The eggplant - anyone who knows what to do with it has an enormous culinary selection that goes far beyond antipasti and moussaka. Curries, dips, salads, and even desserts love this plump fruit vegetable. And which other vegetable can manage to knock over a clergyman or preacher of any religion? It originally comes from India, where the melanzane, as it is called in Austria, has been cultivated for over 4000 years and is regarded as the "queen of vegetables.".