the Italian and American name for what the French and many English-speaking people call courgettes, any of several varieties of the squash Cucurbita pepo which have been developed for this purpose and are still relatively small (around 8–10 cm/3–4″) when mature, or small young specimens of other varieties of the same species which belong to the vegetable marrow group and would grow much larger if left alone.
This is one of the most attractive and delicious of the cucurbit vegetable fruits, but only became prominent in the 20th century. In the 1920s, when the learned Dr Leclerc was writing, the French still referred to courgettes d'Italie, and it seems clear that it was the Italians who first marketed vegetable marrows in a small size; and that it is therefore appropriate to choose their name zucchini rather than the French name courgettes as the adopted English name. The subsequent development of purpose-bred varieties intended to be nothing but zucchini and never growing much larger, has been conducted in several countries.
The 19th-century French author Vilmorin-Andrieux (1883, English edn) gave an illustration of the elongated variety of marrow grown in Italy (courge d'Italie), and commented that:
All through Italy, where this Gourd is very commonly grown, the fruit is eaten quite young, when it is hardly the size of a small Cucumber, sometimes even before the flower has opened, when the ovary, which is scarcely as long or as thick as the finger, is gathered for use. The plants, which are thus deprived of their undeveloped fruits, continue to flower for several months most profusely, each producing a great number of young Gourds, which, gathered in that state, are exceedingly tender and delicately flavoured.
The English translator added, more than half a century before the hour of the zucchini struck: ‘This should be tried in England.’ Vilmorin, incidentally, had given the Italian name as cocozello di Napoli.
That there is no true English name reflects the fact that, although courgettes were mentioned (in italic, to show that the word was a foreign one) in a few English recipe books of the 1930s, they only became popular in England after Elizabeth David in the 1950s and 1960s had introduced them (not in italic) to readers of her books; and that as zucchini they had a similarly late arrival in the USA, where Italian immigrants made the introduction.
Zucchini may be poached; or blanched, stuffed, and baked; or cut into small sticks and very slowly and gently cooked with garlic in olive oil (exceptionally good) or deep fried. Courgettes or zucchini lightly cooked in butter are also a delicate dish. Their mild flavour can be complemented with herbs, parsley, chives, basil, etc.
The Italians and French took a lead, now followed in restaurants all over the world, in stuffing and deep-frying courgette flowers. Some varieties of zucchini are specially grown to be of miniature size when they bear flowers, the body of the fruit then being little more than a handle for the bloom.
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.
Vilmorin-Andrieux (1883), Les Plantes potagères, Paris.
