Eggplant

Eggplant is the edible fruit of a plant in the nightshade family, Solanaceae, which also includes tomato, potato, and pepper. Its scientific name is Solanum melongena. Although it is commonly treated as a vegetable in cooking, eggplant is botanically a fruit because it develops from the ovary of a flower and contains seeds. The plant is usually grown as an annual in temperate regions, although it can live longer in warm climates.

Its fruits vary greatly in shape and color: they may be long or round, with skin that is purple, white, green, striped, or almost black. Eggplant was domesticated in Asia, probably from wild relatives in South or Southeast Asia, and later spread to the Mediterranean and other parts of the world. Eggplant is generally eaten cooked because its raw flesh is firm and can have a slightly bitter taste.

It can be roasted, grilled, baked, steamed, fried, or added to stews and sauces. During cooking, the flesh becomes soft and absorbs flavors and cooking fats easily. Eggplant provides dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and several other nutrients, while its skin contains pigments and other plant compounds. Purple varieties are rich in anthocyanins, including nasunin, a pigment studied for its antioxidant properties.

The fruit also contains small amounts of naturally occurring glycoalkaloids, as do other members of the nightshade family; normal culinary consumption is not generally considered a concern. Young fruits are usually less bitter and have fewer mature seeds. Because eggplant flesh darkens after cutting, it is often cooked soon after preparation or treated with an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice.