8 Interesting Facts about Eggplant
- Eggplants are an excellent source of fiber and nutrients.
- People called the plant “eggplant”, because certain cultivars produce white fruits of an oval shape that they look like chicken eggs.
- Eggplant is a perennial plant, although most producers grow it annually (they plow and destroy the plants after harvesting the fruits).
- Eggplants are botanically closely related to tomatoes and peppers.
- Chinese were the first to grow eggplants in a systematic way during the 5th century BC.
- Consuming eggplant flowers or leaves can be dangerous for human health.
- Eggplant is one of the top 10 plants regarding Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. Simply put, this is a metric for the antioxidant content of a source.
- Eggplant is called Aubergine in the United Kingdom and Brinjal in some parts of Asia.
Eggplant is a perennial plant, but most producers grow it annually. Eggplant originated from India, where we still find it in the wild. It prefers warm areas to thrive and has a low tolerance for cold. Nowadays, eggplants are grown in many European and Asian countries. China is the largest eggplant-producing country. Turkey and countries around the Mediterranean also produce eggplants at a large scale. According to World Atlas, top 5 eggplant-producing countries are:
- China
- India
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Iran
Eggplant’s scientific name is Solanum melongena and is a member of the Solanaceae family. This family includes other well-known members, such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and tobacco.
Eggplant has a spiny stem covered in tiny hairs. The height of the plant varies from 0.4 m to 2.5m (1.3 to 8 ft) depending on the variety. It has a deep root system that grows from 0,6 to 1.2m (1.3 to 3.9ft). Leaves are large and lobed 10-30cm (4-12 inches) long. Flowers are white to purple and can be found single or in inflorescence with 2-3 blooms. They are characterized by a five-lobed corolla. The fruit is a big berry with soft brown seeds. Eggplants come in three main shapes: oval, tear-shaped, and round-shaped. Its skin color may be solid black, solid purple, striped black or purple and white. Eggplant flesh is spongy and off-white, slightly bitter when consumed raw.
Eating raw eggplants shall be avoided. Moreover, consuming eggplant flowers or leaves can be dangerous for human health. Members of the Solanaceae family produce a substance called solanine, which acts as the plant’s natural pesticide and is poisonous if consumed in large quantities.
