Nightshade

Appears in
On Food and Cooking

By Harold McGee

Published 2004

  • About

Nightshade is a relative of the potato, Solanum torvum, which grows into a small and short-lived tree. It’s a native of the West Indies, but is now found throughout tropical Asia. Its small berry-like fruits are intensely bitter, and are used in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia to contribute just that quality to sauces and salads.