When it comes to the eggplant, you probably just thought there was one variety Рthe purple kind you always see in the grocery store. However, there are plenty of varieties of eggplant to consider when looking for a new recipe to try out. The eggplant has a mild taste with meaty characteristics. The vegetable also provides a great addition to recipes that is low in calories. The eggplant is never eaten in its raw state, but makes a great ingredient in baked, saut̩ed, or grilled recipes. Below you will learn a little bit about some of the different kinds of eggplant you may come in contact with:
American Eggplant: With a dark purple color and pear-shape, this is the variety that is most familiar. One medium eggplant equals one pound, which yields 4 ½ cups of peeled and cubed eggplant.
Asian Eggplants: With thinner skins and a more delicate flavor than American eggplants, this variety is also less bitter as it contains less seeds. Additionally, this variety is rather colorful, as it comes in shades of white, pink, lavender, and green.
Baby Eggplants: This smaller version of the American eggplant produces a sweeter flesh and thinner skin.
Dried Eggplant: When looking for this type of eggplant, seek out a Middle Eastern market.
Garden Eggs: With a size that sometimes is equal to or smaller than an egg, these tiny selections range in color from white to greenish-yellow.
Green Goddess Eggplant: This eggplant offers a rather mild flavor.
Italian Eggplant: Although quite similar to the American eggplant, this Italian variety is smaller in size.
Pea Eggplants (baby Thai eggplants): These tiny eggplants are sold in clusters and resemble sizeable green peas. The Thai eggplants are also quite bitter in taste. Sometimes, these eggplants are found in a Thai market, but are also pickled in jars.
Rosa Bianca Eggplant: This kind of eggplant is considered an Italian heirloom, which is rather sweet to the taste with a mild flesh that is creamy in texture.
Sicilian Eggplant: This eggplant showcases purple stripes. The skin is thin with a delicate flavor.
White Eggplant: With a tough skin, this eggplant has a more subtler flavor and firmer flesh that the American eggplant.
Choosing an Eggplant
The best eggplants are those that are firm and shiny with a skin that is unbroken. The sex of the eggplant influences taste, as a male eggplant possesses fewer seeds and is less bitter than a female eggplant. To check the sex of an eggplant, simply check on the indentation located at the bottom. Deep indentations shaped like a dash indicates a female specimen, while shallow and round indentation indicate a male. Additionally, smaller eggplants tend to produce less of a bitter taste.
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