Eggplants from Around the World

According to Wikipedia, eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae (nightshades) family and is closely related to tomatoes and potatoes. It is native to Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. However, over hundred, if not thousands of years, many varieties of the eggplant have evolved, spreading over countries and contents. With these varieties have come different colors, shapes, textures, and shapes.

Below is an alphabetical listing of just a few of the different eggplant varieties from all over the world.

Arumugam's Eggplant originates in Tamil Nadu State in India, and produces green, lavender and white, sometimes striped fruit.

Bangladeshi Long originates in Bangladeshi, and has fruit that is purple-gray with darker purple streaks.

Cannibal Tomato, originating in Fiji and Tahiti, has shiny green and red bitter fruit. The uniqueness about this eggplant is its folklore, which is reported to have been made into a paste or sauce and used on a cannibal's food.

Diamond eggplant comes from the Ukraine and has slender, dark purple fruit.

Gbogname is native to Togo, West Africa. The beautiful green and yellow fruit has a bitter taste, but the tasty young green leaves are used in many dishes.

Jilo Tingua Verde Claro comes from Brazil. Its oblong fruit starts out green but turns reddish-orange as it matures.

Kazakhstan originated in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan and beautiful pale flowers that turn to dark purple, almost black looking fruit.

Lao Purple Stripe comes from Laos in Southeast Asia. Resembling a ping-pong ball, the fruit is light lavender with deep purple stripes.

Listada De Gandia is native to Spain and has fruit that is seven inches long and is white with shiny purple stripes.

Malaysian Dark Red eggplant looks just as its name. It comes from Malaysia and has long, slender fruit that violet in color.

Ping Tung comes from Ping Tung, Taiwan and has a sweet taste. The fruit is purple and grows up to 18 inches long.

Ronde De Valence originates in France and is named after the French city, Valence. About the size of a grape fruit, the fruit has a dark purple color.

Thai Purple Egg comes from Thailand and is shaped like an egg, thus its name, and has purple fruit.

Turkish Orange originates in Turkey and is a three inch round sweet tasting eggplant. It starts out green on the plant and turns to orange. Its taste is best when it is just starting to turn from green to a light orange color.

Udmalbet is another eggplant coming from the small village of Tamil in India. Like the Thai Purple Egg, it is also egg-shaped and is light green with purple streaks.

Sources: Personal Experience, Wikipedia, Veggie Gardening Tips