Have you ever heard of a brinjal, an aubergine, or a melongene? These are all different names for a food that you might know as an eggplant! It’s a common question, especially when you consider that most eggplants are a rich, deep purple and shaped nothing like an egg. So, why is this popular and versatile food called an eggplant?
To understand the name, we need to look back in time and across different cultures. While today we are familiar with the large, purple variety, the eggplant’s history and various names offer a fascinating glimpse into how this fruit—yes, it’s botanically a fruit!—got its rather curious English name.
What’s in a Name? Many Names for Eggplant
Before diving into the “egg” part of eggplant, it’s interesting to note the diverse names this plant goes by around the world. In many parts of the world, particularly in South Asia and Africa, you might hear it called “brinjal.” This name has roots in Sanskrit (“vṛntākha”) and Arabic (“bāḏinjān”), showcasing the eggplant’s ancient origins and trade routes. The French term “aubergine,” and similar variations in other European languages, also derive from the Arabic.
In some regions, you might even encounter names like “guinea squash” or “melongene,” further illustrating the variety of monikers this fruit has accumulated throughout history and across different cultures. This diversity in names highlights how different societies have interacted with and perceived this plant, long before it became commonly known as “eggplant” in English.
Botanically Speaking: Eggplant is a Fruit
Often mistaken for a vegetable due to its culinary uses, the eggplant is, in fact, a fruit. Botanically speaking, a fruit develops from the flower of a plant and contains seeds. If you’ve ever cut open an eggplant, you’ll notice the small, soft seeds inside, confirming its fruity status. It belongs to the nightshade family, Solanaceae, which also includes its close relatives like tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.
Like its cousins, the eggplant grows as an annual plant in temperate climates, though it can be perennial in warmer regions. It’s prized for its fleshy texture and mild flavor when cooked, making it a versatile ingredient in cuisines worldwide. And while those tiny seeds are edible, they can contribute a slightly bitter taste, especially in older eggplants.
The Egg Connection: Visual Origins of the Name
So, back to the original question: why “eggplant”? The answer lies in the appearance of the earliest varieties that Europeans encountered in the 17th and 18th centuries. These early eggplants were not the large, purple, oval-shaped fruits we predominantly see today. Instead, they were smaller, and crucially, often white or yellow.
Imagine seeing these smaller, pale fruits hanging from their plant. To people of that era, particularly in Europe, they bore a striking resemblance to goose eggs or even chicken eggs. This visual similarity is the primary reason behind the name “eggplant.” It was a descriptive name based on the appearance of these early varieties, a name that stuck even as eggplant cultivation evolved to favor the larger, purple types we know so well now.
A Long History: Origins in Asia
The eggplant’s story stretches far back in time, long before Europeans encountered it. Its origins trace back to India and Southeast Asia, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known written record of eggplant is found in a Chinese agricultural text dating all the way back to 544 AD.
This long history in Asia has resulted in a wide array of eggplant varieties, differing in shape, size, color, and even taste. From long and thin Asian eggplants to round and striped Italian types, the diversity is immense. The purple, oval eggplant, while common in Western supermarkets, represents just one facet of this globally significant fruit.
Cooking with Eggplant: Flavor and Preparation
Raw eggplant is often described as having a slightly bitter taste, which is partly attributed to its seeds and certain compounds within the fruit. However, cooking transforms eggplant, giving it a tender, almost creamy texture and a rich, savory flavor that readily absorbs other flavors.
Many recipes recommend salting, rinsing, and draining sliced eggplant before cooking. This process helps to draw out excess moisture and reduce bitterness, and it also minimizes the amount of oil the eggplant absorbs during cooking. Without this step, eggplant can sometimes become greasy when fried or sautéed, as its porous flesh tends to soak up oil like a sponge.
Global Culinary Staple: Eggplant Around the World
Today, eggplant is a beloved ingredient in a vast array of cuisines across the globe. It holds a prominent place in French ratatouille, Egyptian moussaka, and Italian eggplant parmesan. Across the Middle East and Asia, eggplant stars in countless dishes, from flavorful curries and stir-fries to dips like baba ghanoush.
In fact, the majority of global eggplant production comes from just a handful of countries: China, India, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey. This highlights the eggplant’s importance as a food source and culinary staple in these regions.
So, the next time you see an eggplant, remember its journey through history and cultures. While its name might seem a bit quirky for the purple fruit we know today, it’s a testament to the smaller, egg-like varieties that first captured the imagination of those who gave it its English name. Whether you call it eggplant, aubergine, or brinjal, this versatile and flavorful fruit continues to enrich cuisines worldwide.
