The History Of Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwich

In this episode of Sprung On Food, host Kae Sprung welcomes actor-comedian and writer D.J. Mausner to discuss why the eggplant Parmesan sandwich is their favorite, tied to childhood trips to Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market. Kae traces eggplant’s history from domestication in South and Southeast Asia and its mention in Ayurvedic texts, to China’s Qimin Yaoshu, into the Middle East, and then to Europe via Islamic Spain and Sicily, where it was once feared as the nightshade “mad apple.”

The episode explores disputed origins of Parmigiana di Melanzane (Sicily vs. Naples), how it fit cucina povera, and how Italian immigration to the U.S. helped transform the baked dish into fried Italian-American parm heroes.

You can follow and support this week's guest, D.J. Mausner here:

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About the show:
Sprung On Food is a digital and podcast series, hosted by Katherine "Kae" Sprung, an award-winning pastry chef and food and media entrepreneur. This season, we're talking about favorite foods- the history behind them and the role they play in the world today. Each episode features a special guest to talk about their favorite food, and help comment on the historical origins and pop-cultural and modern society moments tied to that food. Its food history meets food pop-culture, a dose of education, with sprinkles of comedy.

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00:00 Eggplant Parm Intro
01:06 Why This Sandwich
02:22 Toronto Market Nostalgia
04:05 Banana Bread Detour
06:45 Eggplant Origins Setup
07:44 Ancient India Eggplant
09:01 Wellness Routines Chat
11:55 Trade Routes To Europe
12:55 Nightshade Fears Myth
15:33 Parmigiana Origin Debate
17:50 Detective Verdict Talk
19:30 Bologna Food Roots
20:20 Eggplant Origins Debate
21:10 Shutter Name Story
22:31 Cucina Povera Parmigiana
23:41 Italian American Fried Era
24:22 Fried Food Hot Takes
26:47 Hero Sandwich History
28:45 Elevation Or Exploitation
32:24 Why This Sandwich Matters
33:41 Eggplant Love And Wings
35:09 Pop Culture And Legends
36:55 Final Thoughts And Thanks