# the name of part of the eggplant

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 15, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304 "2017-07-15T06:11:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MaverocK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@MaverocK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaverocK)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304/1 "2017-07-15T06:11:13Z")

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I am trying to figure what the name of the part of the eggplant where the stem is attached to. I heard it in the following video between 00:25-00:30: [Baba Ghanoush - How to Make Roasted Eggplant Dip & Spread - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUiV_0Acspc)

It sounds like “enable” but I am not sure how it is spelled. 😃

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**Author:** ![yearofglad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b782af/32.png) [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304/2 "2017-07-15T06:17:20Z")

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I think they’re saying “navels” and referring to the indentation on the bottom of the eggplant; it’s confusing because they talk about having the stem still attached, and I don’t see why that’s relevant when looking at the navels.

But anyway, I’m pretty sure they’re not referencing the stem parts but the elongated navels at the eggplants’ bottoms.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304/3 "2017-07-15T06:25:33Z")

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Yes, Chef John (love him, although his voice and inflections can grate on some people) says “navels” there.

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304/4 "2017-07-15T08:14:17Z")

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I can’t really believe anyone who thinks there are “male” and “female” eggplants.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304/5 "2017-07-15T13:42:00Z")

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> [@Terminus\_Est](#):
>
> I can’t really believe anyone who thinks there are “male” and “female” eggplants.

Yeah, that part appears to be some folk wisdom.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304/6 "2017-07-15T14:05:05Z")

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“The Name of Part of the Eggplant” sounds like an auto-translate of an Umberto Eco book.

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**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-name-of-part-of-the-eggplant/791304/7 "2017-07-16T14:02:25Z")

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For what it’s worth, the green leafy structure at the “stem end” of the eggplant is called the _calyx_, and each individual “leaf” is a _sepal_. They’re leftover structure from the flower that generated the fruit; see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sepal) for more information.