But unlike the American Solanaceae domesticates, eggplant is believed to have been domesticated in the Old World, likely India, China, Thailand, Burma or someplace else in southeast Asia. Today there are approximately 15-20 different varieties of eggplant, grown primarily in China .
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.
This begs the question “Where did eggplant originate?”
One way to think about this is the eggplant reached Southern Italy by the 9th century CE. Arabs brought the fruits along with them as they expanded their territory into the region. Melanzane was consumed by fearless foodies in the Calabrian and Sicilian regions of Italy, although some people were initially wary of the funny egg-shaped produce.
Why is eggplant called eggplant?
The popular common name, eggplant, comes from the North America, Australia, and New Zealand. It was called “eggplant” because the early European cultivars of the fruit looked somewhat like a hen’s egg. The fruits were small and yellow or white colored, just like a hen or goose’s egg.
When we were writing we ran into the query “Why are eggplants called eggplant?”.
Some think that the name eggplant came from the Europeans in the 1750s because the fruit looks kind of like a goose egg . Some cultivars are white or light yellow and share the shape and size of eggs. Eggplants are perennial plants best grown during the warm season .
Some believe that Solanum melongena , the Linnaean name. Illustration of an eggplant (upper picture) in a 1717 manuscript of a work by the thirteenth-century Persian Zakariya al-Qazwini. All the aubergine -type names have the same origin, in the Dravidian languages.
One source proposed in British, it is referred to as aubergine . In South Africa and South Asia, it is called brinjal. It is also referred to as guinea squash in South America. Just as most other plants, eggplants do have an origin.
How was the eggplant domesticated?
The Domestication Process of the Eggplant from Ancient Manuscripts. Eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae family, which includes its American cousins potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers ). But unlike the American Solanaceae domesticates, eggplant is believed to have been domesticated in the Old World , likely India, China, Thailand,.
Is eggplant a Solanaceae family?
Eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae family, which includes its American cousins potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers). But unlike the American Solanaceae domesticates, eggplant is believed to have been domesticated in the Old World, likely India, China, Thailand, Burma or someplace else in southeast Asia.