Tarjoil

Tarjoil is a term used in Finnish to refer to the act of serving food and beverages to guests as part of hospitality or catering. It encompasses the process of presenting dishes at the table, refilling drinks, and coordinating the service during a meal or event. In everyday Finnish, the more common noun for this concept is tarjoilu, while tarjoilija denotes a waiter or server.

Tarjoil is related to the verb tarjota, meaning to offer, and to tarjoilla, meaning to provide or serve. The standard noun form to describe the activity is tarjoilu, and tarjoilija is the agent noun for a person who performs the service. Tarjoil may sometimes appear as a variant or as a stem in older or dialectal texts, but it is not the dominant form in contemporary usage.

In practice, tarjoil covers both formal and informal service settings, including meal service at events, restaurants, and institutional kitchens. The term can be used to describe the overall service level, the sequence of serving courses, or the role of the staff handling food and drink throughout a service period. Related concepts in hospitality include catering, etiquette, and event planning, which intersect with the responsibilities associated with tarjoilu.

See also: tarjoilu, tarjoilija, catering, hospitality.