Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Eggplant, or Aubergine

Eggplant, or aubergine as it is called in France, is a vegetable.
Eggplants belong to the nightshade family of vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes.
The Eggplant, Aubergine, Melongene, Brinjal or Guinea Squash (Solanum melongena) is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) and genus Solanum.
Important term:
Nightshades are a diverse group of ...foods, herbs, shrubs, and trees that have fascinated scientists, doctors, and nutritionists for centuries.
"Nightshade" is actually the common name used to describe over 2,800 species of plants, many with very different properties and constituents. All of the plants, however, belong to a scientific order called Polemoniales, and to a scientific family called Solanaceae.
The ancient ancestors of eggplant grew wild in India and were first cultivated in China in the 5th century B.C.
Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size.
These are in different sizes, shapes and colors, though typically purple. There are even orange varieties.
The mineral that is most abundant in eggplant is manganese.
Other minerals present in eggplant are copper, potassium and magnesium. Small amounts of calcium, iron, phosphorus and
zinc can also be found in eggplant.

No comments:

Post a Comment