| Scientific name:: | Solanum melongena |
| German name: | Aubergine |
| Other names: | Eggplant, Brinjal, Berenjena, Eggplant, Patlican, Melanzana |
| Classification: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Subfamily: | Leptostemonum |
| Genus: | Solanum |
| Season: | May - September |
The majority of people would probably spontaneously classify aubergines in the vegetable category. It is only when you take a close botanical look that you notice that the bell-shaped plant is not a real vegetable. Fruit is a superordinate term for fruits and seeds, which develop from the blooms of perennial plants. The vegetables category includes edible plant parts, i.e. leaves, stems, roots, etc. of plants that only fructify once in their plant life. Aubergines, as well as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, legumes, okra pods and courgettes cannot be assigned to this definition. Botany has therefore made itself simple here and the additional category fruit vegetables was simply introduced for these varieties.
Quantity per 100 grams
| Calories | 25 |
| Fat content | 0,2 g |
| Saturated fatty acids | 0 g |
| Polyunsaturated fatty acids | 0,1 g |
| Monounsaturated fatty acids | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 2 mg |
| Potassium | 229 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 6 g |
| Roughage | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3,5 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
Aubergines are native to Asia, where they were already mentioned as "Brinjal" in the Sanskrit scriptures in the 5th - 4th century BC. Since the aubergine originally had a yellow or white skin and was only egg-sized, it was and is still called "egg fruit" today. The Arabs brought the eggplant to Europe as early as the 13th century, but it was not cultivated there until 1550 by the Italians. Today one finds the most notable cultivation-areas of the froste-sensitive nightshade-plant in Egypt, Africa, France, Iraq, Israel, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Canaries, Spain and Romania.
Aubergines are not suitable for raw consumption because they have a sticky consistency and a lot of bitter substances that make them inedible. Only after heating does it lose these disturbing flavourings and unfold its aroma. Aubergines are used in many traditional dishes such as ratatoullie (France) or the Greek moussaka.
During preparation, it is important to cover the slices with salt and lemon juice before use and let them steep for about an hour. In this way, the bitter taste is reduced and the spongy flesh becomes firmer due to moisture removal. However, the skin can be eaten with the fruit without any problems and also contains important nutrients.
The water- and pressure-sensitive aubergines should be stored in low light and cool. However, the storage temperature should not fall below 5 degrees. They should also not be stored together with apples, avocados, bananas, citrus fruits and tomatoes as these reduce the shelf life of the eggplant. Also no cabbage should be stored nearby, because the aubergine quickly takes over the aroma of cabbage-like plants.
Die wasser- und druckempfindlichen Auberginen sollten bei schwachem Licht und kühl gelagert werden. Die Lagertemperatur sollte jedoch 5 Grad nicht unterschreiten. Auch sollte man sie nicht zusammen mit Äpfeln, Avocados, Bananen, Zitrusfrüchten und Tomaten lagern, da diese die Haltbarkeit der Aubergine verringern. Ebenso sollte kein Kohl in der Nähe gelagert werden, denn die Aubergine übernimmt schnell das Aroma von kohlartigen Gewächsen.