The starter is often the first course of a meal, served directly before the main course. They consist of a varied assortment of hot or cold food served at the beginning of the meal, to stimulate the appetite, without being too rich. Starters consist of a wide variety of hot or cold dishes served before the main course of a meal. Starter can be soup or little form of food which is serve before main course. The starters may be hot or cold and comprise a wide variety of food, so it is not so much the type of dishes that set them apart, but rather when the dishes are served and the size of the portions.