I became familiar with the idea of dips while living in Australia as I discovered entire supermarket aisles dedicated to this. And then every party we went to there always had a huge selection: spinach, corn, caramelised onions, artichoke, cheese, humus, beetroot humus, guacamole etc. the list could go on an on.
I do love having dinner parties where the main course is just a giant platter of cheese and charcuterie. To balance it, I add a few crudités (selection of raw vegetables) and a dip or two. As much as there are many many dips to choose from, I prefer to stick to just a couple I really like: humus and whipped feta. Those are easy enough to make at home rather than buying ready-made.