We sometimes forget that many of our local vegetables did not in fact originate from this region but travelled great distances before arriving in the South Pacific.
The delectable, yet mystical eggplant is known by many names including aubergine (Europe), brinjal (South Asia and South Africa), baigan (Indian) and some quite unflattering ones too. When it wasn’t being compared with a swan’s egg, the eggplant was sometimes referred to as a “mad apple,” no doubt because it belongs to the nightshade family which has long been known to include many highly toxic plants.
Legend has it that the eggplant would make the eater go mad. The tomato and potato, by the way, are also members of the same nightshade family, and both were similarly viewed with suspicion when they were introduced to Europe from the New World. In Italian to this day, the eggplant is a melanzana, from the Latin mala insana, or “apple of insanity”. It would take centuries for people to accept the delights of eggplant, but not before many emperors and kings put pressure on their royal chefs to find new ways to enjoy the exotic fruit.
* THE CHINESE CONNECTION
Many food historians believe the eggplant may have its origins in India, but early written accounts from a 5th century Chinese record on agriculture, indicate its early cultivation in China. Southeast Asia is also considered as a possible place of the eggplant’s origin because of the many varieties found there. Some confusion exists about the date of the Chinese references. Some give the date as 500 BCE, while others claim it was the 5th century CE. In an old culinary scripture called Vegetables of Ancient China, its records indicate China was growing eggplant in vegetable gardens from 500 BCE, more than 2500 years ago, however, they may not have considered it an edible until the second century BCE. As eggplant migrated throughout Asia, round shapes as well as slender elongated fruits were developed along with a variety of colours of purple and white. The Koreans, too, were enjoying eggplant since ancient times.
A look at Chinese, South East Asian and Korean/Japanese cuisine sees eggplant used quite commonly and cleverly, with a variety of different sauces and marinades cooked steamed, braised, stuffed and fried that can easily fill an entire cookbook of eggplant dishes. Like a lot of Asian cultivated plants, eggplant was also recognised for its medicinal properties including the prevention of many of today’s modern diseases but especially it’s anti-aging properties. In Nadi, you must try the stir fried eggplant at Chong Qing Garden Restaurant (Queens Rd, Martintar). Along with their many other local vegetable dishes, this is one dish I could have with just steamed rice as the chef serves it hot with a touch of Sichuan spice.
* AUBERGINE ARRIVES IN EUROPE
Eggplant arrived on the European scene when the Moors invaded Spain during the 8th century. The Italians encountered the fruit through trading with the Arabs about the 13th century. What the Europeans saw with the first arrivals of eggplant were egg-shaped fruits that were either purple, white, or yellow. Before the fruit was accepted as an edible food, it was grown only for its appealing ornamental qualities and sat proudly on a table until it rot.
Throughout the 1500’s Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought the eggplant to Central and North America during their many voyages. The fruit readily adapted to its new environment and flourished in the warm climates. Along with eggplant, the Spanish introduced onions, garlic, carrots, turnips, lentils, peaches, cherries, oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit when they set up colonies in Mexico. While the 16th century Spanish explorers enjoyed the new foods they encountered in the Caribbean, they also missed their familiar diet. Subsequent ships came to the Islands bringing their favourite foods, including eggplant. The slave trade also brought the fruit to the Islands from Africa. Heat loving plants such as eggplant thrived and became familiar additions to the Caribbean gardens.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, English, Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese explorers sailed to distant lands and discovered fruits and vegetables that they had never seen or eaten before.
When they returned to their homelands with these new foods, some were readily accepted, many were not. Eggplant’s nightshade connections rendered it a food of suspicious nature but today you can see its wide repertoire of recipes that have evolved over centuries including fritters, salads, dips and tapas.
* THE FRUIT OF A FRENCH KING
Louis XIV, King of France during the 1600s, took great interest in impressing diners at his royal table with new plant foods and was the first in France to introduce eggplant into his garden. Eggplant did not excite the King’s guests at first. The fruit was actually discouraged at that time as some believed that eating eggplant caused fever and epilepsy. No doubt the king ordered his royal chefs to create new recipes to show off this exotic fruit and today the aubergine, as eggplant is commonly known in Europe, sits proudly amongst some of the classic French foods including the pork and anchovy stuffed aubergine farci, ratatouille and layered tians.
* AMERICAN PRESIDENT EMBRACES EGGPLANT
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the US, was an avid gardener and one who sought every opportunity to introduce new plants into his enormous collection through European seed imports during the 1700s.
Eggplant was one of many exotic food plants he welcomed into his impressive, estate garden in Monticello. Though eggplant was little known in the average American household of the mid 1800s, it was one of the 17th President Andrew Johnson’s favourite foods, especially Stuffed Eggplant Spanish Style. Prepared for intimate gatherings, the eggplant was first halved and the flesh chopped. The stuffing was a combination of tomatoes, onions, breadcrumbs, and celery, and seasoned with basil butter, salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar.
Before they were served, the eggplants were garnished with overlapping fresh tomato slices and a strip of grilled bacon. With the arrival of Chinese and Italian immigrants to the US during the late 1800s, eggplant’s popularity and acceptance grew. Formal functions at the US White House frequently included eggplant on the menu including an eggplant salad, west coast style, consisting of eggplant slices that were first baked, then marinated in a mixture of mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Pick Me Up and chilli sauces. These were presented in a lettuce-lined bowl and garnished with chopped hard-cooked eggs. The eggplant had finally arrived to America.
So the next time you look uninterested at the humble baigan, think about how far this fruit has travelled throughout history and the number of conquerors, emperors, kings and presidents who have promoted its use which allowed it to travel to the corners of the world; including Fiji. If they hadn’t, we might still be just hanging it from the roof or Christmas tree as a decoration.
* Lance Seeto is the executive chef at Fiji’s first island beach club, Malamala Beach Club. www.malamalabeachclub.com
