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Brinjal ( Solanum melongena ) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae.  

Botany

The fruit is botanically a berry.  There are different cultivars of different size, shape and colour.  

It was originally domesticated form of the wild nightshade species thorn or bitter apple, Solanum incanum, with probably two independent domestications : one in South Asia and one in East Asia.

There are 3 recognized varieties :

• S. elongena var esculentum – common brinjal, including white varieties

• S. melongena var depressum – dwarf brinjal

• S. melongena var serpentum – snake brinjal

Etymoloty

Eggplant

The name eggplant is usually used in North America and Australia.  First recorded in 1763, eggplant was originally referred to the white cultivars, which look very much like hen’s egg.  The white, egg-shaped varieties of the eggplants are also known as ‘garden eggs’ and ‘vegetable eggs’

Aubergine

The word aubergine and brinjal were derived from Arabic word bāḏinjān ( باذنجان‎).  Yet, āḏinjān is itself a loan-word from Dravidian language, which in turn borrowed from Indic languages.

 Culinary

The fruit is mostly purple, spongy, absorbent, but low in both macronutrient and micronutrient.  However, its capacity of absorbing oils and flavors make it popular in culinary.

Raw brinjal can have a bitter taste, with an astringent quality, but it becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich,

 Fun Facts

The colour of purple skin of brinjal is due to the anthocyanin nasunin.

The browning of the brinjal flesh is due the oxidation of polyphenols.