Did you know that what we know about the domestication of the eggplant mostly comes from ancient history?
Eggplant (Solanum melongena). Photo by Garrett and Kitty Wilkin
It turns out that there is a lack of archaeological evidence from eggplants in general. But, a detailed description of how eggplants came to be large, purply and (more or less) not bitter can be found in Chinese botanical reports dating back to the 1st century BC.
Fascinating stuff, and just perfect for the latest edition to the About.com Guide to Plant Domestication.
Comments
Oh, come on! How can anyone NOT be a fan of Eggplant Parmesan as described on pages 494-95 of Marcella Hazan’s book Essentials of Italian Cooking? Be honest, now.
Dick
Cool reading!! I love the information you have on the article about the eggplant’s origins… Gotta admit, I love stuffed eggplant, as well as simply looking at them!
Eggplant is called that I believe as the first English speaking that saw them were white and shaped like an egg.