retter

Retter is a plural noun used in Danish and Norwegian to denote dishes or courses within a meal. The singular forms are ret (Danish) and rett (Norwegian). In everyday language and professional menus, retter refers to prepared dishes such as soups, meats, fish, or vegetable dishes served as part of a meal.

In Danish and Norwegian culinary contexts, meals are often described by their course: forretter (appetizers), hovedretter (main courses), and sometimes dessert is simply desserts; retter can also appear in the plural when listing several dishes in a menu or a tasting menu. Classic examples include fish retter, meat retter, and gryderetter.

Linguistic note: Danish and Norwegian share the term retter, but Swedish uses rätter. The word reflects the cataloging of food items by dish rather than by cuisine or ingredient. In modern usage, retter appears in cookbooks, restaurant menus, and nutritional guides to refer to individual dishes or sets of dishes.