Tapenada

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thick Mediterranean spread made by pounding olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil into a smooth paste
2. A savory Provençal condiment of crushed olives, capers and anchovies blended with olive oil, often spread on bread
3. An olive-based paste from southern France, typically made from olives, capers, anchovies and oil and served as an appetizer

Etymology: Tapenade is a Provençal word, from "tapeno," the Occitan name for the caper bush, a plant whose pickled buds gave the paste its main flavour. Caper in Occitan is "tapeno," which descends from Latin "tapanos" or "tapana," borrowed from Greek "kapparis" and its relatives. The paste itself is named for its key ingredient rather than for any dish or cook, so the word is simply "caper-stuff" in its homeland. The French term arrived in the 19th century, when the olive-and-caper spread of Provence began appearing on menus beyond the south. English took it over from French in the 20th century, and it has kept the original sense: a dish named after a plant rather than a method or a place. Olives, anchovies and capers remain the core of the mixture, and the caper is the one thing the name insists on.