The Recipe:
Parmigiana is a traditional dish, characteristic of Southern Italy. It is typically prepared in the summer as the main course. Many varieties exist, but the basic recipe calls for layering and baking three main ingredients: eggplant (aubergine), cheese, and tomato sauce. Here a short history of the Parmigiana Recipe.
The history of Parmigiana dish: Sicily, Naples, and Parma
The eggplant arrived in Italy in the 7th century via Arab merchants who first discovered it in India. Soon, the eggplant was adopted as part of Southern Italian culinary culture.
Parmigiana was one of the first recorded dishes using eggplant – a dish with a complex and global history. Many regions in Italy claim to be its birthplace, including Parma, Naples, and Sicily. We will explore those histories. More importantly, this dish can teach us about the fascinating and hyper-globalized history of the Mediterranean.
Parma
People often assume that “Parmigiana” originated in Parma. However, if it did come from Parma, it’s more likely it came from the phrase “cucinare alla maniera dei Parmigiani” or “cook like people from Parma.” Originally, this signified the process of cooking vegetable slices in layers. Of course, Parma is also known for its most famous cheese: parmigiano. And in fact, by the 17thcentury, the cheese had gained in such popularity that cookbooks began to refer to “cucinare alla maniera dei Parmigiani” as not just the layering of vegetables but also the use of cheese in the dish.
Today, if you are in the Parma area, you’ll see Parmigiana referred to as “melanzane alla parmigiana” – cooking eggplant with the Parma technique.
Naples
If we travel south, we can find the first written recipes for the dish. Vincenzo Corrado was a chef from Puglia that worked for important aristocratic families in the 18th century. His cookbook, in contact with us