Germany (BIOLAND) & Cyprus (CUT) | Fruity vegetables Vertical leader: EMU
Eggplant (nightshade family Solanaceae) is a very nutritional vegetable but sometimes is not preferred by kids or even adults because of bitter taste. – “Tsakoniki” eggplant form the town of Leonidion (Greece), very well-known for its delicate, sweet flavor and tender skin – “White eggplant of Santorini” (Greece) is a rare product with many comparative advantages
Current status: Leonidion town and Santorini Island in Greece. It could be extended in protected environments (greenhouse) from South to North Europe.
Main properties: It contains water (92%), carbohydrates (6%), minimal protein, and has negligible fat.
Nutrition/health: It provides low amounts of essential nutrients, with only manganese having a moderate percentage of the Daily Value. Minor changes in nutrient composition occur with season, environment of cultivation (open field or greenhouse), and genotype. “White eggplant” has very few seeds, does not absorb much oil when fried and has a particularly sweet taste and therefore there is no need to de-bitter it at all.
Advantages: Environmental resilient (in a protected or free environment), high nutritional value, antioxidant-rich, vegetarian diets, fiber-rich, minimal calories, high potential to enter in the food value chain, high potential to incorporate in the consumers shopping basket.