Eggplants have a long history in Japan. Thought to have been introduced to the country from India via China, they are mentioned in documents stored at Shoso-in, the treasure house of Nara¡¯s Todaiji temple, which dates back to the Nara Period (710-94). Instructions for growing eggplants are also found in ¡°Engishiki,¡± a book of laws and customs published in 927 during the Heian Period (794-1185).
The eggplant was originally called nasubi, which was shortened to "nasu" by the ladies-in-waiting at Kyoto¡¯s imperial court. The truncated moniker eventually became the name that the vegetable goes by today.
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