The word Ratatouille comes from "touiller," which means to toss food. Ratatouille originated in the area around present day Nice. It was, originally, a poor farmers dish, prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables. The original Ratatouille Nicoise did not contain eggplant (which would not have been available during the same time period as the other vegetables used). Instead, it used only zucchini (courgettes), tomatoes, green and red peppers, onion, and garlic. The dish known today as Ratatouille adds eggplant to that mixture.