Eggplant

Eggplant, shivers.
Shivers, not in a good way.
I never really liked eggplant. My mom would sautee eggplant with ground beef, or make crispy eggplant tempura. I tried liking it, but I just didn't like the gooey sensation of something pretty bland, and eggplant just occupied precious space in my stomach that could have been occupied by something more satisfying... such as cashew chicken.

Recently, she made eggplant patties topped with thin beef patties. The dish was surprisingly delicious. I couldn't believe I actually enjoyed eating eggplant. I decided to do a background check on this purple vegetable before any further intimacy.

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Eggplants belong to the nightshade category of vegetables, which include potatoes, tomatoes, and sweet peppers. I am not sure what nightshade really means, but I do know that they grow off of vines, just like tomatoes. They are characterized by having glossy skin and a pleasantly bitter taste and spongy texture. (pleasantly bitter: bah humbug!)

The first ancestors of eggplant originated from India and were cultivated in China in 5th century BC. Then the vegetable spread to Africa, then to Italy, and finally to the West. Now the leading producers of eggplant are China, Turkey, Italy, Egypt, and Japan.

Although commonly used in a variety of dishes, eggplant did not always have such a good reputation. Because of its bitter taste, many European countries had developed early superstitions, such as eating eggplant may cause leprosy, cancer, or even insanity. Instead, it was first used as a garden plant and it was not until the 18th century that eggplant finally lost its bitter reputation.

Here is a nutritional profile of eggplant:

However, eggplant has a small amount of oxalates, which in high amounts, can crystallize and cause health problems. Therefore people who have kidney and gullbladder problems may want to avoid eating eggplant. Also, oxalates may also interfere with calcium absorption, so people who are trying to increase their calcium intake may want to avoid eggplant, and those are take calcium supplements may want to take them 2-3 hours before or after eating eggplant.

Yum, eggplant!