Brinjal

According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture (2009), eggplant was harvested on over 2,900 farms in 2007, an increase of over 690 farms since 2002. However, acreage declined to 6,038 acres during those five years. The eggplant (Solanum melongena) was first grown some 4,000 years ago in Pakistan. Eggplant, or aubergine as it is known in some parts of the world, reportedly received its name in the past when white, egg-shaped varieties were more common. Although considered a vegetable, eggplant is actually, botanically speaking, a fruit related to the potato, tomato and bell pepper.