01.
Cultivated by prehistoric societies, ancient texts suggest that eggplant probably originated in India or perhaps China.

02.
The eggplant made its debut in Europe via the invasion of Spain by the Moors in the 8th Century AD

03.
Mistrusted because of its kin – it was born into the infamous – and often poisonous – Nightshade
family, Europeans called the eggplant mala insana, or apple of madness.

04.
The Greeks (and Italians) still call eggplant by a bastardization of this unsavory name: they call it melitzana.

05.
In truth, an immature eggplant does contain toxins that, when ingested, can make one ill.

06.
A mature eggplant, however, has many healthy properties. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, eggplants are used as an appetite stimulant and as a heart medicine. The white variety may ameliorate diabetes.

07.
Its medical uses are based on the active alkaloids (Solasonine) contained in eggplant. These give eggplant its bitter taste; the bitter taste discourages pests from eating it. Human pests can remove the bitterness by salting and then rinsing it prior to cooking.

08.
Eggplant is not a vegetable. It is a fruit – specifically it is a berry with a spiny cap called a calyx.

09.
The Greeks fell in love the the fruit, making it the essential ingredient in many classic dishes, including Briam and Mousaka.

10.
Thomas Jefferson, an avid gardener constantly on the lookout for exotic plants, grew eggplant at Monticello. (He also grew pot.)

11.
An eggplant can be as small as a cherry and as big as a football, and comes in a huge assortment of colors, including purple, green, orange and white. All are delicious.