Definition: Eggplant is now one of the most popular summer vegetables in Italy, so popular one might think that it is a native plant. And be wrong, because eggplant are native to India and southeast Asia, and though they have been grown there since antiquity were unknown to either the Greeks or the Romans. They were introduced to Europe via North Africa by Arab traders in the XV century, and in Italy adapted very well to the long hot Southern growing season, becoming one of the more important ingredients in South Italian summer recipes.
They did less well in the cooler summers of the North, and indeed in the 1800s North Italians looked upon eggplant with suspicion, as Artusi noted in presenting it in La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene: He says they were hard to come by in Florentine markets when he was younger (he moved to Florence in the early 1850s, and published his book in 1891), and continues his introduction with, "Fried, eggplant goes well with fried fish; stewed, it goes well with boiled dinner; grilled over the coals, it goes well with steak, veal cutlets, or any sort of roast."
This is not the sort of introduction one would give to a popular vegetable, and from it I deduce that they were still relatively unknown in the North at the turn of the last century. Times have changed, and if you visit a north Italian market in the summer months you will find eggplant in abundance.
Before we get to advice on selecting eggplant, a couple of words about Melanzana, its Italian name. It derives from the Arab badingian; in some areas the prefix melo was added (melo-badingian), which with time became melangian and eventually Melanzana, whereas in others pedro was added, leading with time to petroncianco and petonciano, terms that are still used (Artusi calls eggplant Petonciani), though they are much less common than Melanzana.
In selecting eggplant, the standard rules apply: select eggplant that are firm and blemish free, and feel heavy for their size. Eggplant, which is, from a botanical standpoint, a berry, is fairly perishable, so you should plant to use it the day you buy it, or at the most the day after.
Eggplant comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from spherical to cylindrical, from tiny to enormous, and in a variety of colors. Smaller eggplant tend to be milder in flavor, while larger ones can have bitter overtones, which can be leached out by sprinkling the sliced eggplant with salt and letting it sit for a while in a colander. You will probably want to salt the eggplant in any case to remove some moisture, because eggplants become quite watery otherwise during cooking. In terms of what size to use, this depends upon what you are doing. If the eggplant is to be sliced or chopped, you can use smaller ones, whereas if you are planning to stuff your eggplant, you will want larger ones.
The Joy of Cooking notes that eggplant discolors quickly when sliced, unless it is sprinkled or rubbed with lemon juice, and suggests that it be cooked in enamel, glass, or stainless steel to combat this discoloration. It also notes that a pound of eggplant is equivalent to 3 cups diced.
Eggplant is extremely versatile, and works very well in antipasti, first courses, and side dishes, many of which can also double as a main course.
Personal favorites?
Grilled eggplant, Melanzane alla Griglia, which is quite simple to do and can also be made ahead.
Spaghetti alla Norma, a rich Sicilian tomato & eggplant pasta sauce named after Bellini's Norma. It's one of the earliest recipes I remember.
Melanzane alla Parmigiana, or Eggplant Parmesan:a glorious Neapolitan recipe that will work well (in small servings) as an antipasto, and is also nice as a side dish, though it can also work as a vegetarian main course. In the traditional recipe the eggplant is fried, but there are lighter variations that are also very good.
A collection of favorite eggplant recipes.
Italian Eggplant Pictures
Classic oblong eggplant
From Bruno's Vegetable patch
Striped eggplant in Florence's Mercato di San Lorenzo
They did less well in the cooler summers of the North, and indeed in the 1800s North Italians looked upon eggplant with suspicion, as Artusi noted in presenting it in La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene: He says they were hard to come by in Florentine markets when he was younger (he moved to Florence in the early 1850s, and published his book in 1891), and continues his introduction with, "Fried, eggplant goes well with fried fish; stewed, it goes well with boiled dinner; grilled over the coals, it goes well with steak, veal cutlets, or any sort of roast."
This is not the sort of introduction one would give to a popular vegetable, and from it I deduce that they were still relatively unknown in the North at the turn of the last century. Times have changed, and if you visit a north Italian market in the summer months you will find eggplant in abundance.
Before we get to advice on selecting eggplant, a couple of words about Melanzana, its Italian name. It derives from the Arab badingian; in some areas the prefix melo was added (melo-badingian), which with time became melangian and eventually Melanzana, whereas in others pedro was added, leading with time to petroncianco and petonciano, terms that are still used (Artusi calls eggplant Petonciani), though they are much less common than Melanzana.
In selecting eggplant, the standard rules apply: select eggplant that are firm and blemish free, and feel heavy for their size. Eggplant, which is, from a botanical standpoint, a berry, is fairly perishable, so you should plant to use it the day you buy it, or at the most the day after.
Eggplant comes in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from spherical to cylindrical, from tiny to enormous, and in a variety of colors. Smaller eggplant tend to be milder in flavor, while larger ones can have bitter overtones, which can be leached out by sprinkling the sliced eggplant with salt and letting it sit for a while in a colander. You will probably want to salt the eggplant in any case to remove some moisture, because eggplants become quite watery otherwise during cooking. In terms of what size to use, this depends upon what you are doing. If the eggplant is to be sliced or chopped, you can use smaller ones, whereas if you are planning to stuff your eggplant, you will want larger ones.
The Joy of Cooking notes that eggplant discolors quickly when sliced, unless it is sprinkled or rubbed with lemon juice, and suggests that it be cooked in enamel, glass, or stainless steel to combat this discoloration. It also notes that a pound of eggplant is equivalent to 3 cups diced.
Eggplant is extremely versatile, and works very well in antipasti, first courses, and side dishes, many of which can also double as a main course.
Personal favorites?
Grilled eggplant, Melanzane alla Griglia, which is quite simple to do and can also be made ahead.
Spaghetti alla Norma, a rich Sicilian tomato & eggplant pasta sauce named after Bellini's Norma. It's one of the earliest recipes I remember.
Melanzane alla Parmigiana, or Eggplant Parmesan:a glorious Neapolitan recipe that will work well (in small servings) as an antipasto, and is also nice as a side dish, though it can also work as a vegetarian main course. In the traditional recipe the eggplant is fried, but there are lighter variations that are also very good.
A collection of favorite eggplant recipes.
Italian Eggplant Pictures
Classic oblong eggplant
From Bruno's Vegetable patch
Striped eggplant in Florence's Mercato di San Lorenzo
Pronunciation: Meh-lahn-zah-nah
Peh-ton-cheeah-no
Peh-ton-cheeah-no
