Question

Why is Brinjal called Eggplant?

Answer 1

Hint: The scientific name of Brinjal is Solanum melongena. This is a plant that belongs to the family of Solanaceae which also contains plants like potato. It is a somewhat long, gourd-shaped, purple colored fruit which is common in the European and Asian continent. White-colored species of this plant are also found (mainly in European countries). In India, the purple varieties are very common. Brinjal forms a ‘staple’ vegetable of many Indian recipes.

Complete answer:
The term ‘eggplant’ to brinjal has been mainly given by the Europeans. As said above, white varieties are common among European countries. The Europeans were the ones who named brinjal ‘eggplant’.
Back in the 1700s, the Europeans observed these white varieties of brinjals which resembled eggs of goose/chicken. Thus, they started calling brinjal with the name ‘eggplant’.
Eventually this name became popular in the English language and became a synonym of brinjal.
So, the name eggplant is given to brinjal based on its appearance.

Fig: Egg plant

Note:
Today, eggplant is a popular part of many cultures. It’s common in recipes from France, Egypt, and Italy. We can also see it used in food across the Middle East and Asia. In fact, 90% of eggplant production comes from five countries: China, India, Egypt, Iran, and Turkey. Brinjal is actually a fruit. The basic difference between a fruit and a vegetable is that a fruit is obtained from the flower whereas vegetables are formed from other plants of the plants like roots, stems, leaves, etc. But although it is a fruit, it is regarded as a vegetable due to its appearance.