EGGPLANT IN 500 WORDS
A variety of eggplants.
EGGPLANT ORIGINS
EXPERTS CAN PRESUME THAT WHERE A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE, including eggplant, made the transition from plant origins to crop is based on where the largest collections of wild strains are located. This methodology informs us that the tomato’s homeland, for example, is in Western South America. The potato comes from roughly the same geographic area in Peru. Another way to track a plant’s origin is through language.
Following the etymological path, it appears the eggplant came from India. The Sanskrit, Vatin–gana, seems to be the linguistic Ur-designation for our plant. Translated as, “pass-wind,” eggplants were thought to either cause or cure the passing of gas. Experts, as is their wont, disagree about the meaning. As the crop spread westward, it became badinage in Persian and badinjan in Arabic. Arabic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula brought both the eggplant and a new word, berengena to Spain. Al-beregngena became the French aubergine.
EGGPLANT AND THE FART
A SOMEWHAT COMPELLING CASE CAN BE MADE that the eggplant was domesticated in SE Asia. Perhaps it had a similar path as the tomato, which was ignored in South America, but was extensively cultivated after it arrived in the Valley of Mexico. It’s possible the eggplant was co-cultivated in two locations. We endorse the history that begins as a fart designation.
The berenjena (modern spelling) came with the Spanish to the Americas, but the word eggplant didn’t show up in usage until the second half of the 18th Century. We know eggplant was grown as a crop or curiosity at Jefferson’s Monticello. Jefferson’s slave and half-brother-in-law, James Hemings, would have been familiar with the crop from his training in French kitchens. Our nascent country and culture revered French cuisine, yet the eggplant failed to win over the hearts and minds of our founders.
FAILING TO CATCH ON
DID THE EGGPLANT FAIL TO CATCH ON in the US because it demands hot weather? Was its dietary obscurity caused by the fact that it’s a member of the deadly nightshade family? Was eggplant ignored because the food was considered, in the words of one early cookbook author, “too ethnic?” Or was it because the plant is devoid of nutrients and flavors? Moussaka, baba ghanouj, and ratatouille’s deliciousness aren’t derived from an intense eggplant flavor. Our favorite household preparation is eggplant parmesan, or as we like to call it, chicken-fried eggplant. This recipe isn’t a winner because of the sensual eggplant flavor: It rocks because it’s breaded and deep-fried.
When eggplant is in season, for those who don’t want to spend a few hours salting, rinsing, drying, dredging, dipping, coating, and deep-frying, try grilling it. Grilled eggplant and fresh mozzarella make a killer sandwich. Add tomato sauce or sprinkle balsamic vinegar if you’re adding slices of tomatoes. Salting sliced eggplant began as a way to negate some of the bitterness of older varieties. Nowadays, salting serves the same function as a dry rub, allowing the seasoning to penetrate the veg, albeit one that could use some flavoring help.
READ MORE OF DAVE’S THOUGHTS ON OTHER FRUIT, VEG, AND VARIOUS FOODS; 500 WORDS ABOUT OKRA, and 500 WORDS ABOUT PIES.