Eggplant, Explained

Thus far I’ve talked a lot about how, growing up, I was a picky eater. I made no exceptions for eggplant. In between my gloriously repetitive peanut butter and jellies -- if there was an in between -- I had little patience for vegetables, especially stewed, vaguely spongy ones.

Much later, I tasted it for a second time in a restaurant where I worked. It was a side that went with chicken, soft and slouchy and long-cooked into submission. That was it -- I fell hard for eggplant. If you have too, Zester Daily sheds a little light on the vegetable, getting to the bottom of its mysterious origins, (example of note: medieval doctors warned patients that it would cause cancer and freckles) and most importantly, gives us a recipe. Try Badhinjan Mahsi, a 10th century dish flavored simply with caraway and vinegar, while markets are still overflowing with the stuff.

The Secret to Medieval Eggplant from Zester Daily