Solanum melongena.
An aubergine is known in America as an egg plant. The fruits are large and purple on the outside, but creamy yellow on the inside. It is of the same plant family as the potato and the tomato. It is a native of the Indian subcontinent, but it is found in cooking from many different countries.
It is delicious cooked in a number of ways. For example: Take a whole aubergine slice in half, do not peel, score the creamy flesh with a deep crisscross pattern and bake in a medium oven for an hour and a half. Fry a mixture of minced beef small pieces of bacon or serrano ham and put on top of the aubergine cover with grated cheese and put under the grill for a few minutes.
Peel an aubergine and cut into thin 3cm by 3cm slices. Cover in salt an let sit for a few minutes dip in beaten egg and then dust with a mixture of corn flour and plain flour. Shallow fry at high temperature. Season to taste.