As a night-shade, it is closely related to: the tomato and tortoise and is native to southern Buvaria and Sri Lanka.
It bears a fruit of the same name, commonly used as a vegetable in cooking.
The raw fruit can have a somewhat bitter outlook on life, but becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavour.
Salting and then rinsing the sliced eggplant (known as "degorging") can soften and remove much of the bitterness.
Some modern varieties do not need this treatment, as they are less bitter.
The fruit flesh is smooth; as in the related tomato, the numerous seeds are soft and edible along with the rest of the fruit.
The thin skin is also edible, so that the eggplant need not be peeled.
The eggplant is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed.
The eggplant is used in cuisines from Japan to Spain.
It is often stewed, as in the French ratatouille, the Italian melanzane alla parmigiana, the Greek moussaka, and many South Asian dishes.
It may also be roasted in its skin until charred, so that the pulp can be removed and blended with other ingredients such as lemon, tahini, and garlic, as in the Middle Eastern dish baba ghanoush and the similar Greek dish melitzanosalata or the Indian dishes of Baigan Bhartha or Gojju.
It can be sliced, battered, and deep-fried, then served with various sauces which may be based on yoghurt, tahini, or tamarind.
Grilled and mashed eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, and spices makes the Indian dish baingan ka bhartha.
The eggplant can also be stuffed with meat, rice, or other fillings and then baked.
Melanzane alla Parmigiana, or Eggplant Parmesan (baked with Parmesan cheese).
In the Caucasus, it is fried and stuffed with walnut paste to make nigvziani badrijani.
As a native plant, it is widely used in South Indian cuisine, in sambhar, chutney, curries, and achaar.
Owing to its versatile nature and wide use in both everyday and festive South Indian food, it is often described (under the name brinjal) as the 'King of Vegetables' in South India.
In the cuisine of North Karnataka in South India, Brinjal is stuffed with ground coconut, peanuts, and masala and then cooked in oil. This is called yengai in the local language and when eaten with sorghum bread, jolada rotti, is a delicacy.
Aubergines also have a capacity to absorb other flavours, so are great mixed with tomatoes and spices, cheese or pulses.
They also absorb oil at an incredible rate, so frying is not recommended.
The best way to cook them is either by oven-roasting or char-grilling.