A canteen can refer to a container for carrying water or a facility that serves food in a cafeteria-style setting. Both uses come from the Italian word cantina, meaning “cellar”. Canteens need to be hermetically sealed and some have insulation. Canteens serve food at an institutional level, with the goal of meeting nutritional recommendations. Mobile canteens are used for disaster relief and temporary work crews.
The term “canteen” is used in two different senses. In the first sense, a canteen is a bottle that is used to carry water or other liquids, and in the second, a canteen is a facility that serves food in a cafeteria-style setting. Both uses derive from the same root, cantina, which means “cellar” in Italian. The word was adopted to refer generally to refreshment and an area where soldiers could obtain refreshment, and over time the usage split into two different meanings and spread into civilian society.
In the sense of a container, a canteen is designed to provide someone with a portable supply of water or liquid. The container may include a cup that nestles into the housing or a mouthpiece that is incorporated into the container. To function effectively, canteens need to be able to be hermetically sealed, and some have a layer of insulation that reduces temperature changes and evaporative fluid loss. Marching soldiers use canteens, as do hikers, athletes, and other people who might need water on the go.
Canteens, in the sense of places where food is prepared and consumed, are used to serve food at an institutional level. Military, schools and large offices can use the canteens to meet the food needs of their employees and students. A typical cafeteria is a facility where diners walk along a food line with trays that can be filled with various food items. Diners sit down, eat and prepare their plates and platters at the end of the meal.
Catering service is not a priority in canteens. The goal is to provide food that meets the nutritional recommendations and hopefully satisfies the taste of diners. The food is prepared in large batches, and the food attendants stay behind the counter to serve the food, rather than walking around the dining room to bring out dishes. The canteen can also include self-service beverage containers, fruit bowls, and so on.
A canteen, in addition to remaining in a fixed location, can also be mobile. Mobile canteens are used to quickly provide food to disaster relief workers and other temporary work crews, along with members of the military deployed on active duty. Organizations using mobile canteens may operate the canteen with a set of trailers or have large trucks loaded with canteen equipment, tables and tents for shelter so that a canteen can be quickly erected wherever it is needed.
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