Scarlet Eggplant
| Scarlet Eggplant Gilo | |
|---|---|
 Jiló (var. morro redondo) in a market in São Paulo, Brazil | |
| Details | |
| Species | Solanum aethiopicum |
| Cultivar group | Gilo Group |
| Cultivar group members | Many, e.g. "Black Stream," "comprido verde claro," "morro redondo" |
Gilo (Brazilian Portuguese: Jiló) is a green fruit related to the tomato and the eggplant; the plant which bears it is also called the Scarlet Eggplant. It was once treated as a distinct species, Solanum gilo, but it is now known to be a cultivar group of Solanum aethiopicum (the Ethiopian Eggplant or nakati).
Gilo was brought to the Americas from West Africa during the slave trade. It is still grown in West Africa, where it is sometimes called "garden eggs."[1]
Widely grown in Brazil, where it is known as jiló, it is normally cooked as a vegetable. The fruit "turns orange-red when ripe," but is usually picked and cooked while it is green.[2]
Varieties, Taste & Usage
Some varieties, like morro redondo, can have a bitter flavor which is an acquired taste. Solanum gilo 'Black Stream' has black stems and red or orange fruits; it is grown in France as an ornamental, and can be dried for winter decorations.
More information
- Worldcrops http://www.worldcrops.org/crops/Jilo.cfm
- WFCR http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wfcr/news.newsmain/article/0/0/1522784/WFCR.Local.Features/Ethnic.Vegetables.in.the.Pioneer.Valley
- University of Massachusetts http://www.umassvegetable.org/soil_crop_pest_mgt/articles_html/jilo.html