Scientific Name: Solanum melongena

Common Names: Eggplant 'Rosa Bianca', Aubergine, Melongene, Guinea Squash, Brinjal

Family: SOLANACEAE (Tomato & Nightshade)

Etymology

Solaum: Solace, Sleep
melongena: Mad Apple; Latin

Origin

Although most edible Solanaceae family members are of Meso and South-American heritage, Eggplant is an exception and is actually Indian in origin.  Rosa Bianca Eggplant is an Italian heirloom cultivar which have become popular with heirloom vegetable enthusiasts and chefs alike due to their interesting coloration, mild flavour and creamy flesh.

Description

Rosa Bianca Eggplants produce roundish fruit 10cm in diameter with broad, attractive pale purple and white striations.  This fruit of this variety are produced in abundance and have little bitterness and few seeds.

Uses

For best eating quality, pick eggplants when they are still slightly immature, the few seeds within should still be light in colour and soft.  This variety has little in the way of bitterness and because of this is extremely versatile and suitable for baking, frying, roasting, grilling as well as adding to stir-fries, curries, casseroles and stews.  This variety is a favourite for cooking Eggplant Parmisiana.

Germination

Sow Rosa Bianca Eggplant seed from September to January, except in tropical regions where they can be sown from May to July.  This variety can be very difficult to grow in cool regions, if you live in a cold area and still want to give them a shot start the seeds early indoors and plant into the garden once you are sure there is no more chance of frost as eggplant require a long growing season.  Sow seed 6mm deep and spaced about 50cm apart.

Cultivation

This variety takes 11 to 13 weeks until harvest.  Picking fruit as soon as they are ready will encourage more flowers to be produced by the plant.  The number of fruit per plant can be increased by tip pruning the bushes when they reach 20cm in height to encourage branching.  Eggplant can topple over in heavy winds so it's a good idea to support them by tying them securely onto a stake.

Young Rosa Bianca Eggplant plant.

Eggplant 'Rosa Bianca' flower unfolding, the yellow stamens are inside the flower out of view.

A fully open, Rosa Bianca Eggplant Flower.  Not all flowers will open fully like this one has.