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Eggplant

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A close-up of an eggplant growing on its plant.

Eggplant

Eggplant is a special kind of plant that gives us tasty fruit. It is also called aubergine, brinjal, or baigan in different places. Eggplant belongs to the nightshade family and is related to tomato, chili pepper, and potato. The fruit is usually purple and is used as a vegetable in many dishes around the world.

Eggplants are grown in warm places and are loved for how they soak up flavors when cooked. They are low in nutrients but taste great in many recipes. People have been growing eggplants for a very long time, starting from South Asia and East Asia.

Eggplants grow best in warm weather. The plant can be between 40 to 150 cm tall with big leaves. The flowers are white to purple, and the fruit can be purple, white, or even green. Some eggplants are long and thin, while others are round like an egg.

People use eggplants in many foods. In Chinese cuisine, they are called qiézi and used in dishes like yúxiāng-qiézi. In Japanese cuisine, they are called nasu and used in dishes like hasamiyaki. In Korean cuisine, eggplants are called gaji and used in side dishes. In India, eggplants are very popular and used in many dishes like sambar and baingan bharta.

Eggplant is also used in foods from Iran, Italy, France, and many other countries. It can be cooked in many ways, such as roasting, frying, or mashing it into sauces.

Eggplant is mostly water and has a little bit of carbohydrates and protein. It is grown all over the world, with China growing the most. Eggplant is a fun and tasty vegetable that people enjoy in many different ways.

Images

A plate of Yuxiang Qiezi, a flavorful Sichuan dish made with eggplants, known for its unique fish-scented seasoning.
A beautiful eggplant flower blooming in a garden in Hong Kong.
Close-up of thorns on an eggplant plant branches
A growing eggplant fruit on a plant in West Bengal, India.
A sliced eggplant showing its seeds inside
A sliced eggplant showing its seeds and interior on a cutting board.
A white eggplant shown next to chicken eggs for size and shape comparison.
Botanical illustrations of an eggplant, a plant called parsiyavushan, and dungwort from a medieval manuscript.
An old illustration of an eggplant from a medieval herbal book.
Eleven long purple eggplants grown near Vijayawada, India
A healthy eggplant plant with its fruit hanging from the branches, showing how this popular vegetable grows.
An old botanical illustration showing different types of eggplants, including white and long varieties, from an 1804 Japanese book.
Three different types of eggplants: white, purple, and a hybrid variety.
A delicious Korean eggplant Jeon dish, a tasty and healthy food enjoyed in Korea.

Related articles

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Eggplant, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.