Spread (food)

A spread is a food that is spread with a knife onto bread, crackers, or other bread products. Spreads are added to bread products to provide flavor and texture, and are an integral part of the dish, i.e., they should be distinguished from condiments, which are optional additions. Spreads should also be distinguished from dips, which do not employ a knife in applying it to crackers or chips.

As such, "spread" has a functional definition, which means that the same food can be categorized as a spread, a "condiment", or an "ingredient" under different circumstances. A good example of this would be butter, which could appear on a hamburger as a condiment, on buttered toast as a spread, and in mashed potatoes as an ingredient.

Common spreads include cheeses, creams, and butters (spreads made from milk; though the term butter is broadly applied to many spreads); and jams and jellies (spreads made from fruit). Spreads are also made from vegetables (e.g., vegemite, hummus, babaganoush, and meats (e.g., pâté, fleischbutter, cretons).

External links

• List of spreads courtesy of Food Down Under
• Longer list from ichef.com (including evil popups and much advertising)
• A Website Devoted to Spreading Peanut Butter