Description
Belonging in the same family of the tomato, Ethiopia eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) is native to the country under multiple names. The most typical English terms include Ethiopian eggplant, mock tomato, bitter tomato or Ethiopian nightshade. It differs from the typical eggplant (aubergine or Solanum melongena) in that the fruits are ribbed and are more rounded than lengthy. It also has some features of the tomato, and thus the name.
The plant may have originated in Ethiopia on unknown dates. However, some sources claim that it reached Europe where it is still under cultivation from the East African highlands, through colonialists in the 1800s. It has gone on to become as popular as aubergine or the common eggplant.
We source the vegetable from Tigray in northern Ethiopia and most other parts of the country. The locals use Ethiopia eggplant for culinary purposes. The green leaf has higher nutritional attributes than the more popular fruit. Though people eat it raw, it commonly features in dishes for both the fruit and the leaves. It provides quite high carotene levels for sight improvement.
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