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Eggplant Myths and Facts Explained

Eggplant is often misunderstood as a vegetable, but it is actually a fruit that is low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium while providing many important nutrients. While some myths suggested eggplant could cause insanity or be poisonous, it is a very healthy food. While raw eggplant may have a bitter taste, not all varieties require salting before cooking. Smaller, immature eggplants are generally best as they have softer seeds and are less bitter than larger varieties.

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Genmar Morgia Frayna
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61 views2 pages

Eggplant Myths and Facts Explained

Eggplant is often misunderstood as a vegetable, but it is actually a fruit that is low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium while providing many important nutrients. While some myths suggested eggplant could cause insanity or be poisonous, it is a very healthy food. While raw eggplant may have a bitter taste, not all varieties require salting before cooking. Smaller, immature eggplants are generally best as they have softer seeds and are less bitter than larger varieties.

Uploaded by

Genmar Morgia Frayna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nutritious eggplant is a misunderstood

veggie ... er ... fruit

Eggplant is low in fat, cholesterol and sodium, and contains nutrients invaluable for
good health. Shahla Khan, a senior adjunct professor in the Department of Nutrition and
Dietetics at the University of North Florida, discusses myths and facts about this fruit.

MYTH: Eggplant is a vegetable

FACT: While it’s generally thought of as a vegetable, eggplant is actually a fruit. The
eggplant, aubergine, melongene, brinjal or guinea squash is a plant of the family
Solanaceae. Eggplant is grown for its usually egg-shaped fleshy fruit and is eaten as a cooked
vegetable. Some even consider it a berry.

MYTH: Consuming eggplant causes insanity and can be poisonous

FACT: Because eggplant is a member of the nightshade family, people thought the purple
bulb variety was associated with the mandrake plant and was poisonous, and if you ate it,
you would go insane. Some people also thought nightshade vegetables were harmful
because they confused them with “deadly nightshade,” an inedible weed that’s also part of
the Solanaceae family. Historically, deadly nightshade has been associated with witchcraft.
When ingested in large amounts, it’s believed to cause convulsions or even death. But that
has nothing to do with eggplant.

MYTH: Eggplant always has to be salted before cooking to remove its bitter taste.

FACT: The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter taste. Salting and then rinsing the sliced
fruit (“disgorging”) may soften and remove some of the bitterness. Some varieties of
eggplant do not need this treatment, because they are far less bitter. The fruit is capable of
absorbing large amounts of cooking fats, and the salting process may reduce the amount of
oil absorbed.
MYTH: Eggplant contains some unhealthful compounds.

FACT: The health benefits of this nightshade fruit far outweigh any risks. Eggplants
contain many nutrients that are invaluable to health. Potassium, manganese, copper,
vitamins B1, B3 and B6, folate, magnesium and tryptophan, to mention just a few. In
addition to those nutrients, eggplants are low in sodium, fat and cholesterol, and one cup of
cooked eggplant has about 30 calories. Eggplants also contain phytochemicals that enhance
health.

MYTH: When purchasing eggplant, the bigger the better

FACT: Smaller, immature eggplants are best. Their seeds will be softer, and they are less
likely to be bitter. Eggplants are very perishable and get bitter with age. They should have
firm, taut, smooth and shiny skins. Once the skin starts to wrinkle or you feel and see soft
brown spots, the quality of the eggplant has lessened. Large, oversize eggplants may be
tough, seedy and bitter.

Source: https://www.jacksonville.com/article/20110217/entertainment/801257059

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