Take-out
Encyclopedia
Take-out or takeout (in North American
, Philippine English
), carry-out (in U.S.
, Scottish English
), take-away (in the United Kingdom, Australia
, New Zealand
, South Africa
, Hong Kong
and Ireland), parcel (in Indian English
and Pakistani English
), or tapau (in Malaysian English
and Singlish
—from the Chinese "package it" 打包 da-bao), is food
purchased at a restaurant
for the purpose of being eaten elsewhere. The restaurant may or may not provide table service. In the United States and Canada
, food ordered this way (especially in fast food
) is ordered to go, and in the UK it is ordered to take away or sometimes to eat out, as opposed to eating in or dining in.
Take-out food is often fast food
, but not always so. Whereas fast food carries the connotation of a standardized product from a globalized chain or franchise, take-away outlets are often small businesses serving traditional food, which is sometimes but by no means always of high quality. Examples include neighbourhood fish and chip
shops in England
, Australia
and New Zealand
; sandwich
es sold by deli
s in the U.S.
; kebab
s sold in many countries; and the wide range of sausage
-based snacks sold from stalls
in German
cities.
In some cases, there are facilities for customers to order food by telephone
, fax
, or over the Internet
, to be collected or delivered. This trend is thought to be on the rise as many small businesses take to the Web to promote their take-outs. Food that is delivered by a restaurant to a customer (often called delivery) is also sometimes called take-out. Establishments that sell take-out exclusively without providing table service are called take-out restaurants or take-aways. There is no clear line between street food
and take-out. Crêpe
stands in France, for example, may be as permanently situated as a kiosk or newsstand, and some take-out windows (coffee, pizza, and ice cream for example) clearly expect that the food will be eaten out of its package on the street. Take-out proper may need to be unpacked and laid out, rather than eaten directly from its package.
Certain types of food that are normally served in sit-down restaurants are commonly available as take-out. Pizza
is one example: some pizzerias and chains have no tables, and supply for take-out and delivery only. Another classic take-out food is Western-styled Chinese food
. In the past few decades, as immigrants from more and more Asian countries emigrate to the West, more and more types of cuisine are available: Japanese
, Thai
, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. In the UK, South Asian food such as Indian
and Pakistani cuisine is also a popular form of take-away, as well as kebab
s from the Middle East. Some businesses have taken a cue from the ever increasing popularity in take-out, and have created franchises to deliver food from restaurants which do not themselves deliver. Some places give the option of dining in the restaurant or take the food away in packages. In different markets different terminology is used for this: "to take out" or "to take away", and "to eat in", in the UK and Australia; "to go" and "for here", or "to stay" or "dine in" in the USA and Canada.
North American English
North American English is the variety of the English language of North America, including that of the United States and Canada. Because of their shared histories and the similarities between the pronunciation, vocabulary and accent of American English and Canadian English, the two spoken languages...
, Philippine English
Philippine English
Philippine English is the variety of English used in the Philippines by the media and the vast majority of educated Filipinos. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog.English is used in education,...
), carry-out (in U.S.
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....
, Scottish English
Scottish English
Scottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. It may or may not be considered distinct from the Scots language. It is always considered distinct from Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic language....
), take-away (in the United Kingdom, Australia
Australian English
Australian English is the name given to the group of dialects spoken in Australia that form a major variety of the English language....
, New Zealand
New Zealand English
New Zealand English is the dialect of the English language used in New Zealand.The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. It is one of "the newest native-speaker variet[ies] of the English language in existence, a variety which has developed and...
, South Africa
South African English
The term South African English is applied to the first-language dialects of English spoken by South Africans, with the L1 English variety spoken by Zimbabweans, Zambians and Namibians, being recognised as offshoots.There is some social and regional variation within South African English...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong English
Hong Kong English may refer to two different yet interrelated concepts. The first concept refers to the variation or dialect of the English language used in Hong Kong. The second concept refers to the accent and elements as a result of its use by Cantonese speakers.For the first meaning, Hong Kong...
and Ireland), parcel (in Indian English
Indian English
Indian English is an umbrella term used to describe dialects of the English language spoken primarily in the Republic of India.As a result of British colonial rule until Indian independence in 1947 English is an official language of India and is widely used in both spoken and literary contexts...
and Pakistani English
Pakistani English
Pakistani English is the term used to describe the English language as spoken in Pakistan. Pakistani English is slightly different in respect to accent and spellings of some words.-History:...
), or tapau (in Malaysian English
Malaysian English
Malaysian English , formally known as Malaysian Standard English , is a form of English used and spoken in Malaysia as a second language...
and Singlish
Singlish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
—from the Chinese "package it" 打包 da-bao), is food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
purchased at a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
for the purpose of being eaten elsewhere. The restaurant may or may not provide table service. In the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, food ordered this way (especially in fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
) is ordered to go, and in the UK it is ordered to take away or sometimes to eat out, as opposed to eating in or dining in.
Take-out food is often fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
, but not always so. Whereas fast food carries the connotation of a standardized product from a globalized chain or franchise, take-away outlets are often small businesses serving traditional food, which is sometimes but by no means always of high quality. Examples include neighbourhood fish and chip
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
shops in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
; sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
es sold by deli
Delicatessen
Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
s in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
s sold in many countries; and the wide range of sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
-based snacks sold from stalls
Food booth
A food booth is generally a temporary structure used to prepare and sell food to the general public, usually where large groups of people are situated outdoors in a park, at a parade, near a stadium or otherwise...
in German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
cities.
In some cases, there are facilities for customers to order food by telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
, fax
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
, or over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, to be collected or delivered. This trend is thought to be on the rise as many small businesses take to the Web to promote their take-outs. Food that is delivered by a restaurant to a customer (often called delivery) is also sometimes called take-out. Establishments that sell take-out exclusively without providing table service are called take-out restaurants or take-aways. There is no clear line between street food
Street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...
and take-out. Crêpe
Crêpe
A crêpe or crepe , is a type of very thin pancake, usually made from wheat flour or buckwheat flour . The word is of French origin, deriving from the Latin crispa, meaning "curled". While crêpes originate from Brittany, a region in the northwest of France, their consumption is widespread in France...
stands in France, for example, may be as permanently situated as a kiosk or newsstand, and some take-out windows (coffee, pizza, and ice cream for example) clearly expect that the food will be eaten out of its package on the street. Take-out proper may need to be unpacked and laid out, rather than eaten directly from its package.
Certain types of food that are normally served in sit-down restaurants are commonly available as take-out. Pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
is one example: some pizzerias and chains have no tables, and supply for take-out and delivery only. Another classic take-out food is Western-styled Chinese food
American Chinese cuisine
American Chinese cuisine refers to the style of food served by many Chinese restaurants in the United States. This type of cooking typically caters to Western tastes, and differs significantly from the original Chinese cuisine.-History:...
. In the past few decades, as immigrants from more and more Asian countries emigrate to the West, more and more types of cuisine are available: Japanese
Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
, Thai
Cuisine of Thailand
Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Blending elements of several Southeast Asian traditions, Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. The spiciness of Thai cuisine is well known. As with other Asian cuisines, balance, detail and variety...
, Korean, Vietnamese, etc. In the UK, South Asian food such as Indian
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
and Pakistani cuisine is also a popular form of take-away, as well as kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
s from the Middle East. Some businesses have taken a cue from the ever increasing popularity in take-out, and have created franchises to deliver food from restaurants which do not themselves deliver. Some places give the option of dining in the restaurant or take the food away in packages. In different markets different terminology is used for this: "to take out" or "to take away", and "to eat in", in the UK and Australia; "to go" and "for here", or "to stay" or "dine in" in the USA and Canada.