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Chinese Eggplant Delivery or Pickup
The Instacart guide to Chinese eggplant
About Chinese eggplant
As its name implies, this fruit comes from Asia and is widely grown in China. Variations of Chinese eggplant also grow in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, among other countries. You can get Chinese eggplant throughout the year, although it might not be available in some locations because it's considered a specialty produce item. If you can't find it at your regular grocery store, use the Instacart app to check local shops specializing in ethnic foods! You might also be able to find it at your local farmer's market.
While Chinese eggplant is technically a fruit, most people tend to think of it and use it more like a vegetable. This eggplant variety has very few seeds and a mild yet sweet flavor. Its violet to dark purple skin color is appealing and makes it stand out on the shelves in your local grocer's produce department. Inside, the flesh is white and firm. The fruit can grow to be around 8 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. While it can have a crook, it's more often straight.
The Chinese eggplant's skin is thin, making it easy to slice and add to various dishes. Plus, it cooks quickly and holds its shape when preparing, making it a great addition to a stir-fry. It's often used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat toothaches, sores, fevers, and intestinal disorders. When using Chinese eggplant for medicinal uses, people incorporate the roots and leaves of the plant along with the fruit.
Add Chinese eggplant to your cart via the Instacart app, and an Instacart shopper will deliver it to you the same day. You might even get it brought to your door in as little as 2 hours on those busy days when you don't have time to stop at the store yourself!
How to pick out Chinese eggplant
Choosing the best Chinese eggplant is easy. Look for fruits that are firm yet glossy with a deep, rich violet or purple color. Avoid Chinese eggplant that has scarring or visible damage to its surface, which can happen easily because the skin is so thin. A good Chinese eggplant should feel heavy for its size, as it's a dense, meaty fruit with hardly any seeds. If you're uncertain about selecting your own Chinese eggplant, take advantage of the Instacart app, and have a knowledgeable Instacart shopper do the job for you!
Because Chinese eggplant has delicate skin, it won't stay fresh for long. When you get your Chinese eggplant delivered, put it in a container in the refrigerator. When kept in a cool, dry place, your Chinese eggplant should be good for up to a week.
How to prepare Chinese eggplant
To enjoy Chinese eggplant, you'll need to cook it. This versatile fruit is best when baked, but it's also popular in stir-fries because of its ability to cook rapidly and keep its shape throughout the process. You can also grill, saute, and braise your Chinese eggplant. It works well in dishes that use summer squash and tomatoes, or you can add it to hardy greens for a meaty addition to a vegetarian meal.
Chinese eggplant goes nicely in both sweet and spicy dishes, and you can pair it with flavors such as garlic, ginger, cumin, and basil. A few recipe ideas include:
- Shrimp with Chinese eggplant and garlic sauce
- Curried Chinese eggplant with tomatoes and basil
- Chinese eggplant and tofu stir-fry
- Fried spicy Chinese eggplant with rice
These are just some of the savory and delicious ways you can incorporate Chinese eggplant into a unique and satisfying meal.
Chinese Eggplant Near Me
Buy your favorite Chinese Eggplant online with Instacart. Order Chinese Eggplant from local and national retailers near you and enjoy on-demand, contactless delivery or pickup within 2 hours.
FAQs about Chinese eggplant
While Chinese eggplant is a form of eggplant, it does differ slightly from the standard eggplant most people are used to seeing in the produce department. Aside from being longer and thinner than a traditional eggplant, Chinese eggplant lacks the bitterness of most eggplant varieties, as it has very few seeds. Another difference is you don't peel Chinese eggplant. Because its skin is thin and delicate, you can cook and eat it with the skin intact. This is one of the reasons Chinese eggplant is so easy to prepare.
As with many fruits, Chinese eggplants have a variety of health benefits and are great sources of vitamins and minerals. The fruit's purple skin means it's high in antioxidants, which help fight free radicals in your body and can reduce your risk of getting cancer. It also has vitamin B6 to maintain brain function and improve how well your immune system works. Chinese eggplant contains healthy levels of manganese, iron, and potassium, as well. Its high fiber content helps with digestion and can improve heart health by lowering cholesterol.