Eggplant

An eggplant or aubergine is either of two species of nightshade, Solanum melongena and S. esculentum, bearing large pendulous purple or white edible fruit.

 

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Although aubergine is the (British) English name given to this fruit, it is often invoked to describe other objects with a dark plum-colour. This name comes from the French Aubergine, derived from Catalan albergínia, from Arabic al-bAdhinjAn, the eggplant

The word "melongena" is from the Sanskrit "vatinganah", which has produced a number of names for this plant in various languages: brinjal, badingan, melongena, melenzana, berenjena, albergínia, aubergine, brown-jolly, and mad-apple (misinterpretation of Italian "melenzana" as "mela insana").

See Moussaka (Greek cuisine), Mutabal (Lebanese cuisine), Escalivada (Catalan cuisine), Caviar d'Aubergine (French Provencal Cuisine)