Green Eggplant
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Green eggplants vary in size, depending on the variety and age at harvest, and can appear in round, oval, cylindrical, or oblong shapes. Each fruit may be straight or slightly curved and is topped with a thick, green calyx on the stem end. The skin is typically smooth, taut, firm, waxy, and glossy, showcasing pale green, lime, to dark green hues. Some varieties of Green eggplants also have white mottling, striping, and dots, and the skin is thin and delicate, being easily punctured. Underneath the surface, the yellow, pale green, or white flesh is solid, slightly spongy, and springy, enveloping a few tiny white to cream-colored seeds. Once cooked, the flesh becomes dense, meaty, tender, and succulent. Green eggplants are known for bearing fewer seeds than other types and are said to develop a more tender texture. The entire fruit is edible raw or cooked, discarding the calyx, and varies in flavor with the cultivar. Most Green eggplant types have a mild, subtly sweet, earthy, and vegetal taste.
Seasons/Availability
Green eggplants are available year-round, with a peak season in the summer through fall.
Current Facts
Green eggplants, botanically classified as Solanum melongena, are a category of multiple varieties belonging to the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Eggplants are grown worldwide and are a widespread species planted commercially and in home gardens as conventional crops. Within Solanum melongena, there are three main groupings based on color: green, purple, and white. Green eggplants are less common than purple varieties and are known to have a subtly sweeter taste. Worldwide, the most famous Green eggplant variety is the Thai Long Green. This cultivar is often sold through online seed catalogs and found fresh in markets for culinary uses. Asia is the primary center of cultivation for Green eggplant varieties and is home to several cultivars, including but not limited to Green Beauty, Green Angel, Green Qilin, Green Pearl, Bangladeshi Long, Choryoku, Ao Daimaru, and Petch Siam. Outside of Asia, Green eggplants are considered a rarer, specialty ingredient, and varieties like Louisiana Long Green, Italian Green, Green Envy, and Apple Green are promoted for home garden cultivation. Green eggplants are versatile and can be used in recipes calling for eggplants in general. Green varieties are favored for their less bitter flavor and tender, softer consistency, and are consumed raw or cooked in culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Green eggplants are a source of fiber to aid in digestion and vitamins A and C to strengthen the immune system and maintain healthy organs. Eggplants also provide minerals like calcium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, copper, potassium, and magnesium. These minerals help the body support bone and teeth health, balance fluid levels, produce red blood cells, and control daily nerve functions. Sources note that the main difference between green and purple eggplants is the lack of anthocyanin production in green varieties. As eggplants mature, chlorophyll in the skin, a compound responsible for the fruit’s green coloring, typically reduces, and anthocyanins increase, creating purple hues. Green eggplants are thought to lack genes for this synthesizing process or only produce anthocyanins at much lower levels, keeping the skin green.
Applications
Green eggplants have a mild, sweet, and subtly vegetal flavor suited for fresh and cooked preparations. Some varieties of Green eggplant are edible raw and are consumed in salads in Asia. Eggplants are also sliced and served with dipping sauces as a snack or blended into fresh dips, spreads, and chutney as a thickening ingredient. Green eggplants can be interchangeably used in recipes calling for purple eggplants, but the varieties have a slightly higher water content, giving them a softer texture in dishes. In Asia, Green eggplants are popularly stir-fried with meat and vegetables as a flavorful dish and are served with rice. They are also added to soups, curries, and stews or prepared simply by braising, grilling, and steaming. In China, Green eggplants are commonly wrapped in meat, battered with an egg, and fried until crisp. In the summer, fried eggplants are eaten with noodles, and in the winter, they are served with steamed buns. Green eggplants are also incorporated into cooked dishes across Southeast Asia, mainly stir-fries. In India, Green eggplants are favored for their sweeter taste and are added to pickled dishes, stuffed with spices and baked, or cooked into lentils. Green eggplants pair well with herbs such as basil, cilantro, and curry leaves, flavorings like soy sauce, sesame oil, and miso, and spices including garam masala, coriander, and turmeric. Whole, unwashed Green eggplants will keep 3 to 5 days when stored in a cool and dry place, such as the refrigerator.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Green eggplants are used in variations of di san xian, a traditional dish from northeastern China. The name di san xian roughly translates to “three delicacies from the earth,” “three earthly bounties,” or “three treasures from the ground,” and the dish is comprised of cooked eggplant, potatoes, and peppers. These three ingredients are some of the most common vegetables sold in northeastern Chinese markets in the summer and have a long history of being essential crops grown and consumed during times of famine or poverty. A local legend in China recounts that emperors sometimes select three new ingredients to try during summer to encourage eating fresh produce and welcome the changing seasons. The concept of three-ingredient dishes spread throughout the country, and when it arrived in northeastern provinces, the summer staples of eggplant, potatoes, and peppers were adopted into recipes. Di san xian has remained a popular dish in the modern day, prepared at restaurants and in home cooking. The dish is often served family style and has a rustic quality, a favored trait as the dish is viewed as a nostalgic comfort food.
Geography/History
Green eggplants are believed to be native to Asia, with hypothesized origins in South and Southeast Asia. The history of eggplant is heavily debated among scientists, and some sources note that another possible site of origin may have occurred in Africa. Eggplants were thought to have been domesticated in India or China and were widely grown throughout China by the 5th century BCE. The first written record of eggplant, in general, can be traced to 544 CE in the Qimin Yaoshu, an ancient Chinese agricultural treatise. Over time, eggplant varieties spread throughout Asia and were carried along trade routes into the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe around the beginning of the 6th century. The fruits were later planted in Western Europe and sent to the New World with colonists and through trade. It is important to note that the history of Green eggplants is not separated or distinguished from the history of purple eggplants. It is unknown when green varieties arose, but new types of eggplant were developed throughout history in home and commercial cultivation to create cultivars with improved qualities. Today, Green eggplants thrive in tropical to subtropical regions worldwide and are sold as a specialty culinary ingredient. Green eggplants are prevalent in fresh markets in Asia, but are rarer and more challenging to find in other parts of the world.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Green Eggplant. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Masala Korb |
|
Green Eggplant Potato Curry |
| The Guardian |
|
Stir Fried Eggplant + Thai Basil in Yellow Bean Sauce |
| Not Eating Out In New York |
|
Fried Green Eggplant with Peach Salsa |
Green Eggplant for sale around the world shared on the Specialty Produce App
