Eggplant

Species name: Solanum melongena

The eggplant, or aubergine, belongs to the Solanaceae family; also known as nightshade and is closely related to the tomato and potato. Native to India, the plant grows 16 to 57 inches (40 to 145 cm) tall with white to purple flowers and yellow stamens. Botanicafty classified as a berry; the eggplant contains numerous small, soft seeds. These seeds are edible but can be quite bitter because they contain small amounts of nicotinoid alkaloids, which isn’t surprising since the eggplant is a close relative of tobacco.