Wondering what to do with japanese eggplants? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 23 recipes to put them to work.

What are japanese eggplants?

Japanese eggplants are the long, slender, deep-purple eggplants that look like a fat finger rather than the round globe variety. Most run 6 to 10 inches long and only an inch or two across, with thin skin and pale, creamy flesh.

That thin skin and the small, sparse seeds are the whole reason cooks reach for them. There's far less of the bitterness people associate with big globe eggplant, so you can skip the salting-and-draining step entirely and cook them as they are.

The flesh also turns silky fast. Where a globe eggplant can stay spongy and raw in the middle, a thin Japanese eggplant collapses into tenderness in a few minutes of heat.

How to Cook Japanese Eggplant

Stir-frying is the natural home for this shape. Cut the eggplant on a steep diagonal into half-inch ovals so each piece has plenty of cut surface, then sear it hot and fast in a little oil.

Eggplant with Tofu, Garlic Eggplant (Vegan), and Eggplant with Spicy Meat all build a sauce around that quick-cooked silkiness.

Grilling is the other classic. Halve the eggplants lengthwise, score the cut face in a crosshatch, then brush with oil and grill until the flesh slumps. Grilled Japanese Eggplants does exactly this and finishes with a savory glaze.

A miso glaze is the move worth learning. Whisk miso with a little sugar and mirin, brush it onto grilled or broiled halves, and run them under the broiler until the top caramelizes and bubbles.

The one thing to know going in: eggplant drinks oil. Get the pan genuinely hot before the pieces go down so they sear instead of soaking, and resist the urge to keep adding more oil to a cold, crowded pan.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Japanese eggplant takes strong, savory flavors well. Soy, miso, garlic, ginger, sesame, and chili are the East Asian core, while basil and ripe tomato and good olive oil pull it toward the Mediterranean. Imam Baldi stuffs split eggplants with a sweet tomato-and-onion mixture in that second register.

It also loves a little meat or a rich protein nearby. Eggplant with Chicken (Or Tofu) and Linguine with Chicken & Eggplant both let the soft eggplant carry a meaty, garlicky sauce.

The biggest mistake is undercooking. Eggplant is unpleasant when it's spongy and squeaky, and genuinely good only once it's fully soft and creamy, so cook it past the point where it looks done.

The second mistake is salting it like a globe eggplant, which is wasted effort here and only draws out moisture you wanted to keep.

Substitutes

Chinese eggplant is the closest match. It has the same long shape and thin skin, usually a paler lavender, and behaves identically in a stir-fry or on the grill. Swap one for one.

Slender Italian or fairytale eggplants also work, though they're a touch firmer. Indian baby eggplants are good for stuffing but cook differently because of their round shape.

A globe eggplant will do in a pinch, but adjust for its character. Peel it if the skin seems thick, salt and drain it for 30 minutes to pull bitterness, and cut it a little smaller, since it takes longer to turn tender.

Buying and Storing

Choose eggplants that feel firm and heavy for their size with taut, glossy skin. A dull or wrinkled skin means age, and a soft spot means the flesh underneath has started to go. The stem and cap should look fresh and green, not dried and brown.

Smaller and slimmer is better. A younger Japanese eggplant has fewer seeds and sweeter flesh, while an oversized one trends seedy and slightly bitter.

Store them at cool room temperature and use within a day or two for best texture. Eggplant is sensitive to cold and actually suffers in the fridge, where temperatures below about 50°F (10°C) cause pitting and soft brown spots within a few days.

If you must refrigerate, keep them in the warmest part, loosely bagged so they don't sweat, and plan to cook them soon. Cut eggplant browns quickly once exposed to air, so slice it just before it hits the pan rather than ahead of time.

Quick facts

In Chinese

日本茄子

British (UK) term

Japanese eggplants

en français

aubergines japonais

en español

berenjenas japonesas

Recipes using japanese eggplants

There are 23 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 23 recipes