Aubergines have various names in Italy: Violetta (violet aubergines), Mostruosa (a.k.a. Globe or American aubergines), Bianca (white aubergines), and Tonda (round aubergines).
But they were not called melanzane until much later: starting with the Arabs and eventually making its way into the Italic language, their current name evolved from the term melan-giana.
There are many varieties of aubergines, which are normally purplish black and can be round or elongated in shape.
However, they must be eaten cooked, since raw aubergines contain a large amount of solanine, which may cause drowsiness, irritation of the gastric mucosa, and other problems if eaten in excessive amounts.
Aubergines have hardly any calories, but it is best to cook them in a little oil as they have a spongy texture that soaks up most of the sauce.
So it’s okay to have Melanzane alla Parmigiana once in a while, but preferably made with grilled aubergines, not fried!
