The word ratatouille first found its way into the English language in the 19th century and was used to signify a cheap stew made from cheap ingredients. The name derived from the French verbs ratouiller (to shake) and tatouiller (to stir). However, the current usage refers to ratatouille niçoise (from Nice in France) and dates back only about 60 years. Here the ingredients are very different: tomatoes, onions, zucchini, eggplant, garlic, peppers together with the herbs marjoram and basil. Not only can this be quite delicious, it is also a very healthy dish which has grown in popularity with diners seeking both flavour and nutrition.
When Pixar film studio decided to make the animated film Ratatouille about a talented rat who becomes a celebrated chef, they took their inspiration from the versions of the dish that are now served in Michelin starred restaurants. Film company executives visited restaurants in Paris and Northern California to get to know their subject, and when the film was released in 2007 it was a major success.
In the film’s charming ending Remy the rat serves the most feared food critic in France a plate of ratatouille, and the taste catapults the critic back his youth, eating at his mother’s table. Not surprisingly scenes like this increased the demand of the dish at restaurants all over the world. But the film also led to a huge demand for rats, as pet shop owners were inundated with young children seeking their own “Remy”. We must hope the children weren’t too disappointed when they found that their new pets were unable to cook.
