Eggplants are that goofy vegetable that is bright purple and looks like, well, a giant egg. While many of us know what an eggplant is, most of us haven’t tried them ourselves. Learn some interesting facts about this odd purple vegetable that we call the eggplant.
Eggplants are part of the “nightshade” variety of vegetables. This means they are in the same group as tomatoes, sweet peppers, and potatoes. They actually grow from vines like tomatoes do (anybody else think they came from underground like I did?) and are best when they are in season (August to October) although they can be enjoyed, or just stared at, all year long in the store.
Eggplants are known for their deep purple, almost blackish, color and that odd, pear or egg shape, but that is not the only form they come in. Eggplants all over the world come in many different colors and glossy shapes, like orange, white, light yellow, dark green, lightish purple, and even lime colored. Eggplants vary in sizes from small tomatoes to large squashes in appearance as well. You could be looking right at an eggplant and not even know it!
The eggplant ran and grew wild in India before being discovered by China in the 5th century B.C. This ancient vegetable made it all the way to Africa before it finally became a famous vegetable in Italy in the 14th century, where the eggplant is now widely known.
Italy, China, Turkey, Egypt, and Japan are the earth’s greatest producers of the eggplant, with Italy being the country most associated with the odd vegetable. In North America, the large egg-shaped dark purple eggplant is the most common, even though eggplants come in many colors and varieties.
For centuries, the eggplant had a terrible reputation that caused it to be grown more as a decorative plant than a food source. Early eggplants were far more bitter than today’s varieties, so the vegetable was falsely believed to be a food that would cause a bitter disposition, cancer, insanity, and even leprosy! Luckily, nowadays this highly fibrous plant is enjoyed by many cultures, particularly revered in Europe.
When the eggplant was “revised” in the 18th century and became less bitter and more tasty, it became a novelty vegetable for many countries, including France, Italy, Turkey, and Greece.
If you cut an eggplant with a carbon steel knife, it will turn black. This is because the phytonutrients in the eggplant react negatively to the carbon steel in the knife. It is advised to use a stainless steel knife to cut and enjoy an eggplant instead.
Eggplants contain oxalates, which can actually make them dangerous to people with kidney issues or gallbladder woes. Most foods and animals contain small amounts of oxalates, but eggplants carry a noticeable amount, and when this typically harmless substance becomes too concentrated in the body, the oxalates can actually crystallize and cause damage. If your kidneys or gallbladder already have issues flushing out your body, beware of the mighty eggplant, which may cause you to end up with nasty kidney or gallbladder stones. Consuming calcium to help break down the oxalates does help, however.
One cup of cooked eggplant has only nearly 28 calories, and at almost 10% of your daily fiber, makes this spongy, delicately bitter vegetable a great filling treat. Eggplants are also high in copper and potassium, making them a great energy boost when you need one, or to just experiment with healthier vegetable options.
Source:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid;=22
