Eggplant is a semitropical/tropical plant originating in China and India that exists in an astonishing array of shapes and sizes. More than 100 eggplant varieties are available in the United States. Eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae (tomato) family and is related to tomato, pepper, and Irish potato. Traders from the East brought seed westward to Europe about 1,500 years ago. The name eggplant likely originated from an early form of eggplant that produced white, egg-shaped fruits. Before it gained in culinary popularity, eggplant was also termed mala insana, which translates to mad apple, owning to the belief that eating eggplant would lead to madness.
While there are over a thousand varieties of eggplant, only a handful are familiar to most Americans. Most are familiar with the deep, dark purple oblong or pear-shaped fruit. Eggplant can also be red, white, pink, green, orange, striped and speckled in appearance. The fruit can weigh over 2 pounds or be smaller than a marble in size. It can also take a wide variety of forms including long and slender, globe-shaped, cylindric, oblong, C-shaped and elongate globular. The covering at the top of the fruit, called the calyx, can be either green or purple.

Choosing the Perfect Eggplant
Look for eggplants that are shiny, plump, firm, and unwrinkled, definitive signs of freshness. The fruit should feel heavy for its size, indicating good moisture content. Another indicator of freshness is the appearance of the stem or calyx. Make sure it is green and bright in color. Press gently with the thumb on the skin of the eggplant. If it is fresh, the skin will spring back quickly.
Older eggplants tend to have a bitter, acidic taste. Eggplants that appear soft, dull in color, and wrinkled are past their prime. If they have scars or bruises on the surface, the flesh  may be bruised and discolored inside. To avoid an overly seedy eggplant, select small (1 lb) and medium (1.5 lb) fruits rather than the giant-size (2 lb).
Storage Tips

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