[Nakati; Solanum aethiopicum]
Technically not an eggplant, but very closely related, this nightshade is native to Africa, though it has been taken to India and Southeast Asia as well as the Caribbean and South America. There are many cultivars and land races of this species which vary considerably in fruit size, shape and color.
[Diakhato, Jaxatu (Wolof (pronounced the same)); Aubergine Africaine
(French); khamen akhaba (Manipuri, India); Samtawk (Mizoram, India)]
These eggplants are well known in the markets of Senegal and elsewhere in West Africa. They are usually eaten green, but are bright orange when fully ripe. They are often made into sauces similar to tomato sauces. Subst: probably Thai Eggplants would be good, but they are rather less bitter. Photo by John Atherton distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v2.0 Generic.
Buying: In North America, seeds are available. Fresh eggplants are grown in North America but you will be very lucky to find them even on-line. Small fully orange ones on stems have been found in Los Angeles sold as decorative "pumpkin trees".
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[Solanum aethiopicum var gilo]
These eggplants are very popular in West Africa, particularly Nigeria. Most are white, but yellow and purple ones are also available. The leaves are also eaten (see Garden Egg Leaves below). Note that Gboma (Solanum macrocarpon) may also be called Garden Egg and used in the same ways, including the leaves. Photo by Michael Hermann distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.
Buying: In North America, seeds are available. Fresh eggplants are grown in North America for sale in African oriented markets, but availability is still rather scanty. They are more common in the Caribbean.
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[Garden Eggs, Bitter Balls, Solanum aethiopicum var gilo]
This variety is from Liberia in West Africa. They can be Eaten raw, but have a strong raw eggplant taste and are noticeably bitter. Cooked when white, they have a moderately sweet herbal taste, with mild bitterness. Cut in half, they are fully tender simmered 10 minutes, and have very thin skins which are edible. They are most often simmered with seasonings into sauces simalarly to tomato sauces. When fully ripe, they are bright red, but not very edible, filled with hard seeds. My plants were prolific in their first year, but produced very small eggplants. The photo specimens are from the second year, and of a much more useful size. The largest was 1.6 inches diamter and 1 inch high, weighting 3/4 ounce.
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[Solanum aethiopicum var gilo]
This is a variety popular in Central Africa. They can be eaten raw, but are most often cooked into sauces. Photo by T.K. Naliaka distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v4.0 International.
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[Scarlet Eggplant; Solanum aethiopicum var gilo]
This variety is grown in great quantity in Brazil, especially in Bahia State which has a large population descended from African slaves. Photo by Brocco distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v2.0 Generic.
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[Solanum aethiopicum var gilo]
Young Garden Egg Leaves are a popular green in West Africa and are quite nutritious, though fairly bitter. Leaves are always cooked, either as a side dish or included in soups and stews. The bitter flavor comes from toxic alkaloids, so it is recommended to not over-indulge in this plant, though cooking does reduce the toxins. Photo by Marco Schmidt distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v3.0 Unported.
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