How Did Humans Domesticate Eggplant?

The eggplant's wild ancestor is officially named Solanum insanum, the "insane nightshade," and for centuries Europeans called its fruit the mad apple. In this documentary, we trace how humans domesticated the eggplant: from a bitter, spiny shrub in the scrublands of South and Southeast Asia, through two thousand years of Chinese farming records, the Arab gardens that spread it west, the name that changed across five languages, and Europe's fears. We also cover why eggplant contains a trace of nicotine, and the modern fight over genetically modified Bt brinjal. Sources: Knapp, S., Vorontsova, M. S. & Prohens, J. (2013). "Wild relatives of the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.: Solanaceae): new understanding of species names in a complex group." PLoS ONE. Wang, J.-X., Gao, T.-G. & Knapp, S. (2008). "Ancient Chinese literature reveals pathways of eggplant domestication." Annals of Botany. Domino, E. F., Hornbach, E. & Demana, T. (1993). "The nicotine content of common vegetables." New England Journal of Medicine. Noda, Y. et al. (2000). "Antioxidant activity of nasunin, an anthocyanin in eggplant peels." Toxicology. #ancienthistory #history #historyfacts #ancienthumans #prehistoric #historydocumentary