What's delicious, healthy to eat and comes in various colors? Eggplant! And no, it has nothing to do with chickens! This strangely named vegetable is, however, as _ as an egg. It can be steamed, fried or baked. It can be eaten by itself or combined with meats and other vegetables. Eggplant was first grown in India during the 5th century B.C. Its popularity soon spread to China and then throughout Asia. Finally, during the Middle Ages the vegetable made its way to Europe. At that time, eggplant was not the shiny purple vegetable most people know today. Instead, it was like a white egg. Due to this egg-like appearance, eggplant got its name. In its early days, the vegetable was so bitter that people often called it a "mad apple". This nickname started because people believed its bitterness was bad for one's health. People actually thought eggplant could cause insanity  and cancer. Fortunately, today people know that eggplant doesn't cause insanity or cancer. In fact, eggplant is so healthy that it may prevent cancer. In addition, the brain and the heart benefit from this supper vegetable. Since it is high in fiber, eggplant can also improve digestion. Italy, Turkey, Egypt, China and Japan are the leading growers of eggplant in the world today. Depending on its location, eggplant may be purple, green, orange or yellow-white. And it can be as small as a tomato or as large as a cucumber. Dish diversities  range from simple to complex, with all of them being delicious! Today, thousands of people are gathering in Loomis, Calif, for the 23rd annual Loomis Eggplant Festival. The main activity at the festival is eating delicious eggplant dishes. There is plenty more to do and see, though. Recipe contests, arts and crafts, performers, races and children's activities all "egg-cite" festival-goers. Most people at the festival would agree -- eggplant is an "egg-cellent" vegetable! The passage mainly tells us about   _  .
the 23rd annual Loomis Eggplant Festival the general introduction of eggplant the origin of eggplant the benefits of eggplant