Italy
Photo: Karen and Brad Emerson, CC BY 2.0, croppedCaponata
/kapoˈnaːta/kah-poh-NAH-tah
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- Taste
- SourSweet
- Made with
- Vegetables
History
Caponata is a sweet-and-sour stew of fried aubergine, celery, onion, tomato, olives and capers, finished with vinegar and sugar, an agrodolce flavour that Sicilians link to the island's Arab past. It is served at room temperature as a starter or side dish, and it tastes better the next day. Every Sicilian province has its own version: Palermo adds pine nuts and raisins, some coastal towns add octopus, and grand old recipes include lobster and swordfish. The origin of the name is unclear; one idea links it to the caupone, the taverns where sailors ate. The dish is also associated with Sicily's historical Jewish community.
Sources
