← Botanical Garden Silimalombu
Made from this plant – available in our shop
Basic Information:
Eggplant (USA,[1] Australia,[2] New Zealand, anglophone Canada), aubergine (UK,[3] Ireland, Quebec) or brinjal (South Asia, South Africa)[4] is a plant species in the nightshade family 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 by botanical definition. As a member of the genus Solanum, it is related to the tomato and potato. 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 content, but the capability of the fruit to absorb oils and flavors into its flesh through cooking expands its use in the culinary arts.
It was originally domesticated from the wild nightshade species thorn or bitter apple, S. incanum,[5][6][7] probably with two independent domestications: one in South Asia, and one in East Asia.[8] In 2018, China and India combined accounted for 87% of the world production of eggplants.
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 and yellow stamens. 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 40 to 150 cm (1.3 to 4.9 ft) tall, with large, coarsely lobed leaves that are 10 to 20 cm (3.9 to 7.9 in) long and 5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) broad. Semiwild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (7.38 ft), with large leaves over 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (5.9 in) broad. On wild plants, the fruit is less than 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter; in cultivated forms: 30 cm (12 in) 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, the fruit contains numerous small, soft, edible seeds that taste bitter because they contain or are covered in nicotinoid alkaloids, like the related tobacco.
Nutrition, Traditional Use and Research
The statements below describe nutrition facts, traditional use and published research. They are not health claims for our products.
- Eggplant (terong, aubergine) is a low-calorie vegetable that contains fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B6 and manganese. Fiber contributes to normal bowel function, potassium to the maintenance of normal blood pressure, folate to normal maternal tissue growth during pregnancy, and manganese to the maintenance of normal bones.
- The skin of eggplant contains anthocyanins such as nasunin, which show antioxidant activity in laboratory tests.
- Some studies have examined eggplant in relation to blood sugar and cholesterol. The evidence is limited, and eggplant is not a treatment for any condition.
Fun Facts:
Many names
You may not immediately recognise aubergine on a menu abroad. Its many names include: Brinjal (India), Berenjena (Spanish), Eggplant (US English), Patlican (Turkish) and Melanzana (Italian).
2. Different colours
Are you only familiar with the purple aubergine? The fruit can come in other colours too, like white, green and purple with white stripes.
3. Family members
The aubergine belongs to the tomato and potato family, which are all nightshades.
4. Storing aubergines
Aubergines are best stored in a cool place, outside the fridge.
5. Can you eat them raw?
You should avoid eating aubergines raw, because they can give stomach problems. In China they do eat the green variant raw, but don’t try this at home;-)
6. Surprising content
Did you know that an aubergine contains nicotine? But only a tiny amount, just 0.01%. You would have to eat 9 kilos of aubergines to get the same amount of nicotine as in one cigarette.
7. Vegetable or fruit?
The aubergine is a fruit, but is always prepared and regarded as a vegetable.
8. In what climate do aubergine grow best?
Aubergines like heat; an average temperature of 20-25 degrees is ideal.
9. Should an aubergine be peeled before cooking?
No, just slice off the end.
10. Where do aubergines originally come from?
The aubergine plant originally comes from Myamar.
11. When were aubergines first found in Europe?
Arabs brought aubergines to Spanish Andalusia in the 15th century.
12. How many fruits grow on an aubergine plant?
110 aubergines per plant, which will give you lots of moussaka.
13. What percentage of water does an aubergine contain?
The aubergine consists of 95% water and 50% of the volume is air!
14. In which national cuisine is the aubergine used most?
Asia uses a lot of aubergines. They are also frequently used in Turkey and the Middle East.
15. How big can an aubergine plant grow?
The aubergine plant can grow to a length of 5 to 6 metres.
Sources:
https://www.lovemysalad.com/blog/15-fun-facts-about-aubergines
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a20706884/growing-eggplants/
How to plant a eggplant tree ?
Give eggplants a head start on the growing season by starting them indoors, six to nine weeks before the average last frost. Soak seeds overnight to encourage germination; sow them ¼ inch deep in a loose, fine medium, such as vermiculite. Use bottom heat to maintain a soil temperature of 80 to 90 degrees for the eight to 10 days required for sprouting.
Transplant seedlings to individual pots once they reach 3 inches. When outside nighttime air temperatures are above 50 degrees, gradually expose them to the outdoors to harden them off. Keep transplanting your seedlings into larger pots as you wait for both outdoor air and soil to warm up to at least 70 degrees.
Try growing eggplants in raised beds, which heat up quickly in spring. Plants given plenty of room are healthier and more productive, so space them 2½ to 3 feet apart in all directions. Water well, pour 1 to 2 cups of compost around each plant, and firm the soil gently.
Eggplants are also good for container growing, with one plant per 5-gallon pot.