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Why Do We Hate Ratatouille?

Eggplant may be to blame for our aversion to French dish

By Drew Nelles, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 31, 2008 1:53 PM CDT

(Newser) – Ratatouille should be an American staple: It’s easy, tasty, and bursting with fresh veggies, Gourmet’s Laura Shapiro writes. Instead, the French dish is passed over by Americans—but why? Perhaps eggplant is the culprit: “Fat, purple and interminable, eggplant is one of the least-loved vegetables in the land,” Shapiro writes. After all, the average American eats less than a pound of it per year.

Each season, food writers try to make ratatouille more palatable with new ingredients, but the humble mix of vegetables will never achieve the status here that it holds in France, writes Shapiro. Maybe we should bid adieu to eggplant, she suggests: “Olive oil, onions, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini—it’s simple to cook, and there’s absolutely nothing not to like. Unless, of course, you can’t stand zucchini.”

Elizabeth Gutierrez garnishes Ratatouille Torta in her home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (KRT Photos)

This photo provided by Disney shows Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt) in Ratatouille. (AP Photo)

This image, provided by Disney, the character Remy makes omelettes in the animated film Ratatouille, a Disney Pixar production. (AP Photo/Disney)

Eggplant aversion may be the reason Americans don't like ratatouille, Laure Shapiro writes in Gourmet. (Shutterstock)

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Why Do We Hate Ratatouille?

Eggplant may be to blame for our aversion to French dish

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There is no 'hard-won blood-on-the-floor kind' of editorial experience on the Web

Le Burger Sizzles in Paris

French chefs make over the American standby

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UN agency considers benefits of a critter diet

Panda Express May Open in ... China

But chain's 'Chinese' food is very different from traditional fare

Food and Wine Pairings? All Lies!

Study suggests wine aficionados often skip the meal

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Eggplant may be to blame for our aversion to French dish

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French cooking • cuisine • Gourmet

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

Gone With Gourmet : a Taste for Expertise

There is no 'hard-won blood-on-the-floor kind' of editorial experience on the Web

Le Burger Sizzles in Paris

French chefs make over the American standby

Insects: Our Next Food Craze?

UN agency considers benefits of a critter diet

Panda Express May Open in ... China

But chain's 'Chinese' food is very different from traditional fare

Food and Wine Pairings? All Lies!

Study suggests wine aficionados often skip the meal

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

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