On Food and Cooking

and orange-and purple-skinned, pea-and
cucumber-and melon-sized, very mild and
intensely bitter. Most market types are
colored with purple anthocyanins, while a
different species (S. aethiopicum) provides the
orange carotenoid types. All eggplants have a
spongy interior, with many tiny air pockets
between cells. When cooked, the air pockets
collapse and the flesh consolidates into a fine-
textured mass, sometimes creamy (most
Asian varieties) and sometimes meaty (most
European varieties) depending on the variety,
maturity, and preparation. In baked casseroles
— the Greek moussaka and Italian eggplant
parmigiana — eggplant slices retain some
structure; in the Middle Eastern dip baba
ghanoush, grilled pureed eggplant provides
the smooth, melting body that carries the
flavors of sesame paste, lemon juice, and
garlic.
Eggplant’s spongy structure has two
notable consequences for the cook. One is that