Various ingredients are used, which may include meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat; vegetables; herbs; spices; wine; and brandy.

Both the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) date the term back to the 12th century.

Pâté was known to the Romans, who generally made it with pork, although other main ingredients might include marinated and spiced birds' tongues.

[4] In the Middle Ages, there were numerous recipes for pâtisseries (meats – pork, poultry, game or fish – cooked in pastry).

[23] In Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, a similar recipe is known as chopped liver, with schmaltz used instead of butter and hard-boiled eggs frequently added.