Eggplants, or aubergines for the Europeans, are the colorful fruits of the plant of the same names. They are large, purple, and egg-shaped—hence the name. Botanically, they are berries because they are fleshy and contain seeds but not pits.
For normal, culinary purposes, they are vegetables. Even if purple is a fruit, eggplants are not. Their color does not change their taste. Their flavor is not sweet at all, and the raw texture is quite spongy. As a result, they are never eaten raw. Instead, they are sliced and cooked in savory dishes, often as a substitute for meat. Eggplant parmesan is surely the most popular dish using it in the West, but it is even more popularly eaten in Asia in dishes such as yúxiāng-qiézi. This is practically the epitome of a vegetable.