Daily Botanical: Wild Eggplant (Solanum torvum)

Dominica is often referred to as The Garden of Eden, which comes as no surprise since it seems that just about anything will grow here. No matter where I am on the island, whether it be on the coast or in the mountain rainforest interior, I often see wild foods growing.
I found this plant, a wild form of eggplant, growing along the road just around the corner from the cottage we are staying in. Wild growing pumpkins were sharing the same space. Apparently, these pea-sized eggplants are edible but very bitter tasting. I don’t think I’ll take a crack at cooking them this time around since I think it might take some experience and know-how to work with the bitterness.



December 28th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Interesting how plants can be related and (at least to people like me) look nothing alike. I think you are supposed to harvest eggplant young and smaller to avoid bitterness, with these guys I hardly think that’s an option!
December 29th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
That’s for sure. Sadly no one eats them here yet you see the plants EVERYWHERE. Free food!
December 29th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Maybe the birds like them, they look the right size for them!
December 30th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
These look a lot like the little eggplants used in Thai cooking.
December 30th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Lucy: They are! But for some reason people don’t eat them here.
January 11th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Hmmm yeah these look good. I’m gonna try cooking them in a sandwich kinda like this one http://www.kaycircle.com/index.php?q=What-do-you-do-with-eggplant
January 14th, 2010 at 2:14 am
I tried it! It was really good! Omg they’re like tiny little bundles of flavorrrrr