Caponata facts for kids
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Caponata
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| Alternative names | Capunata |
|---|---|
| Type | Salad |
| Region or state | Sicily |
| Main ingredients | Aubergine (U.S. eggplant) |
| Ingredients generally used | Celery |
| Variations | Cianfotta |
Caponata (in Sicilian, capunata) is a yummy dish from Sicily, an island in Italy. It's made mostly from chopped eggplant (also called aubergine). The eggplant is usually fried.
Other veggies and flavors are added too. These include olive oil, tomato sauce, celery, olives, and capers. All these ingredients are mixed in a special sweet and sour sauce called agrodolce.
Caponata is a very flexible dish. People often add other things like carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, pine nuts, and raisins. This means there are many different local versions of caponata!
Today, caponata is often served as a side dish, especially with fish. It can also be an appetizer, which is a small dish eaten before the main meal. For a long time, since the 1700s, it has also been eaten as a main course.
A similar dish from Naples, another city in Italy, is called cianfotta. Caponata is also well-liked in Tunisia, a country in North Africa.
What's in a Name?
The exact story of how caponata got its name isn't fully known. Some people think the name comes from the Catalan language, which is spoken in parts of Spain.
Others believe it comes from the word caupone. This was the name for taverns or inns where sailors used to eat. It's possible the dish was popular in these places.
Some old descriptions suggest that caponata might have once been similar to a dish called capponata from Genoa, another Italian city.
