Why do we call the eggplant by that name?

This curious comestible (actually a fruit, but eaten as a vegetable) probably has more names in varieties of the English language than any other. That’s because it has been cultivated for a very long time and it has been widely transmitted across the world from its heartland in eastern and southern Asia (the Arabs introduced it to Spain from India as early as the eighth century AD, and the Persians took it to Africa).

The name of eggplant was given it by Europeans in the middle of the eighteenth century because the variety they knew had fruits that were the shape and size of goose eggs. That variety also had fruits that are a whitish or yellowish colour rather than the wine purple that is more familiar to us nowadays. So the sort they knew really did look as though it had fruits like eggs.

In Britain, it is usually called an aubergine, a name which was borrowed through French and Catalan from its Arabic name al-badinjan. That word had reached Arabic through Persian from the Sanskrit vatimgana, which indicates how long it has been cultivated in India. In India, it has in the past been called brinjal, a word which comes from the same Arabic source as British aubergine, but filtered through Portuguese (the current term among English speakers in India is either the Hindi baingan, or aubergine). Some people in the southern states of the US still know it as Guinea squash, a name that commemorates its having been brought there from West Africa in the eighteenth century.

Of these names, eggplant is the easiest to say and remember, but its prosaic descriptiveness lacks the romance and sense of history that is attached to the others.

PunkMistress said:

PaisleyPark5083 said:

Well for heavens sake, thanks for all your wonderful tips!! I can not wait till tonight to try this out, I am here at work dreaming of eggplant parmegan!!

How do you bread the eggplant? For me, the best way to make sure the breading stays on is to dip them in seasoned flour first, shaking off excess, then dip in beaten egg, then seasoned breadcrumbs with some grated Parmesan stirred in. Firmly press the breadcrumbs onto each slice.

everything Erin says

that's how I make mine too

If you are going to pan fry, regardless of what you do to the eggplant, be sure your pan AND oil are hot enough at the start. It sounds like that could be part of your problem.

As far as breading goes, everybody is going to have a different suggestion (like, I've been on the most serious Panko kick lately - using it to bread everything). Hit the internet and look at a lot of recipes. Find the flavors and techniques that sound best and most comfortable to you. Follow the single recipes you liked best, or combine ideas to make your own. Then practice, practice, practice!

Mach said:

Why do we call the eggplant by that name?

This curious comestible (actually a fruit, but eaten as a vegetable) probably has more names in varieties of the English language than any other. That’s because it has been cultivated for a very long time and it has been widely transmitted across the world from its heartland in eastern and southern Asia (the Arabs introduced it to Spain from India as early as the eighth century AD, and the Persians took it to Africa).

The name of eggplant was given it by Europeans in the middle of the eighteenth century because the variety they knew had fruits that were the shape and size of goose eggs. That variety also had fruits that are a whitish or yellowish colour rather than the wine purple that is more familiar to us nowadays. So the sort they knew really did look as though it had fruits like eggs.

In Britain, it is usually called an aubergine, a name which was borrowed through French and Catalan from its Arabic name al-badinjan. That word had reached Arabic through Persian from the Sanskrit vatimgana, which indicates how long it has been cultivated in India. In India, it has in the past been called brinjal, a word which comes from the same Arabic source as British aubergine, but filtered through Portuguese (the current term among English speakers in India is either the Hindi baingan, or aubergine). Some people in the southern states of the US still know it as Guinea squash, a name that commemorates its having been brought there from West Africa in the eighteenth century.

Of these names, eggplant is the easiest to say and remember, but its prosaic descriptiveness lacks the romance and sense of history that is attached to the others.

Holy crap, eggplant is a fruit?? I never even knew that.

I absolutely eggplant parmesan. I like the eggplant when it's crispy, not soggy. For some reason, soggy eggplant just does not taste good to me.

Strangely, I used to HATE, HATE, HATE eggplant. Boogerplant was more like it. I decided to try it again (because I was at somebody elses house who went to the effort of making vegetarian dishes) and damn if I didn't really enjoy it. But I figured out right away that a major reason for that was that they didn't cook it until it became a slimey mess.

I used to hate cucumbers, too, but now enjoy them in salads and with falafel. Still can't stand okra in, or on, ANYTHING!

Cerebus said:

Strangely, I used to HATE, HATE, HATE eggplant. Boogerplant was more like it. I decided to try it again (because I was at somebody elses house who went to the effort of making vegetarian dishes) and damn if I didn't really enjoy it. But I figured out right away that a major reason for that was that they didn't cook it until it became a slimey mess.

I used to hate cucumbers, too, but now enjoy them in salads and with falafel. Still can't stand okra in, or on, ANYTHING!

okra

ZombieKitten said

okra

Ew. I've tried it SOOO many different ways. Just can't stand it. Blech.

Cerebus said:

ZombieKitten said

okra

Ew. I've tried it SOOO many different ways. Just can't stand it. Blech.

I love it every way I've had it!

Baba Ganoush is an AMAZING Egyptian dip my grandma makes....it's kinda like hummus only made with grilled eggplant and tahini. Ever tried it? With some warm pita bread....

Just the sight of okra...

I've never eaten it and there's a bag of frozen okra (don't ask me how it got there) in our freezer.

I am frightened of it.

SherryJackson said:

Baba Ganoush is an AMAZING Egyptian dip my grandma makes....it's kinda like hummus only made with grilled eggplant and tahini. Ever tried it? With some warm pita bread....

Major Yummmmm

Cerebus said:

Strangely, I used to HATE, HATE, HATE eggplant. Boogerplant was more like it. I decided to try it again (because I was at somebody elses house who went to the effort of making vegetarian dishes) and damn if I didn't really enjoy it. But I figured out right away that a major reason for that was that they didn't cook it until it became a slimey mess.

I used to hate cucumbers, too, but now enjoy them in salads and with falafel. Still can't stand okra in, or on, ANYTHING!

You should try it Italian style, as caponata on crostini, or in a pasta dish.

ZombieKitten said:

Cerebus said:

Strangely, I used to HATE, HATE, HATE eggplant. Boogerplant was more like it. I decided to try it again (because I was at somebody elses house who went to the effort of making vegetarian dishes) and damn if I didn't really enjoy it. But I figured out right away that a major reason for that was that they didn't cook it until it became a slimey mess.

I used to hate cucumbers, too, but now enjoy them in salads and with falafel. Still can't stand okra in, or on, ANYTHING!

okra

(the part)

johnart said:

Just the sight of okra...

I've never eaten it and there's a bag of frozen okra (don't ask me how it got there) in our freezer.

I am frightened of it.

Face your fears. Fry it up nice 'n crisp, and eat the hell out of it. Just don't boil it--it looks like slugs in snot if you do.

Poiple said:

johnart said:

Just the sight of okra...

I've never eaten it and there's a bag of frozen okra (don't ask me how it got there) in our freezer.

I am frightened of it.

Face your fears. Fry it up nice 'n crisp, and eat the hell out of it. Just don't boil it--it looks like slugs in snot if you do.

Does it get breaded then deep fried?

You didn't just now help with the slug reference BTW.

johnart said:

Poiple said:

Face your fears. Fry it up nice 'n crisp, and eat the hell out of it. Just don't boil it--it looks like slugs in snot if you do.

Does it get breaded then deep fried?

You didn't just now help with the slug reference BTW.

Yes, cut in 1/4" pieces and roll in a roughly equal mix of flour and corn meal. Make sure the grease is plenty hot. Fry until brown. Yeah, don't even look at it boiled.

Here's one I like and I posted for you to try

Iman Bayeldi

2 medium-to-small eggplants (about 3/4 lb. each)

3 tablespoons olive oil (or more)

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves plus 2 pinches

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Cut off strips of peel lengthwise at 1-inch intervals, leaving strips of peel intact. On the flat side, make several deep slashes in the eggplant flesh but don't cut all the way through. Salt the cut eggplant and let it drain in the colander for 30 minutes. Rinse, squeeze out any excess moisture, and pat dry.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Brown the flat side of the eggplants in the hot oil and place eggplant halves in a baking dish, flat side up.

Saute the onion and garlic in the same oil (adding another tbsp. if necessary) until they are softened but not brown. Add the tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, and salt and pepper to your taste. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the tomatoes are reduced to a sauce consistency. Spoon the sauce over the eggplant halves, pressing it into the slashes. Sprinkle each half with additional thyme.

preheat the oven to 400 F.

Put enough water in the pan to come halfway up the sides of the eggplant. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and cinnamon stick to the water. Cover tightly. If you are using foil as a cover, tent it so that the foil doesn't touch the eggplant.

Bake for 1 hour. Let cool in the pan juices. With a large slotted spatula, remove the eggplant halves to a serving dish.

Serve thick slices at room temperature.

johnart said:

PunkMistress said:

thejason said:

I really have nothing to add...I just wonder why its called an EGGplant...

Maybe because they're shaped like eggs?

PaisleyPark5083, we expect photos or at least a report on how it turned out!

My eggplant parmigiana was a complete success!!! Thanks everyone! I even had some for breakfast this morning. : )

It came out crispy, not oily or soggy. My 7 year old daughter Kelly, who had never even thought of trying eggplant (before she saw mom so gun-ho about it) declared it her favorite dinner ever!

She was eating it as fast as I could fry it, before the sauce and cheese even! Everyone else in my family: husband, son and even my 17 year old daughter loved it. The only one in the family who said it was "gross" was my daughter Michelle (12) But then again, her eating menu is very limited to, hot dogs, pizza, spaghetti and pasta with only butter.

I love having a new "go to" recipe on my plate!!

Cerebus said:

If you are going to pan fry, regardless of what you do to the eggplant, be sure your pan AND oil are hot enough at the start. It sounds like that could be part of your problem.

As far as breading goes, everybody is going to have a different suggestion (like, I've been on the most serious Panko kick lately - using it to bread everything). Hit the internet and look at a lot of recipes. Find the flavors and techniques that sound best and most comfortable to you. Follow the single recipes you liked best, or combine ideas to make your own. Then practice, practice, practice!

Yes, as Erin had mentioned to me earlier, my temperature of oil was too low, so I was soakiing up oil like a mad woman.

I have seen Panko on the shelf before but never tried it, I will give it a try. I used seasoned Itallian breadcrumbs.

PaisleyPark5083 said:

PunkMistress said:

Maybe because they're shaped like eggs?

PaisleyPark5083, we expect photos or at least a report on how it turned out!

My eggplant parmigiana was a complete success!!! Thanks everyone! I even had some for breakfast this morning. : )

It came out crispy, not oily or soggy. My 7 year old daughter Kelly, who had never even thought of trying eggplant (before she saw mom so gun-ho about it) declared it her favorite dinner ever!

She was eating it as fast as I could fry it, before the sauce and cheese even! Everyone else in my family: husband, son and even my 17 year old daughter loved it. The only one in the family who said it was "gross" was my daughter Michelle (12) But then again, her eating menu is very limited to, hot dogs, pizza, spaghetti and pasta with only butter.

I love having a new "go to" recipe on my plate!!

SUCCESS!!!

Now I have a craving for eggplant parmesan. All this talk about it has made me hungry!

psychodelicide said:

Now I have a craving for eggplant parmesan. All this talk about it has made me hungry!

Basically!

*stomach growl*

thejason said:

Oh God, it's ALIVE!!!

Efan said:

Genesia said:

Here's how I make eggplant parmesan.

Step one: Walk past the eggplant.

Step two: Go straight to the meat department and buy a pound of veal cutlets.

This is the winningest post that ever did win.

But to answer your question, I don't bread my eggplant either. It's usually grilled for a few minutes (about half inch slices) for me with olive oil s&p, then I dice it up for sauce or to make an eggplant bruschetta or whatever.

My mom has been known to broil it, but not sure how she does.

etifaim said:

psychodelicide said:

Now I have a craving for eggplant parmesan. All this talk about it has made me hungry!

Basically!

*stomach growl*

PaisleyPark5083 said:

Cerebus said:

If you are going to pan fry, regardless of what you do to the eggplant, be sure your pan AND oil are hot enough at the start. It sounds like that could be part of your problem.

Yes, as Erin had mentioned to me earlier, my temperature of oil was too low, so I was soakiing up oil like a mad woman.

I have seen Panko on the shelf before but never tried it, I will give it a try. I used seasoned Itallian breadcrumbs.

Oh cool! I swear I skimmed the thread looking to see if somebody else had mentioned that. Next time I'll actually read it. Glad the family loved it, though.

I'm shredding cabbage, carrots, scallions, ginger, garlic and water chestnuts for mu shu vegetables! I'm trying to decide whether I'll make the pancakes, or be lazy and warm up some tortillas.

PunkMistress said:

I'm shredding cabbage, carrots, scallions, ginger, garlic and water chestnuts for mu shu vegetables! I'm trying to decide whether I'll make the pancakes, or be lazy and warm up some tortillas.

You can buy the pancakes ya know? Do you eat yours with a plum sauce?

Cerebus said:

PunkMistress said:

I'm shredding cabbage, carrots, scallions, ginger, garlic and water chestnuts for mu shu vegetables! I'm trying to decide whether I'll make the pancakes, or be lazy and warm up some tortillas.

You can buy the pancakes ya know? Do you eat yours with a plum sauce?

I know, I considered going to the store since I don't have plum, hoisin, pancakes OR mushrooms, but it's late and it's a work night and I'm hungry. Plus I like to be all frugal pioneer woman and work with what I've got. Chris calls me Depression Annie because I save aluminum foil and vegetable scraps and toenail clippings. I'm lying about that last one.