A member of the nightshade family, eggplant counts tomatoes, potatoes and peppers as cousins. The only member of the Solanaceae family to come from the eastern hemisphere, eggplant was probably first cultivated in India 4000 years ago. The plant probably developed from one with tiny egg-shaped fruits and large spikes.

Thomas Jefferson grew eggplant he obtained from France in his garden at Monticello in Virginia. Today the heirloom garden there continues to grow an all-white, prickly variety.

The eggplant really took hold in countries bordering the Mediterranean. The Turks are said to have 1000 recipes for the fruit, and regularly cook about 40. Greeks, Egyptians and other peoples of the Middle East also feature the eggplant as daily fare. Southern Italians revel in eggplant parmigiana, while the French of the south favor ratatouille, a vegetable stew. Spicy eggplant dishes abound in the plant'shome country of India, as well as in China and Thailand.