What is eggplant?

Find out how eggplant can support heart health and help control weight and blood cholesterol levels. Learn some tasty ways to serve it, too. read more

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) or aubergine is a species of nightshade grown for its edible fruit. Eggplant is the common name in North America, Australia and New Zealand; in British English, it is aubergine, and in South Asia and South Africa, brinjal. read more

One eggplant type is small, white, and looks a lot like an egg, another is long and skinny like a bean, while the "Toga" variety is yellow-orange with green stripes. But all of these hang suspended from tall plants that can reach several feet in height. read more

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family as are tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and sweet potatoes. As such, eggplant is technically a fruit. As with tomatoes and other of nightshade veggies there are a number of varieties of eggplant. read more