What is an eggplant?
An Eggplant ( US, Australia, New Zealand, anglophone Canada ), aubergine ( UK, Ireland, Quebec, and most of mainland Western Europe) or brinjal ( South Asia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Solanum melongena is grown worldwide for its edible fruit.
What are the health benefits of Italian eggplant?
Italian eggplant contains Vitamin C and B6 along with potassium and fiber. These plants need conditions similar to those provided for tomatoes and peppers. Eggplant is a vining plant, often producing a dozen fruits per vine. If you limit the fruits by pinching out growing points, those left will be bigger with the plant’s energy directed to them.
What are the different types of Italian eggplant?
Many varieties of eggplant are available, with the Italian type often used for popular culinary dishes. There is one called Baby eggplant, more tender and tasty than most others. Eggplant Parmesan is a classic for Italian eggplant uses, along with a favorite dish called Eggplant Rollatini and one called Caponata.
Is Italian eggplant edible?
Perhaps you’re new to eggplant, both cooking and growing it. It is an attractive plant producing a nutritious edible fruit. You may even grow it in a container and put it in a prominent location, if desired. There are numerous Italian eggplant varieties to grow and multiple ways to cook them.
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What does Sicilian eggplant look like?
Sicilian eggplant are big and round, about the size of a grapefruit, and lighter purple in color. Sicilian eggplant are lighter in color and quite round.
Which eggplant is the sweetest?
Italian eggplant are more delicate and sweeter than their larger cousins, and their smaller size makes them a good choice for stuffing, roasting, and broiling. Chinese eggplant are easily identified by their pale violet skin and slender, cylindrical shape. They have the most delicate flavor of all the market varieties.
What is the best type of eggplant?
Best Types of EggplantsLittle Green Eggplant. This one is round, plump, and pale-green in color. ... Globe Eggplant. ... Italian Eggplant. ... 4. Japanese Eggplant. ... Ping Tung Eggplant. ... Rosa Bianca Eggplant. ... Graffiti Eggplant. ... Santana Eggplant.More items...•
What does caponata taste like?
Caponata is a Sicilian sweet and sour version of ratatouille. Because eggplant absorbs flavors like a sponge, it's particularly good in such a pungent dish. Like most eggplant dishes, this gets better overnight. It's meant to be served at room temperature, and I like it cold as well.
How big do Sicilian eggplants get?
Pruning InstructionsCategory:VegetableAvailable Colors:Purple to blackBloom Time:SummerHeight Range:24-36" (61-91cm)Space Range:18-30" (46-76cm)7 more rows
What is the difference between Japanese and Italian eggplant?
The smaller version of the larger purple skinned eggplant is often called Italian or baby eggplant. These have a somewhat more intense flavor and the flesh is much more tender. The straight thin eggplants known as Japanese or Asian eggplant have thin delicate skins like Italian eggplant but the flesh is sweeter.
What does an Italian eggplant look like?
Italian eggplant is similar in flavor and texture to the more familiar Western, or globe, eggplant. But this Italian variety is smaller, lobed, and often shaped like a teardrop, with dark purple skin and green leaves.
Which is better male or female eggplant?
Source: The Cook's Thesaurus, by Lori Alden. Despite the ages old, old-wives tale that there are male and female eggplants and the male of the species is better eating – detected because it has an “outie” blossom end as opposed to the female “innie” blossom end – there is no such thing.
What is fancy eggplant?
FANCY EGGPLANT Don't let the name fool you, these purple orbs are down to earth and as humble as can be. With sweeter and softer flesh than the larger guys, they're perfect for any recipe that call for a high nutrient, low calorie wealth of flavor.
Why is it called a caponata?
The most popular lore tells the Caponata was called so because of the traditional pairing with Mahi Mahi (called Capone in ancient Sicilian dialect, and Lampuga nowadays). Someone believes that the name origins from the Greek Capto (transl. "cut").
What does caponata mean in Italian?
: a relish of chopped eggplant and assorted vegetables.
Is caponata the same as ratatouille?
While the two dishes are similar, they're both essentially vegetable stews, ratatouille hails from the south of France while caponata is Sicilian. Ratatouille tends to include other vegetables like zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, and various herbs.
What is an Italian Eggplant?
Many varieties of eggplant are available, with the Italian type often used for popular culinary dishes. There is one called Baby eggplant, more tender and tasty than most others. Eggplant Parmesan is a classic for Italian eggplant uses, along with a favorite dish called Eggplant Rollatini and one called Caponata.
Italian Eggplant Growing
These plants need conditions similar to those provided for tomatoes and peppers. Eggplant is a vining plant, often producing a dozen fruits per vine. If you limit the fruits by pinching out growing points, those left will be bigger with the plant’s energy directed to them.
Description
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History
There is no consensus about the place of origin of eggplant; the plant species has been described as native to India, where it continues to grow wild, Africa, or South Asia. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory.
Etymology and regional names
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Cultivars
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Cooking and preparing
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Cultivation and pests
In tropical and subtropical climates, eggplant can be sown in the garden. Eggplant grown in temperate climates fares better when transplanted into the garden after all danger of frost has passed. Eggplant prefers hot weather, and when grown in cold climates or in areas with low humidity, the plants languish or fail to set and produce mature fruit.
Host plant
The potato tuber moth ( Phthorimaea operculella) is an oligophagous insect that prefers to feed on plants of the family Solanaceae such as eggplants. Female P. operculella use the leaves to lay their eggs and the hatched larvae will eat away at the mesophyll of the leaf.
