Its origins date back to the early 16th century, when the turnip became part of the cultivation. Today, the dish appears in a multitude of variations that include ground meat, goat cheese, camembert, and zucchinis.
There are many variations of scalloped potatoes. Among them are goat cheese scalloped potatoes, gratin dauphinois with camembert, gratin dauphinois with zucchinis, and gratin dauphinois with ground meat.
The history of scalloped potatoes or gratin dauphinois goes back to the year 1500 in the Dauphiné region. This region is located in the southeastern quarter of France. Currently, Dauphiné is divided into four departments: Isère, Drôme, part of the Rhône, and the High Alps.
The development of the first gratin dauphinois is linked to the spread of turnips across Europe. Its cultivation began in 1565 in Italy and in 1589 in Switzerland. Turnips adapt easily to alpine conditions. The first attempts to prepare a potato-based dish started in Dauphiné between the 16th and 17th centuries.
On June 7, 1788, Grenoble experienced a riot. The Day of the Tiles marked the beginning of the French revolutions. At that time, the Duke of Clermont-Tonnerre withdrew his troops from the insurgents to avoid the risk of a massacre. The duke was then a lieutenant general and commander-in-chief of Dauphiné. On July 12, the duke organized a meal for the municipal officials of Gap. According to Dauphiné historian Claude Muller, this meal was marked by the official inscription of the term gratin dauphinois.
