10 facts on
EGGPLANT
by Philip McIntosh
It kind of looks like an egg and it ’ s technically a berry .
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Why is it called eggplant ? Many years ago ( in the 1700s ) eggplant fruit were much smaller and white or yellow in color , looking sort of like a goose egg . In English-speaking countries , people called it eggplant and the name stuck .
The eggplant ’ s native home is India and surrounding regions , where it and close relatives can still be found growing wild .
The eggplant , Solanum melongena , is a member of the Solanaceae ( the nightshades ), which includes tomatoes , peppers , potatoes , tobacco , the highly poisonous belladonna , and Datura ( jimsonweed ).
Don ’ t eat the leaves . As you can tell from the list of relatives above , the Solanaceae contains plants with toxic alkaloids in the green parts , even though the fruit ( or tubers in the case of potato ) are often edible .
The fruit has a leathery outer skin that encloses a fleshy interior with many seeds . Each fruit is derived from a single ovary making the eggplant technically a berry .
Depending on the variety , eggplant fruit vary in size from that of , well , an egg , to larger melon-sized specimens , and some are highly elongated , or club shaped .
Most eggplants seen in grocery stores are dark purple , almost black , but some varieties are white , yellow , green , or striped .
Given that they contain alkaloids such as nicotine and solanine , raw eggplant fruits are bitter and generally not pleasant to the taste .
When cooked , eggplant absorbs surrounding flavors well , making it good for combining with sauces and other flavorings .
When it comes to nutritional value , the eggplant is no super food . It is low in calories , protein , carbohydrates , and fat , but is a decent source of potassium , magnesium , and fiber .
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