EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA : A typican neapolitan dish history + best in town

The eggplant: the history of a new food in Italy

Mediterranean cuisine and all Italian cuisine is famous all over the world, its evolution during the years and its integration with new ingredients during the centuries are unique.

A very common food such as eggplant arrived very late in Italy, this vegetable arrived in Italy with the invasion of the Arabs in the fifteenth century.

The first literary discovery on eggplant comes from the city of Naples, a recipe in a book that is most similar to today's recipe of eggplant parmigiana. The text dates back to 1839 and is written by Ippolito Cavalcanti, the title is ''Cusina casarinola co la lengua napolitana''.

I quote the words of this text: "And you will fry the eggplant and then arrange them in a layer-in-layer pan with the cheese, basil and stewed broth or with tomato sauce and covered will make you stew". Eggplant parmigiana is in the history of this city.

Naples is the city of the street food... and also the slowfood: the 'recipe' of aubergine parmigiana

Naples is one of the most important cities for streetfood in Italy but also for slow-food, the city is full of trattorias and small restaurants in every corner. The eggplant parmigiana is definitely a slowfood, the Neapolitan recipe is definitely something to try on your trip to Naples.

You will find the eggplant parmigiana integrated in many recipes: on pizza, in sandwiches and in traditional cuisine. A very tasty dish but not light, after you'll eat parmigiana... you will need a walk for burn the calories of parmigiana.

Eggplant, parmesan, tomato, fior di latte (a type of cheese), basil... straight in the oven and you'll fall in love with this Neapolitan recipe.

The origins of Aubergine Parmigiana

The parmigiana di melanzane battle between the women in the kitchen is a neverending story, but a kind of peace could arrive from the reason why parmigiana originated not in Campania or in Sicily, but in Naples, exactly in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and so both in Naples and Palermo; otherwise, there are sources about a probably Greek or Arabic origin. The parmesan cheese is not the reason why of the name of this typical and irresistible Neapolitan dish. Two are the possibile origins of the name “parmigiana”:

🟠  the Sicilian shutter with overlapping wood sticks called “parmiciane” such as the eggplants of the parmigiana;

 🟠 the origins of the name Parmigiana are from Parma, where the ancient culinary tradition used to prepare some recipes with overlapping vegetables alternated with other ingredients.

The first official parmigiana di melanzane recipe appeared around 1837 in Naples thanks to Ippolito Cavalcanti who published the recipe book “Cucina Teorico  Pratica” suggesting the recipe of “Milinsane alla parmigiana”: slice the eggplants and put them in the salt; then, fry and put them in a baking pan with breadcrumbs, parsley or “petrosemolo”, salt, pepper and oil and bake for a while. Today, the parmigiana eggplants is cooked in the same way with the addition of provola or mozzarella and basil. 

Eat a Neapolitan eggplant parmigiana in the center of Naples

Naples is full of temptation in every street and every alley, the smell of delicious food is incorporated in all streets of the city. A trip to the Naples can become a big food tour but you arrive in the city with a precise mission: eat a perfect eggplant parmigiana.

We can advise you, a few steps from Piazza Carità (one of the most famous squares in the city), you will find the Pizzeria and trattoria al 22, an historic restaurant in the center of Naples where you can eat inside and outside.

Pizzeria and Trattoria al 22

Address : Via Pignasecca 22 , 80134 ( Napoli) 

Try the typical Neapolitan ingredients and historical recipes, the history of Naples cuisine contained in an restaurant.