# Why is there no Parmesan cheese in Eggplant Parmigiana? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2011, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552 "2011-02-25T06:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/21 "2011-02-25T16:05:10Z")
The other white meat: [Caucasian Shashlik](http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards/caucasianshash.html) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/22 "2011-02-25T16:07:38Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > But in my entire misbegotten life, any such dish I’ve ordered is generally laden with \*mozzarella \*cheese, not parmesan (or parmigiana). Count yourself lucky. Parmesan fellates with great alacrity. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/23 "2011-02-25T16:12:51Z")
They don’t make baby oil by cold-pressing babies, either. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/24 "2011-02-25T16:19:38Z")
Speaking of, is there such a thing as extra virgin baby oil? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/25 "2011-02-25T16:30:46Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Speaking of, is there such a thing as extra virgin baby oil? Or, as Rachael Ray would say, EVBO! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/26 "2011-02-25T17:21:49Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > For the same reason that what is sold as crabmeat is actually factory made, and “beef” tacos are actually made with vegetable/soy protein. > The fact is lying is endemic to American advertising-you can call something by another name, and unless someone calls you on it, you are OK to go. As said before, “Parmigiana” does not implicitly imply it’s made with Parmesan cheese, anymore than _prosciutto di Parma_ implies a ham with Parmesan. What you _would_ think it means is “in the style of Parma.” However, it’s not a dish that is known in Parma, as far as I understand, and one of the theories is that the Southern Italians/Sicilians corrupted the word _parmiciana_. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/27 "2011-02-25T17:25:40Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > What is even funnier-Veal Parmegian often contains NO veal! > It usually is some cheap cut of beef-that has been pounded to death, in an effort to tenderize it. > Might as well try to eat an old shoe sole. Not in my experience. Even the frozen veal parms I see around here are made with veal patties. ETA: [Here are the labeling laws](http://books.google.com/books?id=brdM8-ahRg4C&pg=SA72-PA94&lpg=SA72-PA94&dq=frozen+veal+patties+ingredients&source=bl&ots=4NgKbS3DSO&sig=npUKfN9EqPGa-mAe5LhomAjfEEM&hl=en&ei=cuZnTYCCEIKs8Aa74PGJCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=frozen%20veal%20patties%20ingredients&f=false) for pre-packaged foods (not restaurants.) It’s labeled “veal parmigiana” it must be made of veal, and the final product (sauce, cheese, breading) must contain 40% veal. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/28 "2011-02-25T17:27:07Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > For the same reason that what is sold as crabmeat is actually factory made, and “beef” tacos are actually made with vegetable/soy protein. > The fact is lying is endemic to American advertising-you can call something by another name, and unless someone calls you on it, you are OK to go. This is a joke, right? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/29 "2011-02-25T17:33:21Z")
All these jokes about Parma, one would think Gloulardi’s back on. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/30 "2011-02-25T17:59:50Z")
Although it’s a popular theory, the idea that the word derives from the Sicilian word for shutters is probably wrong. I was just looking through the cookbook _Bake Until Bubbly_ by Clifford Wright, and he relates a more plausible history. As he tells it, the earliest mention (14th Century) of something resembling the dish in is in “Il Saporetto” by Simone Prudenzani and uses Parmigiano cheese. A Neapolitan cookbook from 1786 (_Il cuoco galante_ by Vincenzo Corrado) mentions eggplant cooked “alla Parmegiana” . That is described as eggplant seasoned with spices and grated Parmigiano cheese, and then covered in a cream and egg yolk sauce before baking. The word for shutters in Sicily was not ‘_parmigiana_’ or ‘_parmiciana_’ but ‘_palmigiana_’, and thus would have to have been corrupted into the modern word. ‘_parmiciana_’ actually means “Persian” and has been floated as another alternative, since eggplant came to Italy from that region, but I don’t think any similar recipe exists in Persian cooking. What seems clear is that it is highly unlikely that the dish originated in Parma itself, instead of being named after one of its products. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/31 "2011-02-25T18:12:39Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Although it’s a popular theory, the idea that the word derives from the Sicilian word for shutters is probably wrong. I was just looking through the cookbook _Bake Until Bubbly_ by Clifford Wright, and he relates a more plausible history. > > As he tells it, the earliest mention (14th Century) of something resembling the dish in is in “Il Saporetto” by Simone Prudenzani and uses Parmigiano cheese. A Neapolitan cookbook from 1786 (_Il cuoco galante_ by Vincenzo Corrado) mentions eggplant cooked “alla Parmegiana” . That is described as eggplant seasoned with spices and grated Parmigiano cheese, and then covered in a cream and egg yolk sauce before baking. > > The word for shutters in Sicily was not ‘_parmigiana_’ or ‘_parmiciana_’ but ‘_palmigiana_’, and thus would have to have been corrupted into the modern word. ‘_parmiciana_’ actually means “Persian” and has been floated as another alternative, since eggplant came to Italy from that region, but I don’t think any similar recipe exists in Persian cooking. > > What seems clear is that it is highly unlikely that the dish originated in Parma itself, instead of being named after one of its products. I recall reading somewhere that the dish was an invention by Italian-Americans for the restaurant crowd, and not really of Italian origin otherwise. I don’t recall where I saw that, but it was recently. Also, think of eggplant parm along the same lines as wienerschnitzel in terms of ingredients. There are no Austrians in the latter, and no parm in the former. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/32 "2011-02-25T18:49:24Z")
Are people still missing the point here? Parmigiana is the style of the preparation (be it tied to a region or not), not to be confused with Parmesan cheese. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/33 "2011-02-25T21:51:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I recall reading somewhere that the dish was an invention by Italian-Americans for the restaurant crowd, and not really of Italian origin otherwise. I don’t recall where I saw that, but it was recently. > > Also, think of eggplant parm along the same lines as wienerschnitzel in terms of ingredients. There are no Austrians in the latter, and no parm in the former. It’s definitely of Italian origin, but I think the most common Italian American preparation was modified. This cookbook says breading specifically is an Italian American feature. Probably a valid comparison would be pizza. **Philster** , the difficulty is that a highly plausible theory for the name is that the “original” or at least early versions of it were in fact named for the cheese (which is named for the region). That it has (possibly) shifted away from that doesn’t mean it reverts to being named after the region, it’s just an artifact of the old name. There’s a lot of evidence that it comes from southern Italy and not much that it has anything to do with Parma except for one ingredient, which is no longer a highlight of it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/34 "2011-02-25T22:10:50Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > All these jokes about Parma, one would think Gloulardi’s back on. [Turn blue, knif!](http://www.derfcity.com/comix/ghoulardi/ghoul.html) ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/35 "2011-02-25T22:45:22Z")
Lemme get this straight…So you guys are like sayin’, that like, there’s no lady or fingers in Lady Fingers? Man, no phalanges, or nuttin’? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/36 "2011-02-25T22:54:05Z")
I suppose next you’ll all tell me that eggs don’t grow from plants? ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/37 "2011-02-26T00:01:52Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > For the same reason that what is sold as crabmeat is actually factory made, When this is the case it’s labeled “imitation crab” or “krab”. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552/38 "2011-02-26T00:05:18Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > When this is the case it’s labeled “imitation crab” or “krab”. which is fish w/ crab flavoring chemically created in Patterson, NJ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-no-parmesan-cheese-in-eggplant-parmigiana/572552.md?page=1)