Eggplant or aubergine, commonly called boulanger or baigan in this part of the world, originated in India and eastern Asia thousands of years ago, and is now widely grown in the tropics. It was introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages by Arab traders. Boulanger belongs to the nightshade family and is classified as Solanum melougena.
Botanically speaking, eggplant is really a fruit, although it is used only as a vegetable.
In addition to the long purple variety – Black Beauty is most popular – there are other yellow and white varieties. It can be used or cooked in many ways, such as stuffed, as a purée for dips, curried, roasted over fire for choka, baked, broiled, fried and even sautéed and flavoured with chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes and a little olive oil. In Italy, Greece and Japan many popular dishes are made from the eggplant.
So are you ready to plant a few boulangers? Prepare the beds for planting by following last week’s guidelines, and then purchase your seedlings. Check last week too for how to plant and tend your seedlings.
When you harvest your crop, experiment with trying out tasty new dishes.
Until next week, Happy Gardening!
