Day 354

White Eggplant: One recurring theme during this blog has been me attempting several different varieties of the same food. A great example of that is eggplant, and before I started all this, I never knew how many types there were. I like eggplant in general, so it's been fun to find out how all of them differ. When I saw this white variety at the Buford Highway Farmers Market a few days ago, I knew it was something I had to try. I'd never seen it anywhere else, and I was curious to find out if the unusual white color resulted in a completely different taste.

I decided to give this one a go tonight as a side with my dinner, and I kept the prep simple. I sliced it thin, then sauteed it with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. After slicing, I noticed that it wasn't nearly as seedy as other varieties of eggplant I've eaten. All of the seeds were concentrated towards the bottom end, and they were harder to spot due to their pale color. The interior flesh was almost the same color as the outside, which surprised me.

After heating it in the pan for a few minutes on each side, it turned from white to a bit more yellow. The skin actually turned brown in a few spots, but it wasn't burnt. The flavor wasn't too different from its purple counterpart, but the interior was actually a little softer and sweeter than the varieties I'd tried before. It tasted like, well, eggplant - nothing much new to report. Good, but it didn't offer the new experience I was hoping for. I'm still not sure what causes the bright white color, so if any of my readers know, I'd love to hear from you.

I just realized that this white eggplant was probably the last fresh produce I'll write about during the blog. Everything else I have planned is either pre-packaged or a restaurant find, so I guess this post was more meaningful than I first thought.