There are many varieties of eggplant and the vegetable is very versatile so it can be cooked a number of ways including (but not limited to): poach, saute, stir fry, deep fry, bake, roast, and grill.
Eggplants originate from Asia and there are plenty of non-Western dishes that can be made beyond the stereotypical casserole or vegetable stew (e.g., ratatouille).
I do believe that some cooking techniques lend themselves better to certain cultivars so when I'm at the farmers market, I will select a variety based on imagined usage will be. I typically favor the Asian varieties including the one marketed as "Japanese eggplant" here in the USA. That's a gross oversimplification since the Japanese themselves enjoy different cultivars including the highly prized "Kamo nasu" (which originates from the Kyoto Prefecture).
The one variety I avoid is the American globe eggplant which is one of the least flavorful varieties.
on eggplants but it should be noted that this is no way comprehensive. At my farmers market there are various eggplants marketed with a wide array of names (e.g., Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Japanese) but the actual variety names are rarely used.
Here in the USA, there are easily available seeds for maybe 30-40 cultivars and when I go to the plant nursery there are probably seedlings for at least 8-10 of the most popular.
Anyhow, pick an eggplant and then decide on a cooking method!
I am not familiar with Ukrainian eggplants but that's not surprising since there are hundreds of eggplant cultivars and I'm mostly aware of a couple dozen since they are typically so poorly labeled in local groceries and even the farmers market.
As far as I know, Ukrainian lecho's base ingredient is bell pepper not eggplant.
There are certainly Ukrainian food bloggers on the Internet so I suggest you fire up a search engine and visit those sites for further information.
The flavor is affected by multiple factors: the cultivar itself, the person growing it, the terroir/soil, growing season (temperature, sunlight, rain/irrigation).
There are certain stands at my farmers market that I favor because the growers reliably offer tasty _____ week after week, season after season (and not just eggplants).
A method approach would to acquire a selection of different eggplants at the farmers market, roast or grill them and do your own taste test.
For sure, the standard globe eggplant found in American supermarkets has been bred for fast growth, high yield, appearance, size (since the American consumer favors huge produce), pest resistance, easy transport. Flavor quality is often compromised.
When an American cook (TV, Internet, whatever) says that eggplants don't taste like anything, that's because they are referring to the supermarket eggplant which is the blandest variety by a mile.
In fact, you can taste the quality of a raw eggplant just by taking a bite you do with an apple. I often wrap whole eggplants (the smaller Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian ones) in foil and grill.
Well nurtured eggplants from other cultivars can be very flavorful without being drowned in gallons of tomato sauce, garlic, cream, and cheese. You don't need that stuff if you pick a flavorful variety.
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Eggplants originate from Asia and there are plenty of non-Western dishes that can be made beyond the stereotypical casserole or vegetable stew (e.g., ratatouille).
I do believe that some cooking techniques lend themselves better to certain cultivars so when I'm at the farmers market, I will select a variety based on imagined usage will be. I typically favor the Asian varieties including the one marketed as "Japanese eggplant" here in the USA. That's a gross oversimplification since the Japanese themselves enjoy different cultivars including the highly prized "Kamo nasu" (which originates from the Kyoto Prefecture).
The one variety I avoid is the American globe eggplant which is one of the least flavorful varieties.
The Spruce Eats website has a primer:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/types-of-eggplant-2216262
on eggplants but it should be noted that this is no way comprehensive. At my farmers market there are various eggplants marketed with a wide array of names (e.g., Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Japanese) but the actual variety names are rarely used.
Here in the USA, there are easily available seeds for maybe 30-40 cultivars and when I go to the plant nursery there are probably seedlings for at least 8-10 of the most popular.
Anyhow, pick an eggplant and then decide on a cooking method!
As far as I know, Ukrainian lecho's base ingredient is bell pepper not eggplant.
There are certainly Ukrainian food bloggers on the Internet so I suggest you fire up a search engine and visit those sites for further information.
Best of luck.
The flavor is affected by multiple factors: the cultivar itself, the person growing it, the terroir/soil, growing season (temperature, sunlight, rain/irrigation).
There are certain stands at my farmers market that I favor because the growers reliably offer tasty _____ week after week, season after season (and not just eggplants).
A method approach would to acquire a selection of different eggplants at the farmers market, roast or grill them and do your own taste test.
For sure, the standard globe eggplant found in American supermarkets has been bred for fast growth, high yield, appearance, size (since the American consumer favors huge produce), pest resistance, easy transport. Flavor quality is often compromised.
When an American cook (TV, Internet, whatever) says that eggplants don't taste like anything, that's because they are referring to the supermarket eggplant which is the blandest variety by a mile.
In fact, you can taste the quality of a raw eggplant just by taking a bite you do with an apple. I often wrap whole eggplants (the smaller Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian ones) in foil and grill.
Well nurtured eggplants from other cultivars can be very flavorful without being drowned in gallons of tomato sauce, garlic, cream, and cheese. You don't need that stuff if you pick a flavorful variety.