Ratatouille is very specifically from the Nice area of Provence in Southern France. Taken simply, it is a stew of Mediterranean vegetables, seasoned and cooked slowly with olive oil. The most typical ingredients are aubergines, courgettes, tomatoes and bell peppers. This collection of vegetables reads like a sequential list of imported foods, and enables us to place this recipe no older than the 16th Century, which is when aubergines arrived…
