HomeChinese EggPlant
China is the world's largest producer and consumer of Egg Plants.
Chinese varieties of the eggplants are long, slender, cylindrical and less purple than American and Japanese which have a greenish-purple color.
Egg plants belong to the nightshade family of vegetables like tomatoes, sweet peppers, and potatoes. They are grown in the same manner as tomatoes hanging from the vines of the plants which are several feet in height. They have a pleasantly bitter taste and are spongy in texture. The flower is white to purple, with a five-lobed corolla and yellow stamens. The fruit is purple in color with white flesh. The cut surface of the fruit turns brown if kept in air contact for long.
The Eggplants are very nutritional. They are low in calories, high in dietary fiber, a rich source of phytochemicals, which are nutrients from plant-based foods and nearly sodium free. People taking more phytochemicals have a lower risk for heart disease. They have vitamin B1 and copper. They are a good source of manganese, vitamin B6, niacin, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.
Eggplant can be baked, roasted in the oven, or steamed.
Some of the recipes are:
Baba ghanoush
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