 Want something new and exciting for dinner? Try these lavender Okinawa sweet potatoes...or the dozens of other exotic and heirloom vegetables we present for your consideration. Photo courtesy of Melissas.com.
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ELIZABET TRAVIS is an Editorial Intern at THE NIBBLE.
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July 2008 |
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Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Vegetables
A Glossary Of Exotic & Heirloom Vegetables
Page 6: Exotic & Heirloom Eggplant Types
CAPSULE REPORT: This is Page 6 of a 15-page glossary of a glossary of exotic and heirloom vegetables. Click on the black links below to see other pages.
We’ll keep adding to this glossary as we find new types of eggplant.
| Eggplant |
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Chinese Eggplant
Long and violet to purple in color, the Chinese eggplant is sweeter and more tender than a typical American eggplant. Its skin is soft, so it is rarely peeled. It is interchangeable in almost any eggplant recipe.
Available year-round. |
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Indian Eggplant & Indian Paint Eggplant
The Indian eggplant is known for its tenderness and sweet flavor. It is small and round with smooth skin and a red-purple color. The skin does not need to be peeled; it can be used interchangeably with the American eggplant. Another variety, the Indian paint eggplant, has white stripes. It is more fragile, but are perfect for stuffing and baking.
Available year-round; Indian paint eggplant available April to September & November to January. |
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Japanese Eggplant
Similar to the Chinese eggplant, it has a thin skin and a sweet, delicate flavor. The Japanese eggplant is slender and can be green, pink, white, lavender or purple. Its calyus, or stem, is most often dark purple.
Available year-round. |
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Pingtung Long Eggplant
This long, dark purple eggplant is very tender and sweet. It is a very popular variety in Asia, and is named after its native town of Ping Tung, Taiwan. It is best prepared grilled with salt and olive oil. |
Seeds can be purchased at ReimerSeeds.com. |
Thai Eggplant
This golf ball-size eggplant is much more bitter than the American eggplant, especially the seeds. which should be removed before cooking. It comes in a variety of colors, but is typically green with yellow or white stripes. It is often cubed and used in hot chile or curry dishes.
Available year-round. |
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White Eggplant
Eggplant got its name because it was originally small and white, and thus looked like eggs hanging from the plant. Today, the white eggplant has a tough skin and a creamy, delicate flesh.
Available year-round. |
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Continue To Page 6: Eggplant
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