Baba Ghanoush, Eggplant Parmesan, Ratatouille… anyway you slice it or dice it, prepared eggplant becomes a jackpot of deliciousness in many cultures, and is full of unsuspecting surprises!

Native to southern India and Sri Lanka, the eggplant is in the night-shade family; cexercise/>losely related to the tomato and potato. During its immature growth stage however, the eggplant can not be eaten because it contains toxins called solanine that causes gastrointestinal upset and other illnesses. Don’t worry… Dominicks, Safeway, and Publix only buy the mature ones that won’t kill you.

Nutritionally speaking, eggplant is effective in the treatment of high blood cholesterol. A cup of cooked eggplant contains a mere 35 calories, 0g fat, 0mg sodium, and 2.5g of fiber. Wow. That being said, it usually tastes pretty awful unless you pour the entire salt shaker and bottle of oil on to cook it! To keep the calories lower in eggplant preparations, try to cook it without oil. Instead, use broth, wine, lemon juice, or vegetable juice for flavoring.

And get this…eggplant is richer in nicotine than any other edible plant, with a concentration of 0.01mg/100g! Ok, so the amount of nicotine from eggplant or any other food is negligible compared to passive smoking, but hey. If you are going to get some nicotine, you might as well get a nutrition punch while you’re at it.

Next time someone asks you for a light, give them some eggplant parmesan intead.