ratatouille

IPA/ˌrætəˈtuːi/
KK[rˌætətˈuj]IPA/ˌrætəˈtuːi/

ratatouille — noun

1. a traditional vegetable stew from the Provence region of southern France, made b

1.nounB1
Definition

a traditional vegetable stew from the Provence region of southern France, made by slowly cooking tomatoes, aubergines (eggplant), peppers, courgettes (zucchini), and onions together with olive oil and herbs such as thyme and basil

Example

Maeve spent Sunday making a pot of ratatouille with vegetables from the farmer’s market.

make + ratatouille: typical verb–noun collocation for preparing the dish

The ratatouille that Sven served alongside the grilled chicken was bursting with summer flavours.

serve + ratatouille + alongside [something]: common serving context

Common collocations
  • make ratatouille
  • cook ratatouille
  • serve ratatouille
  • eat ratatouille
  • traditional ratatouille
  • classic ratatouille
  • homemade ratatouille
  • Provençal ratatouille
  • hot ratatouille
  • cold ratatouille
  • a bowl of ratatouille
  • a pot of ratatouille
Synonyms
  • stew

    a broader category; any stew can contain meat or fish, while ratatouille is specifically vegetable-based and Provençal

  • caponata

    an Italian sweet-and-sour aubergine dish from Sicily, served at room temperature, whereas ratatouille is served hot or warm and is not sweet-and-sour

  • tian

    another Provençal vegetable dish with a similar ingredient list, but vegetables are sliced and arranged in layers rather than stewed together

Usage Note

Originally from the Provence region of southern France, the dish is formally called ratatouille niçoise (after the city of Nice). As a food name, ratatouille is typically uncountable (‘Do you want more ratatouille?’), but it can be used countably when referring to a particular version (‘She made a wonderful ratatouille’). The dish is naturally vegan and gluten-free, though some modern versions include meat or fish.

Common Mistakes

I ordered a bowl of ratatouille soup.
I ordered a bowl of ratatouille.
ratatouille is a thick vegetable stew, not a soup; no extra classifier is needed.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While ratatouille, caponata, and tian all feature cooked aubergines and peppers, the cooking method and seasoning set them apart. Ratatouille is a Provençal stew: the vegetables are chopped, then slowly simmered together in olive oil with garlic and herbs such as thyme and basil until tender. Caponata is Sicilian: the vegetables are fried separately, then combined with vinegar, capers, and sometimes sugar for a sweet-and-sour finish, and it is typically eaten at room temperature. Tian is also Provençal but the vegetables are sliced thinly and arranged in concentric circles in a shallow dish before being baked, rather than stewed. In short: ratatouille is saucy and simmered; caponata is tangy and served cool; tian is baked and prettily layered. If you want a hearty summer vegetable side served hot, ratatouille is the right choice.

stew ↗caponata ↗tian ↗

Etymology

OccitanFrenchEnglish

The word ratatouille comes from French, ultimately from the Occitan word ratatolha. The Occitan term is probably formed from raton (‘to grate’ or ‘to crush’) and tolha (‘stew’). The dish originates from the Provence region, near Nice, where it has been a staple of summer cooking for centuries. The full name ratatouille niçoise refers specifically to the version from Nice.