Japanese eggplants offer a sweeter, more tender, and more delicate taste than standard American eggplants. Because they’re smaller and longer, they possess fewer seeds. This rids them of that typical vegetal bitterness that you’ll find in some eggplant varieties.
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Chinese and Japanese eggplant are similar to each other in size and shape, which is to say that they are long and slender. The difference is that Chinese are lighter purple, and Japanese are a dark purple like the American eggplant. These are fun to slice into cross sections, bread and fry to create crispy little bases for your favorite canape toppings.
And in case EGGPLANT ever comes up on Jeopardy, you may be interested to know that hundreds of years ago, most eggplant grown were white and egg-shaped. Hence the name. White eggplant are still available, but as more of a specialty heirloom variety. As with many other widely grown vegetables, the varieties that earn the most ground space are those that are most resistant to invasive insects, drought and inclement weather, which is why the Globe eggplant is the most widely recognized.
Contact your Marketing Associate about adding eggplant to your next order. For availability and ordering information on any of the specialty eggplants mentioned, please contact your marketing assoiate: some require special handling and can also be quite seasonal. If you are not a customer, find out how to become one today!
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.
Eggplant can be divisive. The notorious nightshade is both beloved and bemoaned for its spongey texture and tiny, bitter seeds. If you’re on the side of eggplant lovers, though, you’re more than familiar with its versatility. Eggplant is hearty enough to be a main, especially when it’s cooked whole or stuffed, but it’s also spectacular as a party snack, cut into loaded bites, or pureed into a smoky dip. If you don’t care for eggplant, I hope you someday find the gateway recipe that helps you enjoy it. There’s just too much delicious potential for you to miss out on it.
Also known as American eggplants, globe eggplants are what you’re most likely to see in a supermarket. They’re much darker and wider and have a tougher, meatier texture than other varieties, and work well as a protein or bread substitute, as well as sliced within a larger dish like eggplant Parm.
If you look at a few different varieties of eggplant, however, you may not guess they’re the same vegetable (Well, fruit). Thai eggplants, for example, look more like tiny watermelons, while Japanese eggplants look just like their emoji rendering. Read up on the different types of eggplant and how to use each so you too can be an auber-genius.
How to use it: Thai eggplants are commonly used in curry dishes, such as Chicken, Tomato, and Eggplant Curry.
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.
Eggplant vs. Aubergine vs. Brinjal — Why so many names?
FAQ
Can I substitute regular eggplant for Japanese eggplant?
Which is the best tasting eggplant?
Which eggplant is sweetest?
What is the difference between Japanese eggplant and Chinese eggplant?
Japanese and Chinese Eggplant Characterized by their long, narrow shape, both Japanese and Chinese eggplant can be hard to differentiate. Japanese eggplant tends to have a much deeper purple color, while Chinese eggplant is usually lighter, more lavender-purple, and is sometimes even longer.
How can one use eggplant?
Some ways to enjoy eggplant are: in a curry, stir-fry, as Babaganoush, with pasta, eggplant pizza, breaded and baked, as eggplant lasagna.
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.
What does Japanese eggplant look like?
Called Nasu (茄子, ナス, なす) in Japanese, Japanese eggplant is typically long, slender, and oblong, about 20-25 cm in length. It comes in dark purple and has glossy smooth skin. The flesh is cream-colored, almost seedless, and spongy. Some classic side dishes using Japanese eggplant are nasu agebitashi and nasu dengaku.