an interesting example of a dish which achieved international currency during the 20th century, from a standing start as a local dish of the region of Nice, not recorded in print before Heyraud (c.1930).
In the late 18th century and the 19th the name was used in French to indicate a coarse stew. It apparently derived from ratouiller and tatouiller, two expressive forms of the French verb touiller, meaning to stir up. According to Ayto (1993), the word first appeared in English in Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery (1877), but in the misspelled form ‘ratatouville’. It retained in that work the early French meaning of a meat stew.
What Heyraud and subsequent authors described in the 20th century was something quite different. Heyraud defined it as ‘a ragoût of aubergine with tomatoes, courgettes and sweet peppers’, and commented that it was much eaten throughout Languedoc and Provence. According to him, ‘ratatouille’ was the original name and belonged to Nice (as did the alternative name sauté à la niçoise); at Nîmes, however, the name bourbouillade was in use. Escudier (1964), shrewdly pointing to two reasons for its growth in international popularity, comments that the ratatouille of Nice ‘is a summer dish which is becoming more and more popular. It is easy to make and has the advantage of also being able to be eaten cold.’
By the end of the 20th century the term has become so widely known that it is sometimes used as a generic term for any similar preparation made with other vegetable ingredients.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Ayto, John (1993), The Diner's Dictionary, Oxford: OUP.
Escudier, Jean-Noël (1964), La Véritable Cuisine provençale et niçoise, Toulon: Provencia.
Heyraud, H. (c.1930), La Cuisine à Nice, Nice: Leo Barma.
