“You shouldn’t eat aubergines raw” is a piece of advice many have heard. We explain what’s behind it and whether you really shouldn’t eat aubergines raw.

Eat aubergines raw – yes or no?

The aubergine belongs to the nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes and potatoes. Eggplants produce the toxin solanine, a weak neurotoxin. In small amounts, solanine usually has no noticeable consequences. But if you eat a lot of raw eggplant, the solanine can lead to headaches, gastrointestinal problems and vomiting. According to the German Society for Nutrition, even more serious health consequences are possible.

Since the proportion of bitter substances at the base of the aubergine and in unripe aubergines is higher, many doctors warn against eating raw aubergines. Nowadays, however, aubergines themselves are hardly toxic even when they are raw, since the toxins only occur in extremely small doses in modern cultivations.

Raw eggplants don’t taste good

In principle, it is possible to eat ripe aubergines raw. Nevertheless, it is not recommended because the raw vegetables taste very bitter and are not tasty.

Despite modern breeding, you should make sure that your eggplant is really ripe before you eat it. This is how you minimize the toxins. You can recognize the inedible parts by the green color – just like with potatoes and tomatoes.

You can see whether an aubergine is ripe by these characteristics:
the skin is smooth and shiny,
the peel is easy to dent and the flesh underneath is relatively soft,
the flesh is white on the inside and not green.
To draw the bitter juices out of the eggplant, it’s often recommended to soak the raw eggplant in salted water and pat dry before baking/roasting. In terms of health, this is no longer necessary thanks to modern breeding. But it’s still worth it, because the eggplant absorbs less fat and is healthier.

Eggplants are starting to appear in our markets, and gourmets are in a hurry to seize the moment when the vegetable is available for sale. Eggplants contain vitamins C, B, B2, PP, carotene, as well as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron, this vegetable is good for the brain. What do you know about Eggplant?

1. Eggplants are included in national cuisines all over the world – from China to America.
2. In some countries, eggplants are eaten raw because they retain more nutrients in their raw state.
3. When cooking, eggplants significantly decrease in volume, losing liquid, so you should definitely take this fact into account if you are thinking of a dish from these vegetables.
4. Eggplants are eaten with or without the peel. It is believed that the peel is completely indigestible by our body, so it is better to remove the excess load for the stomach.
5. Eggplant looks very harmonious as part of vegetable stews and sautés, as it combines with seasonal vegetables in the best possible way – tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini. Eggplant is an excellent side dish for fish and meat, and also tolerates the neighborhood with fermented milk products – cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese.
6. There are many types of eggplant, but the most useful are narrow oblong fruits with almost black skin.
7. Overripe eggplants are undesirable for consumption, as they contain a poisonous substance – solanine.
8. Eggplants go well with spices such as basil, garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, cumin, coriander, tarragon.
9. Eating eggplants can lower blood cholesterol levels, improve heart function, and solve problems of the intestines, liver, and kidneys.
10. Eggplants relieve swelling and normalize the water-salt balance in the body, remove salts.
11. In Europe, eggplants began to be eaten in the 15th century, but their industrial cultivation began much later, only in the 19th century.