever heard it called a vegetable tray.
Never saw it before seeing it in the other thread.
Grew up in upstate NY, now live in CA.
I have an enormous vocabulary, and was shocked to learn that I’d never heard this apparently-common word before. Raised in NW Indiana, went to school in central Indiana, living and working in the Chicagoland area ever since.
I live a very informal lifestyle, though, and although I love to eat food I don’t love to cook food. I’ve never ever in my life read a recipe book or planned a fancy party, which I suspect is why I’ve never come across the word.
My mom has bought them before, and they’re called vegetable trays in the grocery stores around here. We call them veggie trays colloquially, and everyone knows what that means here. The thought of someone saying, “What’s a veggie tray?” makes me giggle inside.
Fascinating thread. I voted “I know it, I know what it means and I think it’s a common word.” I first heard of crudites in high school French class and I see it frequently enough on menus when I go out to eat. I grew up in California and am temporarily in Oregon and I think the frequency is about the same for both regions. Now I have this strange urge to ask the next ten people I see if they know what it means.
I had never heard the word (though I’m sure I’d probably read it before) until I heard my girlfriend use it. We live in Vermont, and she’s from Iowa.
She’s also a huge Food Network fan.
Ireland, heard it plenty of times, knew what it was but I suspect I’ve only ever really heard it used in a tongue-in-cheek fashion outside of the cooking channels.
Heard it, know it, use it.
~ ShelliBean, veteran of 1000 wine and cheese parties, events, receptions and shindigs requiring crudites, canapes, Hors d’oeuvre, antipasti, pickle platters, cocktails and the occasional tin foil of chitlin’s with a shared 2 liter of RC cola
I lied and thoughted the never heard it before option, because before the thread you based this on I hadn’t heard it. People here don’t use it. To be fair, I’ve been to a gourmet market before and it’s been labeled vegtable spread/platter. So, make of that what you will.
I’m on the east coast and I’m not being more specific than that.
Grew up in working class Queens. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually used the word, but I know what it means and I think its common , at least on menus for every type of establishment from catering halls to hotel room service to “Mike’s Deli-Home of the Six Foot Godfather Hero”
Frankly, this is more exciting than the Kentucky Derby was, and that was pretty good!
Australia - I don’t know where I first came across it, but it’s a relatively common term.
I’m a little surprised that so many people are saying they’ve never been to a cocktail party. I don’t exactly run in frou-frou circles, but in college there were several semi-formal affairs (dances, receptions, award dinners) many of which included a cocktail reception before the main shindig. And I think the networking events I go to now could fairly be described as cocktail parties (and at least one IS described as a cocktail reception), and most of those folks show up in nice jeans or, at most, business casual.
I suspect that like me, they distinguish between a “cocktail hour” before a lunch or dinner affair and a “cocktail party” which to my understanding has the same menu but stands alone. I’ve been to loads of the former but none of the latter
DC metro area. Contrary to a couple of other posters from there, I only vaguely know the word. I saw it printed on a container of celery and carrots a couple of months ago but did not know the specific meaning until seeing it on this board. I’m quite sure I’ve never heard the word spoken in my life, because I have no clue how to pronounce it. “Veggie tray” or “vegetable platter” is what’s commonly used in my circles.
Southern Ontario here. I have never seen this word before seeing this thread. Based on my knowledge of French and skimming the first page, I gather that the term literally means ‘raw things’, and it’s used to refer to what we would call ‘a tray of raw veggies’ (often with dip). This is a very common and standard item at parties, receptions, and corporate functions.
The raw food snobs I know call it ‘raw food’.