subject: The story of brinjal [print this page] The story of brinjal The story of brinjal
The brinjal or the common 'baingan' is a native of India. Called 'eggplant' by the English, the brinjal was first cultivated in the far eastern regions of Assam (north-eastern India) and Myanmar (Burma).
Westerners were introduced to the brinjal just about 1,500 years ago. The botanists of northern Europe, for some reason, named it, 'mala insana' or 'mad apple'. They thought eating it would make a person insane. Equally foolish was the idea in medieval Europe (5th-15th century) that brinjal had remarkable properties as a love potion.
Brinjals come in varying colours - from dark purple to red, green, yellowish or white (when it looks like an egg).
The Arabs introduced this vegetable in the Mediterranean region during the so called Dark Ages, or early Middle Ages. One of the oldest records about the brinjal is available in a Chinese book written in the 5th century A.D. The next oldest record of the 9th century A.D. comes from Arabia.
By the 12th century the Moors (dark-skinned Moslems of North Africa) had carried the brinjal to Spain in Western Europe. In northern Europe it was first mentioned by Albert of Cologne (now in Germany). The vegetable came to Germany from Naples (Italy) in 1550. People in Germany started growing the purple, yellow, white, brown and ash-coloured variety of brinjal.
A littlebefore 1650, Spaniards (from Spain), brought the brinjal to Brazil in South America from where it was carried to the United States of America. Right upto 1900 Americans hardly ate brinjals. Many varieties of brinjal were grown for ornamental purpose only. But in Japan, the brinjal ranks as the third most important vegetable after the sweet potato and radish.
Also known by the name, Aubergine and Guinea Squash, the brinjal figures prominently in such classic dishes as the Greek moussaka, Italian eggplant parmigiana and the West Asian relish called baba ganoush.
Elsewhere as in India, the brinjal is frequently served baked, grilled, fried, or boiled and is alsoused to decorate a dish of food and in stews (meat with vegetables).
