Italian eggplants are like smaller, slightly sweeter, versions of globe eggplants that still maintain a thick, spongy texture. The sweeter notes in Italian eggplant work well with salty and umami flavors, such as those in meat or cheese, making them perfect for an eggplant Parmesan or a layered dish like lasagna.
Like most vegetables, they have a high water content. With this in mind, after roasting, I like to scrape out the softened flesh and pass it through a food mill. This leaves behind the lion’s share of the seeds and gentle fiber. I then tie it up in a beggar’s purse of cheese cloth and suspend it in the cooler over a bowl to catch the excess water. After letting it drain overnight, the resulting puree is tighter and more concentrated in flavor. This allows its contribution to recipes such as baba ghanoush (hard to say—easy to eat!) to be much more pronounced and delicious.
Globe eggplant are available more or less year-round barring any major weather patterns. Summer is their strongest season, where it can be found in the garden growing next to its good friends: zucchini, squash, tomatoes, and peppers. Et voila… ratatouille is served with a cool rosé for dejeuner in the French countryside. Another stunningly beautiful cultural culinary creation featuring the humble eggplant.
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Thai eggplant is very unique from the others in that it is very small and very green, even when mature. It sometimes has some decorative white variegations. The texture on this eggplant is also differentiated from other varieties in that it is firm and seedy on the inside. This firm texture lends itself to long slow cooking techniques such as currying wherein it will withstand the flavor absorption without disintegrating. And if it’s too hard to remember which eggplant is green, you can always refer to it as the Kermit Eggplant as some of our associates here at FreshPoint do. (Editor’s note: this is true. )
Creamy fairy tale eggplants are petite (even the large ones are just a few inches long!), with white- and purple-streaked thin skin. Thanks to their minimally seeded flesh, fairy tale eggplants need minimal fussing to be tasty. A slick of oil and a trip to the skillet or grill pan will get the job done for a quick side dish, but if you have a few extra minutes, try them slow-roasted with lemon and fennel, or served over an earthy cashew butter with pickled peppers.
Small and round, with deep purple skin, Indian eggplants are often labeled (very cutely) at the farmers market as baby eggplants. “Baby” comes from the fact that Indian eggplants look exactly like tiny globe eggplants. Fully grown, Indian eggplants are only about two inches long, roughly the size and shape of a large egg, making them great for quickly cooking whole. Shower them in fragrant spices like coriander, cumin, and turmeric, slowly pan-fry, and nestle in a tangy raita, as in this spiced baby eggplants recipe.
With the dog days of summer comes a bounty of eggplant. Some are bulbous and deep violet, others slim and lilac, others still bright white or even speckled. This member of the nightshade family is often misunderstood, outshined by tomatoes, and it’s understandable: If not prepared quite right, eggplant can be off-puttingly spongy or unpleasantly bitter. But when done well, eggplant has a mild flavor that soaks up whatever it’s cooked with, and a creamy texture akin to custard. A lot of that success hinges on the eggplant variety.
Though often labeled as Chinese eggplant (or even simply as “Asian eggplant”), identify slim Japanese eggplant by its deeper purple skin. Typically shorter than the Chinese variety, both grill, sauté, and braise in a similar manner. Japanese eggplant go silky-smooth in these spicy braised eggplant noodles, unfussy enough for a weeknight.
These little green eggplants are hard to find outside of certain farmers markets and specialty grocery stores, but when you can get your hands on Thai eggplant, pounce! Cultivated throughout Southeast Asia, these tiny eggplants look different from most other varieties. Crunchy and mild, they’re often eaten raw—slice them into a salad, or serve with other fresh veg and a dip. (Like apples and potatoes, eggplants turn brown soon after they’re sliced so, if you plan to devour them raw, use immediately or soak in salt water until you’re ready to eat.) You’ll find these eggplants stewed in the southern Thai dish kaeng tai pla, and raw or grilled in the northern Thai salad yum makua. They’d also really shine in a lemongrass and coconut curry with other summer produce.
Eggplant vs. Aubergine vs. Brinjal — Why so many names?
FAQ
What is the difference between Italian eggplant and regular eggplant?
Which eggplant is better?
What is Italian eggplant called?
Can you substitute Italian eggplant for Chinese eggplant?
What is the difference between Italian eggplant and American eggplant?
Not to be confused with its doppelganger the globe eggplant, the Italian eggplant has a similar color and shape, but is slightly smaller and sweeter. Plus, it has a more tender flesh than it’s meatier American counterpart.
What are some eggplant recipes?
Braised eggplant, eggplant lasagna, eggplant bread, eggplant skewers, eggplant kebab, eggplant caponata, eggplant wrap. This is a very versatile vegetable, just google it and choose your favorite recipe.
Is Italian eggplant the same as Japanese eggplant?
As with all eggplant, you need to cook the Italian variety thoroughly to bring out the flavor and achieve a creamy texture. Although named Japanese (or Chinese) eggplant, these longer and thinner eggplants aren’t restricted to Japan or Japanese cuisine.
Is eggplant Italian?
They aren’t officially Italian but are labeled as Italian in the U.S. and used in Italian recipes, such as eggplant Parmesan and melanzane fritte al pomodoro, fried eggplant in tomato sauce. As with all eggplant, you need to cook the Italian variety thoroughly to bring out the flavor and achieve a creamy texture.