Everything about The Eggplant totally explained
The
eggplant,
aubergine, or
brinjal (
Solanum melongena) is a plant of the family
Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus
Solanum. It bears a
fruit of the same name, commonly used as a
vegetable in cooking. As a night-shade, it's closely related to the
tomato and
potato and is native to
India and
Sri Lanka.
It is a delicate
perennial often cultivated as an
annual. It grows 40 to 150 cm (16 to 57 in) tall, with large coarsely lobed
leaves that are 10 to 20 cm (4-8 in) long and 5 to 10 cm (2-4 in) broad. (Semi-)wild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (7 ft) with large leaves over 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (6 in) broad. The stem is often
spiny. The
flowers are white to purple, with a five-lobed
corolla and yellow
stamens. The
fruit is fleshy, less than 3 cm in diameter on wild plants, but much larger in cultivated forms.
The fruit is botanically classified as a
berry, and contains numerous small, soft
seeds, which are edible, but are bitter because they contain
nicotinoid alkaloids, unsurprising in a close relative of tobacco.
History
The eggplant is a food crop grown for its
fruit, which can be any size from small to large and pendulous, depending on cultivar, and might be many colors, especially purple, green, or white. Eggplant is native to
India. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern
Asia since prehistory but appears to have become known to the Western world no earlier than ca. 1500
CE. The first known written record of the eggplant is found in
Qí mín yào shù, an ancient Chinese agricultural treatise completed in 544 CE. The numerous
Arabic and North African names for it, along with the lack of ancient Greek and Roman names, indicate that it was introduced throughout the
Mediterranean area by the
Arabs in the early
Middle Ages. The scientific name
Solanum melongena is derived from a 16th century Arabic term for one kind of eggplant.
The name
eggplant developed in the
United States,
Australia,
New Zealand, and
Canada because the fruits of some 18th century European cultivars were yellow or white and resembled goose or hen's eggs. The name
aubergine in British English developed based on the French
aubergine (as derived from
Catalan albergínia, from
Arabic al-badinjan, from
Persian badin-gan, from
Sanskrit vatin-ganah.). In Indian and South African English, the fruit is known as a "brinjal." Aubergine and brinjal, with their distinctive br-jn or brn-jl aspects, derive from Arabic and Sanskrit. In the caribbean
Trinidad, it also goes by the latin derivative "melongen".
Because of the eggplant's relationship with the
Solanaceae (nightshade) family, it was at one time believed to be poisonous. While it's true that eggplant can generally be eaten without ill effect by most people, for some, the eating of eggplant as well as other edible nightshade plants (tomato, potato, and capsicum/peppers) can indeed be harmful. Some eggplants can be rather bitter, which can irritate the stomach lining and cause gastritis. Some sources, particularly in the natural health community, state that nightshades, including eggplant, can cause or significantly worsen arthritis and should be avoided by those sensitive to them.
Cultivated varieties
The most widely grown cultivated varieties (
cultivars) in
Europe and
North America today are elongated ovoid, 12-25 cm long (4 1/2 to 9 in) and 6-9 cm broad (2 to 4 in) with a dark purple skin. A much wider range of shapes, sizes and colors is grown in India and elsewhere in Asia. Larger varieties weighing up to a kilogram (2 pounds) grow in the region between the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, while smaller varieties 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, from white at the stem to bright pink to deep purple or even black. Green or purple cultivars with white striping also exist. Chinese eggplants are commonly shaped like a narrower, slightly pendulous
cucumber, and sometimes were called Japanese eggplants in North America.
Oval or elongated oval-shaped and black-skinned cultivars include: 'Harris Special Hibush', 'Burpee Hybrid', 'Black Magic', 'Classic', 'Dusky', and 'Black Beauty'. Long, slim cultivars with purple-black skin include: 'Little Fingers', 'Ichiban', 'Pingtung Long', and 'Tycoon'; with green skin: 'Louisiana Long Green' and 'Thai (Long) Green'; with white skin: 'Dourga'. Traditional, white-skinned, oval-shaped cultivars include 'Casper' and 'Easter Egg'. Bicolored cultivars with color gradient include: 'Rosa Bianca', and 'Violetta di Firenze'.
Bicolored cultivars with striping include: 'Listada de Gandia' and 'Udumalapet'. In some parts of India, miniature varieties of eggplants (most commonly called
Vengan) are very popular.
Cooking
The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Salting and then rinsing the sliced eggplant (known as "degorging") can soften and remove much of the bitterness. Some modern varieties don't need this treatment, as they're less bitter. The eggplant is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed. The fruit flesh is smooth; as in the related
tomato, the numerous
seeds are soft and edible along with the rest of the fruit. The thin skin is also edible, so that the eggplant need not be peeled.
The eggplant is used in cuisines from
Japan to
Spain. It is often stewed, as in the French
ratatouille, the
Italian melanzane alla parmigiana, the Greek
moussaka, and
Middle-Eastern and
South Asian dishes. It may also be roasted in its skin until charred, so that the pulp can be removed and blended with other ingredients such as lemon, tahini, and garlic, as in the Middle Eastern dish
baba ghanoush and the similar
Greek dish melitzanosalata or the
Indian dishes of Baigan Bhartha or Gojju. It can be sliced,
battered, and
deep-fried, then served with various
sauces which may be based on
yoghurt, tahini, or tamarind. Grilled and mashed eggplant mixed with
onions,
tomatoes, and
spices makes the Indian dish
baingan ka bhartha. The eggplant can also be stuffed with
meat,
rice, or other fillings and then baked. In the
Caucasus, for example, it's fried and stuffed with
walnut paste to make
nigvziani badrijani.
As a native plant, it's widely used in
Indian cuisine, for example in
sambhar,
chutney,
curries, and
achaar. Owing to its versatile nature and wide use in both everyday and festive Indian food, it's often described (under the name brinjal) as the 'King of Vegetables'. In one dish, Brinjal is stuffed with ground
coconut,
peanuts, and
masala and then cooked in oil.
Cultivation
In tropical and subtropical climates, the eggplant can be sown directly into the garden. Eggplant grown in
temperate climates fares better when transplanted into the garden after all danger of
frost is past. Seeds are typically started eight to ten weeks prior to the anticipated frost-free date.
Many pests and diseases which afflict other solanaceous vegetables, such as tomato, pepper (capsicum), and potato, are also troublesome to eggplants. For this reason, it shouldn't be planted in areas previously occupied by its close relatives. Four years should separate successive crops of eggplants. Common North American pests include the
potato beetle,
flea beetle,
aphids and
spider mites. Many of these can be controlled using
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a
bacterium that attacks the soft-bodied larvae. (Adults can be removed by hand, though flea beetles can be especially difficult to control.) Good sanitation and crop-rotation practices are extremely important for controlling fungal disease, the most serious of which is
Verticillium.
Spacing should be 45 cm (18 in) to 60 cm (24 in) between plants, depending on cultivar, and 60 cm to 90 cm (24 to 36 in) between rows, depending on the type of cultivation equipment being used. Mulching will help conserve moisture and prevent weeds and fungal diseases. The flowers are relatively unattractive to
bees and the first blossoms often don't set fruit.
Hand pollination will improve the set of the first blossoms. Fruits are typically cut from the vine just above the calyx owing to the semi-woody stems.
Statistics
According to the USDA, production of eggplant is highly concentrated, with 93 percent of output coming from seven countries. China is the top producer(55% of world output) and India is second (28%); Egypt, Turkey, and Japan round out the top producing nations. United States is the 20th largest producer. More than 4 million acres (16,000 km²) are devoted to the cultivation of eggplant in the world.
| Top Ten Eggplant Producers — 2005 |
| Country |
Production (Int $1000) |
Footnote |
Production (MT) |
Footnote |
| |
2,734,280 |
C |
17,030,300 |
F |
| |
1,318,888 |
C |
8,200,000 |
F |
| |
160,840 |
C |
1,000,000 |
F |
| |
141,539 |
C |
880,000 |
|
| |
63,532 |
C |
395,000 |
F |
| |
60,095 |
C |
373,635 |
|
| |
40,566 |
C |
252,216 |
|
| |
36,993 |
C |
230,000 |
F |
| |
29,273 |
C |
182,000 |
F |
| |
21,231 |
C |
132,000 |
F |
No symbol = official figure,F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial figure, C = Calculated figure;
Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based on 1999-2001 international prices
Source: Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Devision
|
Health properties
Studies of the Institute of Biology of São Paulo State University, Brazil (
Instituto de Biociências of the
UNESP de
Botucatu,
São Paulo) showed that eggplant is effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol
hypercholesterolemia.
It can block the formation of
free radicals, help control
cholesterol levels and is also a source of
folic acid and
potassium.
Eggplant is richer in
nicotine than any other edible plant, with a concentration of 100 ng/g (or 0.01mg/100g). However, the amount of nicotine from eggplant or any other food is negligible compared to passive smoking.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Eggplant'.
|
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