'Badenjan Sesame' Eggplant

Solanum melongena Origin: Kandahar, Afghanistan Improvement status: Cultivar Seeds per packet: ~25 Germination tested 10/2024: 98% Life cycle: Annual EFN INTRODUCTION. This very unique and rare eggplant is from Kandahar, Afghanistan. It was collected by a USDA plant explorer named E.E. Smith, during a time when it would not have been unusual for a scientist from the United States to travel to Afghanistan. The name means, as far as we can tell, "Sesame Eggplant," and indeed — though it might be our imaginations at work — the cooked fruit has a flavor somewhat like a milder version of tahini. They are a pale green when best for eating, and ripen to a bright vivid yellow when ready to be harvested for seed. Many attributes make this a worthy variety to grow, but its drought resistance may be most notable. To growers with cooler seasons and in other places where eggplants are a challenge to grow: give the "Sesame Eggplant" a try! You won’t be disappointed. Not as early as the Chi Yei Eggpl