Eggplant “Unagi”: Easy Recipe! - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

Can I use regular eggplant instead of Chinese eggplant? ›

What's the difference between eggplant and Chinese eggplant? Chinese eggplants have fewer seeds than globes, which reduces their bitterness. And they have a thin skin. While they can be substituted for each other, globes may be less sweet, influencing the outcome of the final dish.

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.

Salting the eggplant slices is an important step that helps draw out any excess moisture and minimizes bitterness. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over both sides of the sliced eggplant and let it sit for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Yes, the skin of Chinese eggplant is tender and entirely edible. Unlike the thicker skin of some Western eggplants, Chinese eggplant's skin cooks down to a soft texture, so there's no need to peel it. It also adds color and additional nutrients to the dish.

Eating them as part of a balanced diet may benefit your heart's overall health. The antioxidants in Chinese eggplants, specially nasunin and chlorogenic acid, may help lower LDL cholesterol levels. High LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. So, eating Chinese eggplants may promote heart health.

Do you salt eggplant before making eggplant parmesan. Yes, salting the eggplant before making eggplant parmesan draws out some moisture. This can help the eggplant stay crisp after cooking because it removes some moisture before it has a chance to create sogginess.

One of the most popular was the long, thin, purple eggplant from Taiwan known as Ping Tung. This is an exceptional eggplant with sweet, pleasant tasting flesh. The plants are incredibly prolific and produce throughout the entire season. They are more disease resistant than other eggplants.

There are a few reasons why your eggplants could be yellowing. The first is that if this is predominantly the larger fruit turning yellow, they could be beyond ripe. The next stage after purple, the unripe fruit, is the fruit ripening and turning yellow then brown.

Rosa Bianca Eggplant

Heirloom Rosa Bianca eggplants are one of the most eye-catching varieties around. They're plump and round, and their purple and white exteriors have an almost ombre-like appearance. This mild variety is completely void of bitterness, and tastes best when sliced and roasted or grilled.

What are the long skinny eggplants called? ›

Japanese Eggplant

Although named Japanese (or Chinese) eggplant, these longer and thinner eggplants aren't restricted to Japan or Japanese cuisine. Their slim shape makes them particularly good for cutting on the bias (a.k.a. "roll cutting") and stir-frying in big chunks.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

It helps draw out moisture from the eggplant. You don't have to salt eggplant though, it depends on the texture your looking for. Salting gives it a more creamy texture when cooked and not salting helps the eggplant hold up and be a little firmer after cooked.

China is the world's top producer and consumer of eggplant, so it's apt that the Chinese eggplant variety is so distinct. It has a lighter, almost pastel exterior, with a white flesh and sweeter taste that fits its appearance. The Chinese variety contains fewer seeds than globe eggplants, and are therefore less bitter.

One of the most popular was the long, thin, purple eggplant from Taiwan known as Ping Tung. This is an exceptional eggplant with sweet, pleasant tasting flesh. The plants are incredibly prolific and produce throughout the entire season.

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.

Rosa Bianca

This Italian heirloom eggplant has a creamy, ivory-colored flesh with a delicate flavor that is less bitter than some other eggplant varieties. The Rosa Bianca eggplant can be used in many ways, including grilling, roasting, and sautéing.