Black Nightshade: Delicious, not Deadly
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
In the case of edible black nightshade, whose small dark fruit ripens in early autumn, a heavy burden. Nine times out of ten, an American hearing its name recoils in fascinated horror, especially if the plant happens to be growing at their feet.
But this is black nightshade, whose ripe fruit is as toxic as a tomato.
Clusters of black nightshade fruit, ripe and unripe on the same plant.
The blanched, edible leaves of black nightshade. Ben-Erik van Wyk lists in his tome-like Food Plants of the World.
Black nightshade jam at a farm stall in South Africa. These plants are all nightshades, and all belong to the tricky family Solanaceae.
Clusters and calyces: black nightshade fruits in clusters and has compact calyces. Personally, I feel the mixup between deadly and delicious has little to do with racism, as the Medium essay suggests; black nightshade as a fruit is enjoyed in Europe.
Instead, the reason is blander, and blinder. Black nightshade seeds are in fact sold as a garden crop in the US, but marketed under less threatening names.
Black nightshade fruits in clusters. The fruit of Atropa belladonna, deadly nightshade, is borne singly, never in clusters.
Black Nightshade
Deadly nightshade flower and green fruit, with prominent calyces.
Photo by Don Macauley.
Photo by Jean-Francois Gaffard via Creative Commons.
The flower of deadly nightshade is dusky-pink and tubular. It occurs in the East, although personally I have never seen it.
Black Nightshade Recipes
A late-summer salad of tomatoes and black nightshade with peaches and burrata. What are the ways to eat black nightshade?
Phyllo tartlets with tomato confit and ripe black nightshade. They are a beautiful treat and garnish for seasonal tartlets.