This purple plant, often known as eggplant or brinjal, is a common element in many dishes. However, have you ever pondered over how eggplant tastes?
Eggplant has a bland, dry, and mild flavor similar to the taste of zucchini. As a result, people choose to use it to improve the taste of simple dishes. Eggplant flesh has a deep, pleasant flavor that becomes more rich, smoky, and savory as it cooks.
Since they include more caustic seeds and water, female eggplants are much more bitter than male ones. As a result, eggplants are quite tender when cooked and can get thick and creamy like boiled potatoes but can even taste a little slimier than okra.
What is an Eggplant
Eggplant is a nightshade plant that comes in a wide range of forms, sizes, and colors. They grow in hot areas, particularly during the summer. The plant is native to India and China, where it can still be seen growing wild. However, throughout the 7th and 8th centuries, the Islamic empire brought eggplants to Europe, where they quickly picked up popularity.
Globe and Italian varieties are shaped like a tear and are the most prevalent variations in the United States. Eggplants come in various colors, from pale to lavender, or can even be multi-colored with striped variants.
This vegetable is also medically beneficial for a healthy lifestyle since it is packed with antioxidants and minerals.
How to Store Eggplant
Eggplants do not keep for a long time. They can be kept in a moderate, dry area for two days without freezing. If you don’t plan on eating the plant in under two days, keep it refrigerated. Cover in a towel and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.
Eggplants are susceptible to heat and cold; hence, their optimum temperature should be roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the unwashed eggplant in a paper bag and leave it in the freezer for several days if you wish to retain it.
How do you know if eggplant has gone Bad
There are many indications of an eggplant gone bad. For example, when the skin of an eggplant becomes shriveled and wrinkly, the fruit becomes noticeably mushy or squishy, or there are soft patches everywhere on the eggplant; it has rotted.
It’s also best to throw away the eggplant if the stem is brown or developing mold. Another way to tell if an eggplant has gone bad is if you see dark patches on it followed by an unpleasant odor. If you observe any scars on the flesh or breaks in the skin, you should avoid eating it.
The flesh of eggplant over a year old will be less firm and may split from the peel. So let’s just say it won’t take much for you to realize that the eggplant is bad.
Dishes with Eggplant
Because of its texture, eggplant can be roasted, boiled, steamed, and fried. The flavor of eggplant is nicely balanced with the flavors of other vegetables, so it does not overpower the overall aroma of the dish.
Moussaka, a creamy meal that mimics lasagna, is made with eggplant as the main component in Greek cuisine. Likewise, it’s commonly used to make eggplant parmigiana in the United States. In Asian food, eggplant is a common element in soups and sauces.
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