A:Baba ghanoush actually comes from Arabic. "Baba is the Arabic word for 'father' as well as a term of endearment; Ghanouj means 'indulged.'" (RFJC:
Baba Ghanouj) The Russian term is "baklazhannaya ikra," which apparently does mean "eggplant caviar." (Wikipedia: Baba ghanoush) I suppose that "caviar" is metaphorical in this context -- recipes for the Russian version do not contain caviar. (See, for example, Ashbury's Aubergines: Baklazhannaya Ikra).
