CHAPTER VI 



VEGETABLES 



Egg Plant 



{Solanum melongena) 



Tins is the Brinjal (Hindustani) ; Klia-yan (Burmah) ; 

 Kia (China) ; Trong (Malay) ; Kuthirekai, etc. (Tamil) : 

 Chiri-vanga, etc. (Telegu) ; Bengan (West Africa) ; Ber- 

 ingela (Brazil) ; Yalanghanna, or Garden Egg (Jamaica) ; 

 Tongu (Angola, West Africa) ; Macumba (Congo, West 

 Africa) ; Berengena (Venezuela) ; and Gauta (Haussa, West 

 Africa). 



There are two principal varieties, one with fruit the size 

 of a large orange, and shaped like an Qgg ; and the other 

 more the form of a cucumber. Both are of a fine deep 

 purple colour. In Bengal the seeds are sown at the 

 beginning of the rains, and planted out \h feet apart. 

 The soil should be a sandy loam, and not too rich, 

 otherwise too much foliage is produced. 



This vegetable is much eaten throughout the tropic.^. It 

 is roasted in hot ashes, the skin removed, and mashfd with 

 salt, peppers, lime-juice or oil ; or cut into slices and fried 

 in oil ; or pickled when young and tender in oil, pepper, 

 and salt. It is sometimes par-boiled to take off the outer 

 skin, which is rather bitter, and then fried in oil. 



