delicatessen

Traditionally, a delicatessen or deli is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessens originated in Germany (original: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the mid-19th century. European immigrants to the United States, especially Ashkenazi Jews, popularized the delicatessen in U.S. culture beginning in the late 19th century. Today, many large retail stores like supermarkets have deli sections. Etymology Delicatessen is a German loanword which first appeared in English in the late 19th century and is the plural of . The German form was lent from the French , which itself was lent from Italian , from , of which the root word is the Latin adjective , meaning "giving pleasure, delightful, pleasing". The first U.S. short version of this word, deli, came into existence probably after World War II (first evidence from 1948). History The German food company Dallmayr is credited with being the first delicatessen created. In 1700, it became the first store to import to the German population bananas, mangoes, and plums from places such as the Canary Islands and China. Over 300 years later, it remains the largest business of its kind in Europe.