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Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal ( Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the
nightshade family The Solanaceae , or nightshades, are a family of flowering plants that ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and orna ...
Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Most commonly purple, the spongy, absorbent fruit is used in several cuisines. Typically used as a vegetable in cooking, it is a
berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
by botanical definition. As a member of the genus '' Solanum'', it is related to the tomato, chili pepper, and potato, although those are of the New World while the eggplant is of the
Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
. Like the tomato, its skin and seeds can be eaten, but, like the potato, it is usually eaten cooked. Eggplant is nutritionally low in macronutrient and
micronutrient Micronutrients are nutrient, essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities throughout life to orchestrate a range of physiological functions to maintain health. Micronutrient requirements differ between organisms; for exam ...
content, but the capability of the fruit to absorb oils and flavors into its flesh through cooking expands its use in the
culinary arts Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals. People working in this field – especially in establishments such as restaurants – are commonly called chefs or ...
. It was originally domesticated from the wild nightshade species ''thorn'' or ''bitter apple'', '' S. incanum'',Tsao and Lo in "Vegetables: Types and Biology". ''Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering'' by Yiu H. Hui (2006). CRC Press. .Doijode, S. D. (2001). ''Seed storage of horticultural crops'' (pp 157). Haworth Press: probably with two independent domestications: one in South Asia, and one in East Asia. In 2018, China and India combined accounted for 87% of the world production of eggplants.


Description

The eggplant is a delicate, tropical perennial plant often cultivated as a tender or half-hardy annual in temperate climates. The stem is often spiny. The flowers are white to purple in color, with a five-lobed
corolla Corolla may refer to: *Corolla (botany), the petals of a flower, considered as a unit *Toyota Corolla, an automobile model name * Corolla (headgear), an ancient headdress in the form of a circlet or crown * ''Corolla'' (gastropod), a genus of moll ...
and yellow
stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
s. Some common cultivars have fruit that is egg-shaped, glossy, and purple with white flesh and a spongy, "meaty" texture. Some other cultivars are white and longer in shape. The cut surface of the flesh rapidly turns brown when the fruit is cut open ( oxidation). Eggplant grows tall, with large, coarsely lobed
leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
that are long and broad. Semiwild types can grow much larger, to , with large leaves over long and broad. On wild plants, the fruit is less than in diameter; in cultivated forms: or more in length are possible for long, narrow types or the large fat purple ones common to the West. Botanically classified as a
berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
, the fruit contains numerous small, soft, edible seeds that taste bitter because they contain or are covered in nicotinoid alkaloids, like the related tobacco.


History

There is no consensus about the place of origin of eggplant; the plant species has been described as native to India, where it continues to grow wild, Africa, or South Asia. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory. The first known written record of the plant is found in '' Qimin Yaoshu'', an ancient Chinese agricultural treatise completed in 544 CE. The numerous Arabic and North African names for it, along with the lack of the ancient Greek and Roman names, indicate it was grown throughout the
Mediterranean area In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and wa ...
by the Arabs in the early Middle Ages, who introduced it to Spain in the 8th century. A book on agriculture by
Ibn Al-Awwam Ibn al-'Awwam ( ar, ابن العوام), also called Abu Zakariya Ibn al-Awwam ( ar, أبو زكريا بن العوام), was a Muslim Arab agriculturist who flourished at Seville (modern-day southern Spain) in the later 12th century. He wrote a ...
in 12th-century Arabic Spain described how to grow aubergines. Records exist from later medieval Catalan and Spanish. The aubergine is unrecorded in England until the 16th century. An English botany book in 1597 described the madde or raging Apple: Because of the plant's relationship with various other nightshades, the fruit was at one time believed to be extremely poisonous. The flowers and leaves can be poisonous if consumed in large quantities due to the presence of
solanine Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in species of the nightshade family within the genus ''Solanum'', such as the potato (''Solanum tuberosum''), the tomato (''Solanum lycopersicum''), and the eggplant (''Solanum melongena''). It can occu ...
. The eggplant has a special place in folklore. In 13th-century Italian traditional folklore, the eggplant can cause insanity.'' Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, 2000, ''s.v.'' 'mad-apple' In 19th-century Egypt, insanity was said to be "more common and more violent" when the eggplant is in season in the summer.


Etymology and regional names

The plant and fruit have a profusion of English names.


''Eggplant''-type names

The name ''eggplant'' is usual in North American English and
Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language and ''de facto'' national language; while Australia has no official language, Engli ...
. First recorded in 1763, the word "eggplant" was originally applied to white cultivars, which look very much like hen's eggs (see image). Similar names are widespread in other languages, such as the Icelandic term ''eggaldin'' or the
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
''planhigyn ŵy''. The white, egg-shaped varieties of the eggplant's fruits are also known as ''garden eggs'', a term first attested in 1811. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' records that between 1797 and 1888, the name ''vegetable egg'' was also used.


''Aubergine''-type names

Whereas ''eggplant'' was coined in English, most of the diverse other European names for the plant derive from the Arabic word ''bāḏinjān'' ( ar, باذنجان).'' Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, 2001, ''s.v.''
melongena, n.
; 2000, ''s.v.''
melongene, n.
; and 2000, ''s.v.''
mad-apple, n.
. These partly supersede the etymology in '' Oxford English Dictionary'', 1st edition, 1888, ''s.v.''
brinjal
. This in turn supersedes the 1885 OED etymology ''s.v.''
aubergine
.
''Bāḏinjān'' is itself a loan-word in Arabic, whose earliest traceable origins lie in the Dravidian languages. The '' Hobson-Jobson'' dictionary comments that 'probably there is no word of the kind which has undergone such extraordinary variety of modifications, whilst retaining the same meaning, as this'.Henry Yule, A.C. Burnell, ''Hobson-Jobson: The Anglo-Indian Dictionary'', 1886, reprint
p. 115
''s.v.'' 'brinjaul'
In English usage, modern names deriving from Arabic ''bāḏinjān'' include: *''Aubergine'', usual in British English (as well as
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
,
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and Dutch). *''Brinjal'' or ''brinjaul'', usual in South Asia and
South African English South African English (SAfrE, SAfrEng, SAE, en-ZA) is the set of English language dialects native to South Africans. History British settlers first arrived in the South African region in 1795, when they established a military holding op ...
. *''Solanum melongena'', the
Linnaean name Linnaean taxonomy can mean either of two related concepts: # The particular form of biological classification (taxonomy) set up by Carl Linnaeus, as set forth in his '' Systema Naturae'' (1735) and subsequent works. In the taxonomy of Linnaeus ...
.


From Dravidian to Arabic

All the ''aubergine''-type names have the same origin, in the Dravidian languages. Modern descendants of this ancient Dravidian word include Malayalam ''vaṟutina'' and
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia ** Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils **Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...
''vaṟutuṇai''. The Dravidian word was borrowed into the Indo-Aryan languages, giving ancient forms such as Sanskrit and Pali ''vātiṅ-gaṇa'' (alongside Sanskrit ''vātigama'') and Prakrit ''vāiṃaṇa''. According to the entry ''brinjal'' in the '' Oxford English Dictionary'', the Sanskrit word ''vātin-gāna'' denoted 'the class (that removes) the wind-disorder (windy humour)': that is, ''vātin-gāna'' came to be the name for eggplants because they were thought to cure
flatulence Flatulence, in humans, is the expulsion of gas from the intestines via the anus, commonly referred to as farting. "Flatus" is the medical word for gas generated in the stomach or bowels. A proportion of intestinal gas may be swallowed environm ...
. The modern
Hindustani Hindustani may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Hindustan (another name of India) * Hindustani language, an Indo-Aryan language, whose two official norms are Hindi and Urdu * Fiji Hindi, a variety of Eastern Hindi spoken in Fiji, and ...
words descending directly from the Sanskrit name are ''baingan'' and ''began''.'' Oxford English Dictionary'', 1st edition, 1888, ''s.v.''
brinjal
.
The Indic word ''vātiṅ-gaṇa'' was then borrowed into Persian as ''bādingān''. Persian ''bādingān'' was borrowed in turn into Arabic as ''bāḏinjān'' (or, with the definite article, ''al-bāḏinjān''). From Arabic, the word was borrowed into European languages.


From Arabic into Iberia and beyond

In al-Andalus, the Arabic word ''(al-)bāḏinjān'' was borrowed into the Romance languages in forms beginning with ''b''- or, with the definite article included, ''alb''-: * Portuguese , , . * Spanish , . The Spanish word was then borrowed into French, giving (along with French dialectal forms like , , , and ). The French name was then borrowed into British English, appearing there first in the late eighteenth century. Through the
colonial expansion Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...
of Portugal, the Portuguese form was borrowed into a variety of other languages: * Indian, Malaysian, Singaporean and South African English ''brinjal'', ''brinjaul'' (first attested in the seventeenth century). *
West Indian English Caribbean English (CE, CarE) is a set of dialects of the English language which are spoken in the Caribbean and Liberia, most countries on the Caribbean coast of Central America, and Guyana and Suriname on the coast of South America. Caribbe ...
''brinjalle'' and (through
folk-etymology Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
) ''brown-jolly''. Thus although Indian English ''brinjal'' ultimately originates in languages of the Indian Subcontinent, it actually came into Indian English via Portuguese.


From Arabic into Greek and beyond

The Arabic word ''bāḏinjān'' was borrowed into Greek by the eleventh century CE. The Greek loans took a variety of forms, but crucially they began with ''m-'', partly because Greek lacked the initial ''b-'' sound and partly through
folk-etymological Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
association with the Greek word ''μέλας'' (''melas''), 'black'. Attested Greek forms include ''ματιζάνιον'' (''matizanion'', eleventh-century), ''μελιντζάνα'' (''melintzana'', fourteenth-century), and ''μελιντζάνιον'' (''melintzanion'', seventeenth-century). From Greek, the word was borrowed into Italian and medieval Latin, and onwards into French. Early forms include: * ''Melanzāna'', recorded in Sicilian in the twelfth century. * ''Melongena'', recorded in Latin in the thirteenth century. * ''Melongiana'', recorded in
Veronese Veronese is the Italian word denoting someone or something from Verona, Italy and may refer to: * Veronese Riddle, a popular riddle in the Middle Ages * ''Veronese'' (moth), a moth genus in the family Crambidae * Monte Veronese, an Italian chees ...
in the fourteenth century. * ''Melanjan'', recorded in Old French. From these forms came the botanical Latin ''melongēna''. This was used by Tournefort as a genus name in 1700, then by Linnaeus as a species name in 1753. It remains in scientific use. These forms also gave rise to the Caribbean English ''melongene''. The Italian ''melanzana'', through
folk-etymology Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
, was adapted to ''mela insana'' ('mad apple'): already by the thirteenth century, this name had given rise to a tradition that eggplants could cause insanity. Translated into English as 'mad-apple', 'rage-apple', or 'raging apple', this name for eggplants is attested from 1578 and the form 'mad-apple' may still be found in Southern American English.


Other English names

The plant is also known as ''guinea squash'' in Southern American English. The term ''guinea'' in the name originally denoted the fact that the fruits were associated with West Africa. It has been known as 'Jew's apple', apparently in relation to a belief that the fruit was first imported to the West Indies by Jewish people.


Cultivars

Different cultivars of the plant produce fruit of different size, shape, and color, though typically purple. The less common white varieties of eggplant are also known as Easter white eggplants, garden eggs, Casper or white eggplant. The most widely cultivated varieties— cultivars—in Europe and North America today are elongated ovoid, long and broad with a dark purple skin. A much wider range of shapes, sizes, and colors is grown in India and elsewhere in Asia. Larger cultivars weighing up to a kilogram (2.2 pounds) grow in the region between the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, while smaller ones are found elsewhere. Colors vary from white to yellow or green, as well as reddish-purple and dark purple. Some cultivars have a color gradient—white at the stem, to bright pink, deep purple or even black. Green or purple cultivars with white striping also exist. Chinese cultivars are commonly shaped like a narrower, slightly pendulous
cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.
. Also, Asian cultivars of Japanese breeding are grown. * Oval or elongated oval-shaped and black-skinned cultivars include 'Harris Special Hibush', 'Burpee Hybrid', 'Bringal Bloom', 'Black Magic', 'Classic', 'Dusky', and 'Black Beauty'. * Slim cultivars in purple-black skin include 'Little Fingers', 'Ichiban', 'Pingtung Long', and 'Tycoon' ** In green skin, 'Louisiana Long Green' and 'Thai (Long) Green' ** In white skin, 'Dourga'. * Traditional, white-skinned, egg-shaped cultivars include 'Casper' and 'Easter Egg'. * Bicolored cultivars with color gradient include 'Rosa Bianca', 'Violetta di Firenze', 'Bianca Sfumata di Rosa' (heirloom), and 'Prosperosa' (heirloom). * Bicolored cultivars with striping include 'Listada de Gandia' and 'Udumalapet'. * In some parts of India, miniature cultivars, most commonly called ''baigan,'' are popular.


Varieties

* ''S. m.'' var. ''esculentum'' – common aubergine, including white varieties, with many cultivars * ''S. m.'' var. ''depressum'' – dwarf aubergine * ''S. m.'' var. ''serpentium'' – snake aubergine


Genetically engineered eggplant

Bt brinjal is a
transgenic A transgene is a gene that has been transferred naturally, or by any of a number of genetic engineering techniques, from one organism to another. The introduction of a transgene, in a process known as transgenesis, has the potential to change the ...
eggplant that contains a gene from the soil bacterium ''
Bacillus thuringiensis ''Bacillus thuringiensis'' (or Bt) is a gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium, the most commonly used biological pesticide worldwide. ''B. thuringiensis'' also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterflie ...
''. This variety was designed to give the plant resistance to
lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
n insects such as the brinjal fruit and shoot borer (''
Leucinodes orbonalis ''Leucinodes orbonalis'', the eggplant fruit and shoot borer or brinjal fruit and shoot borer, is a moth species in the genus '' Leucinodes'' described by Achille Guenée in 1854. Its native distribution is in the tropical and subtropical parts o ...
'') and fruit borer (''
Helicoverpa armigera ''Helicoverpa armigera'' is a species of Lepidoptera in the family Noctuidae. It is known as the cotton bollworm, corn earworm, Old World (African) bollworm, or scarce bordered straw (the lattermost in the UK, where it is a migrant). The larvae f ...
''). On 9 February 2010, the Environment Ministry of India imposed a moratorium on the cultivation of Bt brinjal after protests against regulatory approval of cultivated Bt brinjal in 2009, stating the moratorium would last "for as long as it is needed to establish public trust and confidence". This decision was deemed controversial, as it deviated from previous practices with other
genetically modified crops Genetically modified crops (GM crops) are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. Plant genomes can be engineered by physical methods or by use of ''Agrobacterium'' for the delivery of ...
in India. Bt brinjal was approved for commercial cultivation in Bangladesh in 2013.


Cooking and preparing

Raw eggplant can have a
bitter taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...
, with an astringent quality, but it becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Rinsing, draining, and salting the sliced fruit before cooking may remove the bitterness. The fruit is capable of absorbing
cooking fat Cooking oil is plant, animal, or synthetic liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. It is also used in food preparation and flavoring not involving heat, such as salad dressings and bread dips, and may be called edible oil ...
s and sauces, which may enhance the flavor of eggplant dishes. Eggplant is used in the cuisines of many countries. Due to its texture and bulk, it is sometimes used as a meat substitute in vegan and vegetarian cuisines. Eggplant flesh is smooth. Its numerous seeds are small, soft and edible, along with the rest of the fruit, and do not have to be removed. Its thin skin is also edible, and so it does not have to be peeled. However, the green part at the top, the
calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...
, does have to be removed when preparing an eggplant for cooking. Eggplant can be steamed, stir-fried, pan fried, deep fried, barbecued, roasted, stewed, curried, or pickled. Many eggplant dishes are sauces made by mashing the cooked fruit. It can be stuffed. It is frequently, but not always, cooked with oil or fat.


East Asia

Korean and Japanese eggplant varieties are typically thin-skinned. In Chinese cuisine, eggplants are known as ''qiézi'' (). They are often deep fried and made into dishes such as '' yúxiāng-qiézi'' ("fish fragrance eggplant") or ''
di sān xiān Disanxian () is a Chinese dish made of stir-fried potatoes, eggplants, and sweet peppers. Other ingredients may include garlic, spring onion, etc. The name roughly translates to "three treasures from the earth" because it consists of the three ...
'' ("three earthen treasures"). Elsewhere in China, such as in Yunnan cuisine (in particular the cuisine of the
Dai people The Dai people ( Burmese: ရှမ်းလူမျိုး; khb, ᨴᩱ/ᨴᩱ᩠ᨿ; lo, ໄຕ; th, ไท; shn, တႆး, ; , ; ) refers to several Tai-speaking ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and t ...
) they are barbecued or roasted, then split and either eaten directly with garlic, chilli, oil and coriander, or the flesh is removed and pounded to a mash (typically with a wooden pestle and mortar) before being eaten with rice or other dishes. In Japanese cuisine, eggplants are known as ''nasu'' or ''nasubi'' and use the same characters as Chinese (). An example of it use is in the dish ''hasamiyaki'' () in which slices of eggplant are grilled and filled with a meat stuffing. Eggplants also feature in several Japanese expression and proverbs, such as (because their lack of seeds will reduce her fertility) and . In
Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...
, eggplants are known as ''gaji'' (). They are steamed, stir-fried, or pan-fried and eaten as banchan (side dishes), such as '' namul'', '' bokkeum'', and '' jeon''. Qiezi.jpg, Chinese '' yúxiāng-qiézi'' (fish-fragrance eggplants) Dureup-gaji-jeon.jpg, Korean ''
dureup ''Aralia elata'', the Japanese angelica tree, Chinese angelica-tree, or Korean angelica-tree, is a woody plant belonging to the family Araliaceae. It is known as ''tara-no-ki'' (; ) in Japanese, and ''dureup-namu'' () in Korean. Description It i ...
-gaji- jeon'' (pan-fried eggplants and angelica tree shoots)


Southeast Asia

In the Philippines, eggplants are of the long and slender purple variety. They are known as ''talong'' and is widely used in many stew and soup dishes, like ''
pinakbet Pinakbet (also called pakbet or pinak bet) is an indigenous Filipino dish from the northern regions of the Philippines. Pinakbet is made from mixed vegetables sautéed in fish or shrimp sauce. The word is the contracted from the Ilokano wo ...
''. However the most popular eggplant dish is '' tortang talong'', an omelette made from grilling an eggplant, dipping it into beaten eggs, and pan-frying the mixture. The dish is characteristically served with the stalk attached. The dish has several variants, including ''rellenong talong'' which is stuffed with meat and vegetables. Eggplant can also be grilled, skinned and eaten as a salad called ''ensaladang talong''. Another popular dish is ''adobong talong'', which is diced eggplant prepared with vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic as an '' adobo''. SAMBAL BALADO TERONG UDANG.jpg, Indonesian Chili ''Terong'' Sauce with shrimp Terong Balado 1.jpg, Minang (West Sumatra) Balado ''Terong'' Kepala Ikan Tenggiri Asam Pedas Terung.jpg, Sweet and Sour Fish Head with ''Terong'' Terong Goreng.jpg, Simple fried ''Terong'' from Gorontalo (Sulawesi) File:Tortang-Talong-Eggplant-Fritter-1068x801.jpg, Philippine '' tortang talong'', an eggplant omelette made from grilled skinned eggplants File:03073jfEnsaladang Talong Bulacanfvf 06.jpg, Philippine '' ensaladang talong'', a salad on grilled and skinned green eggplant


South Asia

Eggplant is widely used in its native India, for example in '' sambar'' (a tamarind lentil stew), ''dalma'' (a '' dal'' preparation with vegetables, native to Odisha), chutney, curry, and ''
achaar South Asian pickles, also known as avalehikā, pachchadi, achaar (sometimes spelled as aachaar), athaanu, loncha, oorugaai, or aavakaai, is a pickled food made from a variety of vegetables and fruits preserved in brine, vinegar, edible oils, and ...
'' (a pickled dish). Owing to its versatile nature and wide use in both everyday and festive Indian food, it is often described as the "king of vegetables". Roasted, skinned, mashed, mixed with onions, tomatoes, and spices, and then slow cooked gives the
South Asian South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, ...
dish '' baingan bharta'' or ''gojju'', similar to ''
salată de vinete Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers. Varieties Middle East, Caucasus, Africa ''Baba ghanoush'' ( ar, بابا غنوج ''bābā ghanūj'') is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various seas ...
'' in Romania. Another version of the dish, ''begun-pora'' (eggplant charred or burnt), is very popular in Bangladesh and the east Indian states of Odisha and West Bengal where the pulp of the vegetable is mixed with raw chopped shallot, green chilies, salt, fresh coriander, and mustard oil. Sometimes fried tomatoes and deep-fried potatoes are also added, creating a dish called ''begun bhorta''. In a dish from Maharashtra called , small brinjals are stuffed with ground
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
, peanuts, onions, tamarind, jaggery and masala spices, and then cooked in oil. Maharashtra and the adjacent state of Karnataka also have an eggplant-based vegetarian pilaf called 'vangi bhat' .. Brinjal Masala Fry.JPG, Brinjal masala fry Brinjal&Mango Sambar.JPG, Brinjal and mango sambar


Middle East and the Mediterranean

Eggplant is often stewed, as in the French '' ratatouille'', or deep-fried as in the Italian ''
parmigiana di melanzane Parmigiana (, ), also called parmigiana di melanzane , melanzane alla parmigiana , or eggplant parmesan, is an Italian dish made with fried, sliced eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. The origin of the dish is claimed by ...
'', the Turkish ''
karnıyarık Karniyarik (lit. 'riven belly' in Turkish) is a dish found in Turkish cuisine consisting of eggplant stuffed with a mix of sautéed chopped onions, garlic, black pepper, tomatoes, optional green pepper, parsley and ground meat. A similar ...
'', or Turkish, Greek, and
Levantine Levantine may refer to: * Anything pertaining to the Levant, the region centered around modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, including any person from the Levant ** Syria (region), corresponding to the modern countries of the Lev ...
''musakka/ moussaka'', and
Middle Eastern The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...
and South Asian dishes. Eggplants can also be battered before deep-frying and served with a sauce made of
tahini Tahini () or tahina (, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and E ...
and tamarind. In
Iranian cuisine Iranian cuisine () refers to the culinary practices of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world,Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 ( ...
, it is blended with whey as ''
kashk e bademjan Kashk bademjan ( fa, کشک بادمجان ), alternatively kashk-e bademjan or Kashk o bademjan ( fa, کشک و بادمجان), is a staple Iranian dish made with "kashk and eggplant" – also the literal translation of its Persian language ...
'', tomatoes as ''
mirza ghassemi Mirza ghassemi or mirza qassemi (Persian: میرزا قاسمی) is an Iranian appetizer or main based on tandoori or grilled aubergine (eggplant), distinct to the Northern Iran and Caspian Sea region (specifically Gilan province). It is known a ...
'', or made into stew as '' khoresht-e-bademjan''. It can be sliced and deep-fried, then served with plain yogurt (optionally topped with a tomato and garlic sauce), such as in the Turkish dish ''patlıcan kızartması'' (meaning fried aubergines), or without yogurt, as in ''patlıcan şakşuka''. Perhaps the best-known Turkish eggplant dishes are ''
imam bayıldı Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic worship services, ...
'' (vegetarian) and ''
karnıyarık Karniyarik (lit. 'riven belly' in Turkish) is a dish found in Turkish cuisine consisting of eggplant stuffed with a mix of sautéed chopped onions, garlic, black pepper, tomatoes, optional green pepper, parsley and ground meat. A similar ...
'' (with minced meat). It may also be roasted in its skin until charred, so the pulp can be removed and blended with other ingredients, such as lemon, tahini, and garlic, as in the Arab '' baba ghanoush'' and the similar Greek ''
melitzanosalata Many cuisines feature eggplant salads and appetizers. Varieties Middle East, Caucasus, Africa ''Baba ghanoush'' ( ar, بابا غنوج ''bābā ghanūj'') is a popular Levantine dish of eggplant (aubergine) mashed and mixed with various se ...
''. A mix of roasted eggplant, roasted red peppers, chopped onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and spices is called '' zacuscă'' in Romania, and '' ajvar'' or ''
pinjur Pindjur or pinjur or pinđur (, , , ) is a relish form and is commonly used as a summer spread. Pindjur is commonly prepared in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia. The traditional ingredients include red bell ...
'' in the Balkans. A Spanish dish called '' escalivada'' in Catalonia calls for strips of roasted aubergine, sweet pepper, onion, and tomato. In Andalusia, eggplant is mostly cooked thinly sliced, deep-fried in olive oil and served hot with honey (''berenjenas a la Cordobesa''). In the La Mancha region of central Spain, a small eggplant is pickled in vinegar, paprika, olive oil, and red peppers. The result is berenjena of Almagro, Ciudad Real. A Levantine specialty is ''
makdous Makdous ( ar, المكدوس or sometimes ) is a dish of oil-cured aubergines. Part of Iraqi and Levantine cuisine (Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Syria), they are tiny, tangy eggplants stuffed with walnuts, red pepper, garlic, olive oil, ...
'', another pickling of eggplants, stuffed with red peppers and walnuts in olive oil. Eggplant can be hollowed out and stuffed with meat, rice, or other fillings, and then baked. In Georgia, for example, it is fried and stuffed with
walnut paste Satsivi ( ka, საცივი, ''sac'ivi'', ; also known as chicken in walnut sauce) is a Georgian dish made from poultry such as turkey or chicken put into walnut sauce. The term ''satsivi'' is also used as a generic name for a variety of poul ...
to make ''
nigvziani badrijani Nigvziani Badrijani ( ka, ნიგვზიანი ბადრიჯანი) is a Georgian dish made with fried eggplant stuffed with spiced walnut and garlic paste. It is often topped with pomegranate seeds. Preparation Salted eggpl ...
''. Melanzane alla Parmigiana.jpg,
Parmigiana di melanzane Parmigiana (, ), also called parmigiana di melanzane , melanzane alla parmigiana , or eggplant parmesan, is an Italian dish made with fried, sliced eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. The origin of the dish is claimed by ...
,
eggplant parmesan Parmigiana (, ), also called parmigiana di melanzane , melanzane alla parmigiana , or eggplant parmesan, is an Italian dish made with fried, sliced eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce, then baked. The origin of the dish is claimed b ...
Penne with eggplant and basil in yogurt-tomato sauce.jpg, Penne with eggplant and basil in yogurt-tomato sauce. Berenjenas-Almagro.jpg,
Almagro Almagro () may refer to: People *Diego de Almagro (1475–1538), Spanish explorer *Diego Almagro II (1520–1542), assassin of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro *Luis Almagro (born 1963), Uruguayan lawyer, diplomat and politician *Nicolás ...
eggplant


Iran

In
Iranian cuisine Iranian cuisine () refers to the culinary practices of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world,Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 ( ...
, eggplant (called ''bādenjān'' or ''bādemjān'' in Persian) can be used in both appetizers and main courses. It can also be pickled in vinegar. The ideal eggplant in Iranian cuisine is long, straight, firm, and black. Based on how
al-Razi Razi ( fa, رازی) or al-Razi ( ar, الرازی) is a name that was historically used to indicate a person coming from Ray, Iran. People It most commonly refers to: * Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (865–925), influential physician, alchemist ...
uses the color of eggplant as a shorthand for purpleness in his ''
Kitab al-hawi Kitab ( ar, کتاب, link=no, ''kitāb''), also transcribed kitaab, is the Arabic, Turkic, Urdu, Hindi and in various Indian Languages word for "book". * ''Kitaab'', a 1977 Hindi language movie * ''Kithaab'' (also written ''Kitab''), a 2018 Ma ...
'', it can be assumed that the dark purple kind of eggplant was the widely grown variety in Iran at his time (9th century). Its importance in Iran is alluded to in the ''
Ain-i-Akbari The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' ( fa, ) or the "Administration of Akbar", is a 16th-century detailed document recording the administration of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abu'l Fazl in the Persian language. It for ...
'' of
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, also known as Abul sharma, Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami (14 January 1551 – 22 August 1602), was the grand vizier of the Mughal emperor Akbar, from his appointment in 1579 until his death in 1602. He was the au ...
, which says "this vegetable is on sale in the markets in Iran all the year round and in such abundance that it is sold for 1.5 '' dam''s per seer" (which was a cheap price at that time). In Iran, unlike places like Greece, Turkey, and North Africa, eggplant is cooked peeled and usually seasoned with
cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...
or especially turmeric. Most eggplant dishes are classified as '' nankhoreshi'' (eaten with bread), and they are commonly served as snacks alongside alcoholic beverages. The 14th-century poet Boshaq At'ema refers to an early eggplant dish called ''burani-e badenjan'': chopped eggplant sautéed with onions and turmeric, then slowly cooked, and finally mixed with yogurt. The combination of eggplant and kashk (condensed whey) is popular in Iranian cuisine; it is found in dishes like ''
kashk o badenjan Kashk bademjan ( fa, کشک بادمجان ), alternatively kashk-e bademjan or Kashk o bademjan ( fa, کشک و بادمجان), is a staple Iranian dish made with "kashk and eggplant" – also the literal translation of its Persian language ...
'' as well as ''
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
-e kashk o badenjan'' (involving layers of sautéed eggplant, grilled onions, and red beans topped by kashk seasoned with turmeric). Another eggplant dish is ''
mast o badenjan Mast, MAST or MASt may refer to: Engineering * Mast (sailing), a vertical spar on a sailing ship * Flagmast, a pole for flying a flag * Guyed mast, a structure supported by guy-wires * Mooring mast, a structure for docking an airship * Radio mast ...
'', also known as ''nazkhatun'' in Tehran, which involves eggplant, yogurt, and dried mint. Eggplant can also be cooked in stews ('' khoresh''es), either with lamb (''khoresh-e badenjan'') or with chicken and either unripe grapes or pomegranate juice (''mosamma-ye badenjan''). Variants of
ab-gusht Abgoosht ( ''Âbgušt'', ; literally "meat broth") is an Iranian stew. It is also called Dizi (, ), which refers to the traditional stoneware crocks it is served in. Some describe it as a "hearty mutton Persian soup thickened with chickpeas." P ...
, eshkana, fesenjan, and kuku also make use of eggplant. Some regional dishes involving eggplant include '' badenjan-polow'', a dish mainly from Fars and
Kerman Kerman ( fa, كرمان, Kermân ; also romanization of Persian, romanized as Kermun and Karmana), known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in ...
that combines white rice with a paste of chopped sautéed eggplant, chopped meat, and spices; as well as the northern Iranian '' badenjan-e qasemi'', a casserole using grilled eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, and eggs. Eggplants are traditionally among the foods that get preserved and stored for winter in Iran. They are selected in the last month of summer, when they are most readily available, then peeled, and finally preserved in one of two ways. In the first way, the peeled eggplants are cut, salted, and left to "sweat" (to make them less
bilious Bile (from Latin ''bilis''), or gall, is a dark-green-to-yellowish-brown fluid produced by the liver of most vertebrates that aids the digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In humans, bile is produced continuously by the liver (liver bile) ...
); then they are sun-dried by hanging them on a line. The dried eggplants are then rehydrated 24 hours before being cooked. In the second way, the peeled eggplants are cooked in oil, put in a copper pot, and finally covered with plenty of hot oil, "which congeals to seal them". Medieval Iranian writers such as al-Razi and al-Biruni cautioned that eggplant contains harmful qualities, and it must be ripe and cooked before eating to neutralize them. They wrote that it could cause heat and dryness and an excess of black bile, contributing to a wide range of health problems. If the "salt" in it was removed, or it was cooked in oil or vinegar, then they wrote that eggplant gained healthy atttributes. Present-day Iranian attitudes to the eggplant reflect this medical tradition's influence: the eggplant is "considered rather dangerous... a cook in Tehran will say that the poison must be taken out". People also use eggplant seeds as an expectorant to relieve asthma and
catarrh Catarrh is an exudate of inflamed mucous membranes in one of the airways or cavities of the body, usually with reference to the throat and paranasal sinuses. It can result in a thick exudate of mucus and white blood cells caused by the swelling o ...
.


Nutrition

Raw eggplant is 92% water, 6% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and has negligible fat (table). It provides low amounts of
essential nutrient A nutrient is a substance used by an organism to survive, grow, and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excret ...
s, with only manganese having a moderate percentage (11%) of the Daily Value. Minor changes in nutrient composition occur with season, environment of cultivation (open field or
greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
), and
genotype The genotype of an organism is its complete set of genetic material. Genotype can also be used to refer to the alleles or variants an individual carries in a particular gene or genetic location. The number of alleles an individual can have in a ...
.


Cultivation and pests

In tropical and
subtropical climate The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north and ...
s, eggplant can be sown in the garden. Eggplant grown in temperate climates fares better when transplanted into the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Eggplant prefers hot weather, and when grown in cold climates or in areas with low humidity, the plants languish or fail to set and produce mature fruit. Seeds are typically started eight to 10 weeks prior to the anticipated frost-free date. ''S. melongena'' is included on a list of low flammability plants, indicating that it is suitable for growing within a building protection zone. Spacing should be between plants, depending on cultivar, and between rows, depending on the type of cultivation equipment being used. Mulching helps conserve moisture and prevent weeds and fungal diseases and the plants benefit from some shade during the hottest part of the day.
Hand pollination Hand pollination, also known as mechanical pollination is a technique that can be used to pollinate plants when natural or open pollination is either undesirable or insufficient. Method This method of pollination is done by manually transfer ...
by shaking the flowers improves the set of the first blossoms. Growers typically cut fruits from the vine just above the calyx owing to the somewhat woody stems. Flowers are
complete Complete may refer to: Logic * Completeness (logic) * Completeness of a theory, the property of a theory that every formula in the theory's language or its negation is provable Mathematics * The completeness of the real numbers, which implies t ...
, containing both female and male structures, and may be self- or cross-pollinated. Many of the pests and diseases that afflict other solanaceous plants, such as tomato, capsicum, and potato, are also troublesome to eggplants. For this reason, it should generally not be planted in areas previously occupied by its close relatives. However, since eggplants can be particularly susceptible to pests such as
whiteflies Whiteflies are Hemipterans that typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves. They comprise the family Aleyrodidae, the only family in the superfamily Aleyrodoidea. More than 1550 species have been described. Description and taxonomy The ...
, they are sometimes grown with slightly less susceptible plants, such as chili pepper, as a sacrificial trap crop. Four years should separate successive crops of eggplants to reduce pest pressure. Common North American pests include the potato beetles, flea beetles, aphids, whiteflies, and
spider mites Spider mites are members of the Tetranychidae family, which includes about 1,200 species. They are part of the subclass Acari (mites). Spider mites generally live on the undersides of leaves of plants, where they may spin protective silk webs, a ...
. Good sanitation and crop rotation practices are extremely important for controlling fungal disease, the most serious of which is ''
Verticillium ''Verticillium'' is a genus of fungi in the division Ascomycota, and are an anamorphic form of the family Plectosphaerellaceae. The genus used to include diverse groups comprising saprobes and parasites of higher plants, insects, nematodes, mo ...
''. The potato tuber moth ('' Phthorimaea operculella'') is an oligophagous insect that prefers to feed on plants of the family Solanaceae such as eggplants. Female ''P. operculella'' use the leaves to lay their eggs and the hatched larvae will eat away at the mesophyll of the leaf.


Production

In 2020, world production of eggplants was 57 million tonnes, led by China with 65% of the total and India with 23% (table).


Chemistry

The color of purple skin cultivars is due to the
anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical compo ...
nasunin. The browning of eggplant flesh results from the oxidation of polyphenols, such as the most abundant phenolic compound in the fruit, chlorogenic acid.


Allergies

Case reports of itchy skin or mouth, mild headache, and stomach upset after handling or eating eggplant have been reported anecdotally and published in medical journals (see also
oral allergy syndrome Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) or pollen-food allergy is a type of food allergy classified by a cluster of allergic reactions in the mouth and throat in response to eating certain (usually fresh) fruits, nuts, and vegetables that typically develops ...
). A 2008 study of a sample of 741 people in India, where eggplant is commonly consumed, found nearly 10% reported some allergic symptoms after consuming eggplant, with 1.4% showing symptoms within two hours. Contact dermatitis from eggplant leaves and allergy to eggplant flower pollen have also been reported. Individuals who are atopic (genetically predisposed to developing certain allergic hypersensitivity reactions) are more likely to have a reaction to eggplant, which may be because eggplant is high in histamines. A few proteins and at least one secondary metabolite have been identified as potential allergens. Cooking eggplant thoroughly seems to preclude reactions in some individuals, but at least one of the allergenic proteins survives the cooking process.


Taxonomy

The eggplant is quite often featured in the older scientific literature under the
junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...
s ''S. ovigerum'' and ''S. trongum''. Several other names that are now invalid have been uniquely applied to it:''Solanum melongena'' L. on Solanaceae Source
: Images, specimens and a full list of scientific synonyms previously used to refer to the eggplant.
* ''Melongena ovata'' * ''Solanum album'' * ''Solanum insanum'' * ''Solanum longum'' * ''Solanum melanocarpum'' * ''Solanum melongenum'' * ''Solanum oviferum'' * ''Prachi'' A number of
subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
and varieties have been named, mainly by Dikii, Dunal, and (invalidly) by Sweet. Names for various eggplant types, such as , are not considered to refer to anything more than cultivar groups at best. However, ''
Solanum incanum ''Solanum incanum'' is a species of nightshade, a flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, eastwards to India. The species was introduced to Taiwan and Vietnam. Common names include thorn ...
'' and
cockroach berry ''Solanum capsicoides'', the cockroach berry, known as ''polohauai'i'' in Polynesia, is a flowering plant in the family Solanaceae. It is native to eastern Brazil but naturalized in other tropical regions, where it sometimes becomes an invasiv ...
(''S. capsicoides''), other eggplant-like nightshades described by Linnaeus and Allioni, respectively, were occasionally considered eggplant varieties, but this is not correct. The eggplant has a long history of
taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
confusion with the
scarlet Scarlet may refer to: * Scarlet (cloth), a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England * Scarlet (color), a bright tone of red that is slightly toward orange, named after the cloth * Scarlet (dye), the dye used to give the cloth its color * ...
and Ethiopian eggplants (''
Solanum aethiopicum ''Solanum aethiopicum'', the bitter tomato, Ethiopian eggplant, or nakati, is a fruiting plant of the genus ''Solanum'' mainly found in Asia and Tropical Africa. It is also known as Ethiopian nightshade, garden eggs, pumpkin-on-a-stick, and moc ...
)'', known as ''gilo'' and ''nakati'', respectively, and described by Linnaeus as ''S. aethiopicum''. The eggplant was sometimes considered a variety ''violaceum'' of that species. ''S. violaceum'' of de Candolle applies to Linnaeus' ''S. aethiopicum''. An actual ''S. violaceum'', an unrelated plant described by Ortega, included Dunal's ''S. amblymerum'' and was often confused with the same author's ''S. brownii''. Like the potato and ''S. lichtensteinii'', but unlike the tomato, which then was generally put in a different genus, the eggplant was also described as '' S. esculentum'', in this case once more in the course of Dunal's work. He also recognized the varieties ''aculeatum'', ''inerme'', and ''subinerme'' at that time. Similarly, H.C.F. Schuhmacher and
Peter Thonning Peter Thonning (9 October 1775 – 29 January 1848) was a Danish physician and botanist. Biography Peter Thonning was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the son of Rasmus Andersen Thonning (1740-1817) and Dorothea Spendrup (1755-1835). He bec ...
named the eggplant as '' S. edule'', which is also a junior synonym of
sticky nightshade ''Solanum sisymbriifolium'' is commonly known as vila-vila, sticky nightshade, red buffalo-bur, the fire-and-ice plant, litchi tomato, or Morelle de Balbis. The small edible fruits are red on the outside and yellow inside. It grows inside a spi ...
(''S. sisymbriifolium''). Scopoli's ''S. zeylanicum'' refers to the eggplant, and that of Blanco to '' S. lasiocarpum''.


See also

* List of eggplant cultivars *
Eggplant emoji The Eggplant emoji (🍆), also known by its Unicode name of Aubergine, is an emoji featuring a purple eggplant. Social media users have noted the emoji's phallic appearance and often use it as a euphemistic or suggestive icon during sexting conv ...
*
Eggplant production in China China is the world's leading producer and consumer of eggplants. The leading producers, after China, are India, Turkey, Japan, Egypt and Italy; a Mediterranean climate favours its production. China has produced eggplants since the 5th century ...
* Eggplant salads and appetizers * Imperial examination in Chinese mythology *
Lao eggplant The Lao eggplant ( lo, ໝາກເຂືອ ), also known as Lao aubergine, is a local variety of eggplant found in Laos and used primarily in Lao cuisine. Common cultivar types in Laos are Lao Green Stripe, Lao Purple Stripe, Lao Lavender, a ...
* List of eggplant dishes * ''
Solanum aethiopicum ''Solanum aethiopicum'', the bitter tomato, Ethiopian eggplant, or nakati, is a fruiting plant of the genus ''Solanum'' mainly found in Asia and Tropical Africa. It is also known as Ethiopian nightshade, garden eggs, pumpkin-on-a-stick, and moc ...
'' *
Vietnamese eggplant ''Solanum macrocarpon'' otherwise known as the African eggplant (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Igba) (Igbo language/ Igbo): añara), Surinamese eggplant (Surinamese language, Sranang Tongo: Antroewa) or Vietnamese eggplant (Vietnamese language, Vi ...


References

{{Authority control Crops originating from India Crops originating from Pakistan Solanum Flora of the Maldives Fruits originating in Asia Plants described in 1753 Tropical fruit Fruit vegetables