Eggplant is a semitropical/tropical plant originating in Asia and India. Eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae (tomato) family and is related to tomato, pepper, and Irish potato. Traders from the East brought seed westward about 1,500 years ago. The name eggplant likely originated from an early form of eggplant that produced white, egg-shaped fruits. Before it gained in culinary popularity, eggplant was also termed "mala insana," which translates to "mad apple," owing to the belief that eating eggplant would lead to madness. By the 1860s, seed catalogues in the United States listed several varieties of eggplants.

Nutritionally, eggplant is not a significant source of vitamins or minerals; however, there are only 25 calories per 100 grams of raw eggplant and 19 calories per 100 grams of cooked eggplant.