94,129
edits
Changes
From Gardenology.org - Plant Encyclopedia and Gardening Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to searchno edit summary
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Eggplant / Aubergine
| image = Solanum melongena ja02.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| division = [[flowering plants|Tracheobionta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| subclassis = [[Asteridae]]
| ordo = [[Solanales]]
| familia = [[Solanaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Solanum]]''
| species = '''''S. melongena'''''
| binomial = ''Solanum melongena''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
The '''eggplant''', '''aubergine''', or '''brinjal''' (''Solanum melongena'') is a [[Solanum|solanaceous]] plant bearing a [[fruit]] of the same name, commonly used as a [[vegetable]] in cooking. It is closely related to the [[tomato]] and [[potato]] and is native to southern [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]]. It is an [[annual plant]] growing 40 - 150 cm tall (16 in - 57 in), often [[spine (biology)|spiny]], with large coarsely lobed [[leaf|leaves]] 10-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad. The [[flower]]s are white to purple, with a five-lobed [[corolla]] and yellow [[stamen]]s. The [[fruit]] is a fleshy [[berry]], less than 3 cm in diameter on wild plants, but much larger in cultivated forms. The fruit contains numerous small, soft [[seed]]s. (Semi-)wild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (84 in.) with large leaves over 30 cm long and 15 cm broad.
==History==
[[Image:Eggplant (Flower).jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Solanum melongena'', flower]]
The eggplant is an important food crop grown for its large, pendulous, purple or white [[fruit]]. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern [[Asia]]n countries since prehistory but appears to have become known to the Western world no earlier than ca. 1500 [[Common era|CE]]. The numerous [[Arabic language|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]] who invaded [[Persia]] 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''' in the [[United States]], [[Australia]], and [[Canada]] developed from the fact that the fruits of some 18th-century European cultivars were yellow or white and resembled goose or hen's eggs. '''Aubergine''' is the British name given to this fruit, from the French ''aubergine'', derived from [[Catalan language|Catalan]] ''albergínia''; from Arabic ''al-bãdhinjãn'' الباذنجان, [[Persian language|Persian]] بادنجان ''bâdinjân'' from [[Sanskrit]] ''vatinganah''.
Because of the eggplant's relationship with the [[Solanaceae|Solanaceae (nightshade) family]], it was at one time believed to be poisonous.
==Cultivated varieties==
[[Image:Eggplant-sliced.jpg|right|thumb|A purple eggplant which has been sliced in half, showing the inside. The flesh surrounding the seeds is already beginning to [[oxidize]] and turn brown just minutes after slicing.]] The most widely grown [[cultivar]]s in [[Europe]] and [[North America]] today are elongated ovoid, 12-25 cm long and 6-9 cm broad with a dark purple skin. A much wider range of shapes, sizes and colors is grown in India and elsewhere in Asia. There, cultivars that closely resemble a hen's egg in both size and shape are widely grown; 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, and green or purple cultivars with white striping also exist. Chinese eggplants are commonly shaped like a narrower, slightly pendulous [[cucumber]].
Numerous other names are used, many derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''vatinganah'', which has given birth to a number of names for this plant in various languages and dialects: brinjal, badingan, melongena, melanzana, berenjena, albergínia, aubergine, brown-jolly, and mad-apple (a misinterpretation of the Italian ''melanzana'' as ''mela insana''). [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_melongena]
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', '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'.
'''Matti Gulla''' or Matti brinjal is a unique variety of brinjal grown in the village of [[Matti]] in [[Udupi]]; it is light green in color and round in shape. Some brinjals of this variety weigh more than one kilogram.
[[Image:mattigulla.jpg|right|thumb|Matti Gulla]]
[[Image:Eggplant (Fruit).jpg|left|250px|thumb|''Solanum melongena'', fruit]]
==Cookery==
[[Image:Melanzane_alla_Parmigiana.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Eggplant parmesan|Melanzane alla Parmigiana]], or Eggplant Parmesan (baked aubergines with [[Parmesan]] cheese).]]
The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste but, when cooked, becomes tender and develops a rich, complex flavour. Salting and then rinsing the sliced eggplant will soften and remove much of the bitterness. This process is called [[degorging]]. Lightly sprinkling the slices with salt, and laying them out on a paper or cloth towel for 20-30 minutes will accomplish this. However, many modern varieties do not need this treatment as they are not that bitter. The eggplant is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes. On the other hand, if it is undesirable for the fruit to absorb a lot of oil, then the salting process will reduce this effect. 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 served stewed, as in the French [[ratatouille]], the italian melanzane alla parmigiana, the Greek [[moussaka]], and many 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, as in the Middle Eastern dish [[baba ghanouj]] and the similar Greek dish [[melitzanosalata]]. It can be sliced, battered, and deep-fried, then served with various sauces: yoghurt-based, tahini-based, or tamarind-based. The eggplant can also be stuffed with meat, rice, or other fillings and then baked. In the [[Caucasus]] for example, it is fried and stuffed with [[walnut]] paste to make [[nigvziani badrijani]].
As a native plant, it is widely used in the South Indian cuisine, for example in [[sambar (dish)|sambhars]], [[chutney]]s, [[curries]], and [[kootus]]. Owing to its versatile nature and wide use, in both everyday and festive South Indian food, it is often described (under the name brinjal) as the 'King of Vegetables' in South India.
Peeled and roasted eggplant/brinjal, mixed with onions, tomatoes, and spices for flavor, makes up the Indian dish called ''[[Baingan ka bharta]]'' (also known as ''[[vangyacha bharta]]'' in [[Marathi]]).
Nutritionally, eggplants are low in energy (30kcal/100g), protein (1.2%) and vitamin C (5mg/100g), but rich in potassium and calcium.
==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, i.e. tomato, pepper (capsicum), potato, etc. are also troublesome to eggplants. For this reason, it should not be planted in areas previously occupied by its close relatives. Four years should separate successive crops of eggplants. Common North American pests include the [[Colorado potato beetle|potato beetle]], [[flea beetle]], [[aphid]]s and [[Tetranychus urticae|spider mites]]. Many of these can be controlled using ''[[Bacillus thuringiensis|Bacillus thurengensis]]'' (Bt), a [[Bacteria|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 in the aubergine is [[Verticillium]].
Spacing should be 45 cm (18 in) to 60 cm (24 in) between plants, depending on cultivar, and 60 cm (24 in) to 90 cm (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 [[bee]]s and the first blossoms often do not 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.
==Health==
Studies of the [[Instituto de Biociências]] of the [[UNESP]] de [[Botucatu]], [[São Paulo]] showed that aubergine is effective in the treatment of [[hypercholesterolemia]] and in the control of the [[cholesterol]] (about 30% reduction).{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
== See also ==
* [[Solanum gilo]]
* [[Baba ganoush]]
* [[Caviar d'aubergine]] (French [[Provencal Cuisine]])
* [[Escalivada]] ([[Catalan cuisine]])
* [[Moussaka]] ([[Greek cuisine]])
* [[Mutabal]] (Lebanese cuisine)
* [[Salată de vinete]] ([[Romanian cuisine]])
* [[Thai eggplant]]
* [[Mirza Qasemi]]
<gallery>
Image:Eggplant.JPG
Image:Eggplant.jpg
Image:Aubergines.jpg|Purple eggplants
Image:Aubergine.jpg|
Image:Eggplant flower.JPG|Eggplant flower
Image:Thai eggplant flowers-KayEss-2.jpeg|The flowers of the [[Thai eggplant]]
Image:Thai eggplant fruit-KayEss-2.jpeg|The fruit of the Thai eggplant. The white residue on the leaves is common.
Image:Auberginej.jpg|A long slender eggplant.
</gallery>
<br clear="all">
== External links ==
{{commons|Solanum melongena}}
{{Cookbook|Eggplant}}
*[http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Solanum+melongena Aubergine]: Plants for a Future database
[[Category:Solanum]]
[[Category:Vegetable-like fruits]]
[[Category:Solanaceae]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = Eggplant / Aubergine
| image = Solanum melongena ja02.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| division = [[flowering plants|Tracheobionta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| subclassis = [[Asteridae]]
| ordo = [[Solanales]]
| familia = [[Solanaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Solanum]]''
| species = '''''S. melongena'''''
| binomial = ''Solanum melongena''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
The '''eggplant''', '''aubergine''', or '''brinjal''' (''Solanum melongena'') is a [[Solanum|solanaceous]] plant bearing a [[fruit]] of the same name, commonly used as a [[vegetable]] in cooking. It is closely related to the [[tomato]] and [[potato]] and is native to southern [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]]. It is an [[annual plant]] growing 40 - 150 cm tall (16 in - 57 in), often [[spine (biology)|spiny]], with large coarsely lobed [[leaf|leaves]] 10-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad. The [[flower]]s are white to purple, with a five-lobed [[corolla]] and yellow [[stamen]]s. The [[fruit]] is a fleshy [[berry]], less than 3 cm in diameter on wild plants, but much larger in cultivated forms. The fruit contains numerous small, soft [[seed]]s. (Semi-)wild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (84 in.) with large leaves over 30 cm long and 15 cm broad.
==History==
[[Image:Eggplant (Flower).jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Solanum melongena'', flower]]
The eggplant is an important food crop grown for its large, pendulous, purple or white [[fruit]]. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern [[Asia]]n countries since prehistory but appears to have become known to the Western world no earlier than ca. 1500 [[Common era|CE]]. The numerous [[Arabic language|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]] who invaded [[Persia]] 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''' in the [[United States]], [[Australia]], and [[Canada]] developed from the fact that the fruits of some 18th-century European cultivars were yellow or white and resembled goose or hen's eggs. '''Aubergine''' is the British name given to this fruit, from the French ''aubergine'', derived from [[Catalan language|Catalan]] ''albergínia''; from Arabic ''al-bãdhinjãn'' الباذنجان, [[Persian language|Persian]] بادنجان ''bâdinjân'' from [[Sanskrit]] ''vatinganah''.
Because of the eggplant's relationship with the [[Solanaceae|Solanaceae (nightshade) family]], it was at one time believed to be poisonous.
==Cultivated varieties==
[[Image:Eggplant-sliced.jpg|right|thumb|A purple eggplant which has been sliced in half, showing the inside. The flesh surrounding the seeds is already beginning to [[oxidize]] and turn brown just minutes after slicing.]] The most widely grown [[cultivar]]s in [[Europe]] and [[North America]] today are elongated ovoid, 12-25 cm long and 6-9 cm broad with a dark purple skin. A much wider range of shapes, sizes and colors is grown in India and elsewhere in Asia. There, cultivars that closely resemble a hen's egg in both size and shape are widely grown; 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, and green or purple cultivars with white striping also exist. Chinese eggplants are commonly shaped like a narrower, slightly pendulous [[cucumber]].
Numerous other names are used, many derived from the [[Sanskrit]] ''vatinganah'', which has given birth to a number of names for this plant in various languages and dialects: brinjal, badingan, melongena, melanzana, berenjena, albergínia, aubergine, brown-jolly, and mad-apple (a misinterpretation of the Italian ''melanzana'' as ''mela insana''). [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_melongena]
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', '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'.
'''Matti Gulla''' or Matti brinjal is a unique variety of brinjal grown in the village of [[Matti]] in [[Udupi]]; it is light green in color and round in shape. Some brinjals of this variety weigh more than one kilogram.
[[Image:mattigulla.jpg|right|thumb|Matti Gulla]]
[[Image:Eggplant (Fruit).jpg|left|250px|thumb|''Solanum melongena'', fruit]]
==Cookery==
[[Image:Melanzane_alla_Parmigiana.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Eggplant parmesan|Melanzane alla Parmigiana]], or Eggplant Parmesan (baked aubergines with [[Parmesan]] cheese).]]
The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste but, when cooked, becomes tender and develops a rich, complex flavour. Salting and then rinsing the sliced eggplant will soften and remove much of the bitterness. This process is called [[degorging]]. Lightly sprinkling the slices with salt, and laying them out on a paper or cloth towel for 20-30 minutes will accomplish this. However, many modern varieties do not need this treatment as they are not that bitter. The eggplant is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes. On the other hand, if it is undesirable for the fruit to absorb a lot of oil, then the salting process will reduce this effect. 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 served stewed, as in the French [[ratatouille]], the italian melanzane alla parmigiana, the Greek [[moussaka]], and many 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, as in the Middle Eastern dish [[baba ghanouj]] and the similar Greek dish [[melitzanosalata]]. It can be sliced, battered, and deep-fried, then served with various sauces: yoghurt-based, tahini-based, or tamarind-based. The eggplant can also be stuffed with meat, rice, or other fillings and then baked. In the [[Caucasus]] for example, it is fried and stuffed with [[walnut]] paste to make [[nigvziani badrijani]].
As a native plant, it is widely used in the South Indian cuisine, for example in [[sambar (dish)|sambhars]], [[chutney]]s, [[curries]], and [[kootus]]. Owing to its versatile nature and wide use, in both everyday and festive South Indian food, it is often described (under the name brinjal) as the 'King of Vegetables' in South India.
Peeled and roasted eggplant/brinjal, mixed with onions, tomatoes, and spices for flavor, makes up the Indian dish called ''[[Baingan ka bharta]]'' (also known as ''[[vangyacha bharta]]'' in [[Marathi]]).
Nutritionally, eggplants are low in energy (30kcal/100g), protein (1.2%) and vitamin C (5mg/100g), but rich in potassium and calcium.
==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, i.e. tomato, pepper (capsicum), potato, etc. are also troublesome to eggplants. For this reason, it should not be planted in areas previously occupied by its close relatives. Four years should separate successive crops of eggplants. Common North American pests include the [[Colorado potato beetle|potato beetle]], [[flea beetle]], [[aphid]]s and [[Tetranychus urticae|spider mites]]. Many of these can be controlled using ''[[Bacillus thuringiensis|Bacillus thurengensis]]'' (Bt), a [[Bacteria|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 in the aubergine is [[Verticillium]].
Spacing should be 45 cm (18 in) to 60 cm (24 in) between plants, depending on cultivar, and 60 cm (24 in) to 90 cm (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 [[bee]]s and the first blossoms often do not 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.
==Health==
Studies of the [[Instituto de Biociências]] of the [[UNESP]] de [[Botucatu]], [[São Paulo]] showed that aubergine is effective in the treatment of [[hypercholesterolemia]] and in the control of the [[cholesterol]] (about 30% reduction).{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
== See also ==
* [[Solanum gilo]]
* [[Baba ganoush]]
* [[Caviar d'aubergine]] (French [[Provencal Cuisine]])
* [[Escalivada]] ([[Catalan cuisine]])
* [[Moussaka]] ([[Greek cuisine]])
* [[Mutabal]] (Lebanese cuisine)
* [[Salată de vinete]] ([[Romanian cuisine]])
* [[Thai eggplant]]
* [[Mirza Qasemi]]
<gallery>
Image:Eggplant.JPG
Image:Eggplant.jpg
Image:Aubergines.jpg|Purple eggplants
Image:Aubergine.jpg|
Image:Eggplant flower.JPG|Eggplant flower
Image:Thai eggplant flowers-KayEss-2.jpeg|The flowers of the [[Thai eggplant]]
Image:Thai eggplant fruit-KayEss-2.jpeg|The fruit of the Thai eggplant. The white residue on the leaves is common.
Image:Auberginej.jpg|A long slender eggplant.
</gallery>
<br clear="all">
== External links ==
{{commons|Solanum melongena}}
{{Cookbook|Eggplant}}
*[http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Solanum+melongena Aubergine]: Plants for a Future database
[[Category:Solanum]]
[[Category:Vegetable-like fruits]]
[[Category:Solanaceae]]
