The History of Ratatouille

Ratatouille got its start as a hearty vegetable stew made by peasants in France. While it likely originated in the 1700s, the earliest written recipe for ratatouille dates to 1877 and interestingly, that version includes quite a bit of meat. Still, historians believe that ratatouille was primarily developed in rural France — specifically in Nice — as a way to use overripe vegetables at the end of the harvest season. It should be noted that similar stews were popular in Spain as well. The name ratatouille comes from the French word ratouiller, meaning "to stir" and tatouiller, meaning "to beat” — it’s a reference to the way the dish is made, first by chopping the vegetables, then stirring them as they simmer in a stew. In the 1930s, ratatouille began to resemble the modern version we think of today — though it still didn’t look like the version seen in the famous Disney movie of the same name. Ratatouille first spread outside of its native France following World War II and was introduced to America in the 1950s. However, it wasn’t until recently that ratatouille became haute cuisine. In fact, the fancy version of the dish famously seen in the Disney movie Ratatouille was created by Chef Thomas Keller. He made a variation known as confit byaldi, essentially giving the peasant dish the dish the Michelin-star treatment. Today, ratatouille is a very popular dish both in and outside of its native France and appears on many upscale restaurant menus, where it is often offered as a dining option for vegans and vegetarians.