Wondering about how many Types of Eggplants are there? Well, this long and oblong vegetable comes in a lot more varieties than you think!
Botanically, a berry and culinarily a vegetable, there are many Types of Eggplants you can use in your recipes! Want to know about the best ones? Keep reading!
Common Names: Aubergine, Brinjal, Berenjena, Eggplant, Patlican, and Melanzana.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to grow Eggplants
Best Types of Eggplants
1. Little Green Eggplant
This one is round, plump, and pale-green in color. After cooking, the texture turns extra creamy and lends a very mild flavor.
2. Globe Eggplant
It is also famous as the American Eggplant and is considered to be the fattest and biggest, growing up to 10-14 inches in length! The meaty texture makes it best for grilling and slicing.
3. Italian Eggplant
Italian Eggplant has a teardrop shape with a deep purple color. It has a sweeter flavor as compared to the American Eggplant.
4. Japanese Eggplant
Japanese Eggplant is available in a wide range of shades of deep purple, pale purple, or even black! It is best suited for stir-frying, pan-frying miso, and Thai grilled dishes.
5. Ping Tung Eggplant
It is longer in size with a tender and sweet flesh. This eggplant comes from Taiwan and tastes best when grilled. Serve it with salt and olive oil.
6. Rosa Bianca Eggplant
It is somewhat bulbous in shape and has a more delicate taste with less bitterness. You can use it to make stuffed and baked eggplant dishes.
7. Graffiti Eggplant
Graffiti Eggplant is attractive and has delicate stripes, and is available mainly in both big or small sizes. It is best enjoyed when baked, roasted, and stewed.
8. Santana Eggplant
If you love bigger eggplants, then you should consider choosing this one! It can grow up to 6-8 inches wide! The most amazing way to cook this eggplant is to grill it or roast it.
9. Tango Eggplant
This eggplant has a shape of an egg or a pear with white skin. It has a creamier texture and tastes best when grilled and roasted.
10. Thai Eggplant
This small eggplant type is very common in Thailand and is found in shades of purple, white, and green. To neutralize its bitterness, get rid of the seeds before you cook.
11. Indian Eggplant
This cute eggplant is popular in Indian recipes. It is great to fry and stew. You can even use it to make mashed, spiced, and stuffed dishes.
12. White Eggplant
The White Eggplant has a strong, bitter taste, and it could be a bit intense on your tongue. In Middle Eastern cuisines, it is mostly used to make dips such as Baba ghanoush.
13. Fairy Tale
It has beautiful white and purple-color skin with a soft and sweet-tasting flesh. It tastes best when grilled and also takes less time to cook because of its small size.
14. Thai White Eggplant
Thai White Eggplants are sort of an outlier in the world of eggplants, as they are also eaten as it is – raw. The crunchiness makes them perfect for making snacks or dips.
15. Filipino Eggplant
Filipino Eggplant is thinner and longer as compared to its Italian cousin. It tastes mild and sweet when cooked and grilled.
Which is the best variety?