Solanum macrocarpon – African Eggplant, Gboma Eggplant, Anchia

Description

A herbaceous, shrubby perennial to 1.5 m in tall, native to and popular in West Africa but rarely cultivated in other tropical regions of the world for its edible, medicinal and ornamental qualities. It has oval-shaped leaves with waxy margins and white to purple flowers, followed by round, edible fruits, which mature from greenish-white to yellow or yellowish-brown. Solanum macrocarpon fruits can be eaten raw or cooked in many different ways- boiled, steamed, pickled, or added to stews but the leaves, cooked as a vegetable are perhaps even more popular. Both the leaves and the fruit have a somewhat bitter flavor.