# What's up with "Marinara sauce"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461 "2004-04-05T23:49:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/1 "2004-04-05T23:49:42Z")
The name suggests seafood, and that’s certainly how it’s used in Australia eg a Pizza Marinara is a pizza with seafood. So you can imagine my disgust when Subway started advertising some kind of chicken sandwich with marinara sauce. I eventually worked out that it’s used for a tomato-based sauce…so how come Americans seem to use the word “Marinara”? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/2 "2004-04-05T23:51:54Z")
[http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=marinara&x=15&y=15](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=marinara&x=15&y=15) > [@](#): > > Etymology: Italian (alla) marinara, literally, in sailor style > : made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices \; also : served with marinara sauce \ I’ve never heard marinara refer to seafood. ---
**Author:** ![Atticus\_Finch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Atticus\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atticus_Finch)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/3 "2004-04-05T23:59:36Z")
Try [here](http://www.contedisavoia.com/Glossary.asp#M) for instance… ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/4 "2004-04-06T00:04:18Z")
“Marinara” must have some sort of oceanic history. “Marinero” translates to “sailor” in Spanish, and a marina is a boat basin. The worlds closely resemble _marinara_, but I’m not sure how else they compare. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy154](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ad7895/32.png) [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/5 "2004-04-06T00:05:37Z")
I believe it’s called _marinara_ because the sauce was composed of ingredients that were capable of lasting a long time aboard ship. Could be cobbled together quickly, in between all the other work necessary on a ship. In Italian, if you want to label something that has seafood of any kind in it, tack on the word _pescatore_[it’s the Italian word for fisherman] Mangia bene! ---
**Author:** ![wonderwench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/35a633/32.png) [@wonderwench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderwench)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/6 "2004-04-06T00:08:45Z")
I think you area being to literal regarding English and applying it to Italian. Marinara is just a tomato sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/7 "2004-04-06T00:10:30Z")
> [@SuperM0nk](#): > > “Marinara” must have some sort of oceanic history. “Marinero” translates to “sailor” in Spanish, and a marina is a boat basin. The worlds closely resemble _marinara_, but I’m not sure how else they compare. Basically, it means “sailor style” (_alla marinara_) in Italian. It’s a simple sauce such as sailors might use aboard ship. It has nothing to do with seafood (at least originally.) Likewise, “cacciatore” means “hunter’s style.” ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/8 "2004-04-06T01:13:14Z")
From [here.](http://www.foodreference.com/html/fmarinarasauce.html) > [@](#): > > Marinara simply means ‘sailors style’. The Spanish brought the tomato back to Europe in the 16th century, and they were introduced into the Spanish kingdom of Naples around 1550. The tomato became popular there, and marinara sauce originated in the Naples area. It took about 200 years before the tomato became popular in most of the rest of Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/9 "2004-04-06T01:16:10Z")
I’ve actually made Marinara Sauce from scratch, old world style. It is nothing more than a cup of olive oil and a handful of garlic fried together. Then you through a can of diced tomatoes on top and let it simmer for close to a half an hour. Add any further spices to make your own personal touch. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/10 "2004-04-06T01:17:04Z")
Same as “marinate” in English. Etymology: French, from mariner to pickle, marinate, probably from Italian marinare : a savory usually acidic sauce in which meat, fish, or a vegetable is soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/11 "2004-04-06T03:38:15Z")
In our next episode of “Cooking with Cecil” we’ll discuss the origins and ingredients of putanesca sauce. Parental guidance is suggested. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/12 "2004-04-06T03:59:11Z")
The use of “marinara” to mean “seafood tomato sauce” is widespread through Australia, must be a regional thing. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-marinara-sauce/238461/13 "2004-04-06T03:59:59Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > In our next episode of “Cooking with Cecil” we’ll discuss the origins and ingredients of putanesca sauce. Parental guidance is suggested. Speaking of tasting fishy.