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The aubergine, eggplant, or brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a 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 spiny, with large coarsely lobed leaves 10-20 cm long and 5-10 cm broad. The flowers are white to purple, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. 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 seeds. (Semi-)wild types can grow much larger, to 225 cm (84 in.) with large leaves over 30 cm long and 15 cm broad.
History The aubergine is an important food crop grown for its large pendulous purple or white fruit. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asian countries since prehistory, but appears to have become known to the Western world no earlier than around 1500. The numerous Arabic and North African names for it, and the lack of ancient Greek and Roman names, indicate that it was carried throughout the Mediterranean area by the Arabs in the early Middle Ages. The scientific name melongena derives from a 16th-century Arabic name for one kind of aubergine. The aubergine is referred to as the "eggplant" in the United States, Australia and Canada. This came from the fact that the fruit of some early varieties were all white and looked like hen's eggs. Because of its relation to the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, it was at one time believed to be poisonous. Cultivated varieties The most widely grown cultivars 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 colours are grown in India and elsewhere in Asia. There, cultivars that closely resemble a chicken egg in both size and shape are widely grown; colours 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 eggplant are commonly shaped like a narrower, slightly pendulous cucumber. The name 'eggplant' dates to the 1700s, when the most common European cultivars of the fruit were white or yellow, and roughly the size and shape of a goose egg. Aubergine is the British name given to this fruit. This name comes from the French aubergine, derived from Catalan albergínia, from Arabic al-bãdhinjãn الباذنجان, from Persian بادنجان Bâdinjân, the eggplant. Numerous other names are used, many derived from the Sanskrit vatinganah, which has produced a number of names for this plant in various languages: brinjal, badingan, melongena, melanzana, berenjena, albergínia, aubergine, brown-jolly, and mad-apple (misinterpretation of Italian melanzana as mela insana). Oval or elongated oval shaped, black skinned cultivars include, 'Harris Special Hibush', 'Burpee Hybrid', 'Black Magic', Classic', Dusky', and 'Black Beauty'. Long, slim shaped cultivars with purple-black skin include: 'Little Fingers', 'Pingtung Long' and 'Tycoon'; with green skin: 'Lousisiana 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 Matti village of Udupi,It is light green in colour and round in shape.Some brinjals of this variety weigh more than one kilogram. Cookery The raw fruit has a somewhat disagreeable taste, but, when cooked, becomes tender and develops a rich, complex flavour and firm texture. Salting and then rinsing the sliced aubergine will soften and remove much of the eggplant's bitterness. It is especially useful culinarily owing to its ability to absorb great amounts of cooking fats, allowing for very rich dishes. The fruit flesh is smooth; the numerous seeds are soft and (as in the related Tomato) edible along with the rest of the fruit. The skin is also edible, though some people prefer to peel it. Aubergine is used in cuisines from Japan to Spain. It is often served stewed, as in the French ratatouille, the Levantine moussaka, and many South Asian dishes. It is often roasted in its skin until charred, then the pulp is removed and served cold 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. It can be stuffed with meat, rice, or other fillings, then baked. Being a native plant, it is widely used in the South Indian cuisine, like sambhars, chutneys, curries and kootus. Because of its versatile nature and wide use, in both everyday and festive South Indian food, brinjals are often referred to as the 'King of Vegetables' in South India. Deskinned roasted aubergine(brinjal) mixed with onions and tomatoes with spices for flavour makes up the Indian dish called Baingan ka bharta (also known as vangyacha bharta in Marathi) For some preparations, the aubergine's high moisture content must be drained or absorbed during cooking. Cultivation In tropical and subtropical climates the aubergine can be sown directly into the garden. Aubergine grown in temperate climates fares better when transplanted into the garden after all danger of frost. Seeds are typically started eight to ten weeks prior to the frost free date. Many pests and diseases which afflict other solanaceous vegetables, i.e. tomato, pepper (capsicum), potato, etc. are also troublesome in aubergines. For this reason, aubergines should not be planted in areas previously occupied by its close relatives. Four years should separate successive crops of aubergines. Common North American pests include potato beetle, flea beetle, aphids and spider mites. Many of these can be controlled using Bacillus thurengensis (Bt) which is a bacterium that attacks the soft bodied larvae. Adults can be controlled by hand removal. Flea beetles can be especially difficult to control. Good sanitation on crop rotation practices are extremely important in controlling fungal disease in aubergines, the most serious of which is Verticillium. Plants should be spaced 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. Fruits are typically cut from the vine just above the calyx due to the semi woody stems. See also 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 aubergine. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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