Aubergine is probably native to India. Its name in Italian means roughly "mad apple" because it contains solanine, a harmful substance that tends to diminish with age and disappears completely when cooked.

When buying aubergines, pay attention to the following. They must be firm, smooth and shiny: avoid the unripe ones, or those which are wrinkled as they will have been stored for too long. In addition, aubergines can be kept for 2 weeks or so in a paper bag in the vegetable drawer of your fridge.