21 of the Best Japanese (Asian) Eggplant Varieties

Japanese eggplants have lengthy, slender fruit, with skinny skins and few seeds.

The delicate, delicately flavored flesh is much less bitter than a number of the varieties you’ll usually discover within the grocery retailer.

Some like to differentiate “Japanese eggplant” as a separate class of “Asian eggplant,” however very often the 2 phrases are used interchangeably to discuss with the lengthy, slender, thin-skinned varieties.

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Many growers refer merely to “Asian kind” eggplants when describing these – and I’m going to observe their instance all through this text.

Eggplants are members of the nightshade household, which incorporates tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes.

Together with their distinctive form and taste, many of those varieties are early-maturing, bearing fruit simply two months after transplanting.

And usually, these crops are typically vigorous, rising as much as 4 toes tall, and high-yielding – making them very engaging for the house gardener.

Our information to rising eggplant has all you might want to get began in the event you haven’t cultivated them earlier than.

On this article I’ll be 21 completely different Asian eggplant varieties – a few of that are Japanese, a few of that are Chinese language, some Indian, and a few bred within the US.

Earlier than we get began on our world tour, right here’s an outline of what I’ll cowl:

Asian eggplant with darkish purple to black pores and skin colours are inclined to originate primarily in Japan.

Usually from China, the brilliant purple varieties are simply as tender and attractive because the darkish purple ones.

The pastel, pink and lavender cultivars of Asian-type eggplants are price making an attempt – if for nothing aside from their enchanting colours.

Inexperienced eggplants are common all through Asia, the place they appear to be simply as widespread as purple varieties.

1. Bangladeshi Lengthy

‘Bangladeshi Lengthy’ is a prolific heirloom that’s native to Bangladesh.

Its eight-inch-long, barely curved fruits are hanging – they’ve a grayish inexperienced coloration with purple streaks.

These thin-skinned veggies are by no means bitter and have a scrumptious, delicate taste.

They’re excellent to be used in Indian-inspired delicacies, corresponding to this spicy eggplant curry recipe that yow will discover on our sister website, Foodal.

The big, sturdy crops of ‘Bangladeshi Lengthy’ attain 48 inches tall, and bear fruit 75 to 80 days after transplanting.

2. Black Egg

This Japanese heirloom selection produces spherical, egg-shaped fruits which might be darkish purple, virtually black in coloration, with a black calyx.

Tender, four- to five-inch-long fruit with a light, candy taste develop on compact, vigorous crops that mature to only three toes tall.

‘Black Egg’

Very best for container rising, ‘Black Egg’ matures in 60 to 65 days.

You could find seeds for ‘Black Egg’ in a wide range of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.

3. Choryoku

‘Choryoku’ is a Japanese hybrid. The 12-inch-long fruit have vibrant inexperienced skins and a inexperienced calyx.

The fruits develop lengthy and straight with a agency texture, and they’re candy and attractive – excellent for broiling or grilling.

‘Choryoku’

Rising on vigorous, prolific crops, ‘Choryoku’ will mature in 80 days.

‘Choryoku’ seeds can be found from True Leaf Market.

4. Fengyuan Purple

An heirloom open-pollinated selection from Taiwan, ‘Fengyuan Purple’ is a uncommon cultivar.

The lengthy, slender, cylindrical fruits can develop as much as 12 inches lengthy, and are vibrant purple with a purple calyx.

The flesh is creamy white, free from bitter compounds, and the pores and skin is skinny and delicate.

An early maturing selection, ‘Fengyuan Purple’ might be harvested after simply 65 days.

5. Finger Fruit

‘Finger Fruit,’ also referred to as ‘Little Finger,’ is an heirloom cultivar that produces petite, darkish purple eggplants that develop on inexperienced stems.

The shiny purple fruits of this open-pollinated selection develop in clusters and have blunt ends.

They are often harvested when they’re simply three to 6 inches lengthy – beginning 60 days after transplanting.

‘Little Finger’

These tiny, slim eggplants are tender, with skinny pores and skin and few seeds. The flesh has a mildly candy taste.

‘Finger Fruit’ seeds can be found in packets of varied sizes from Excessive Mowing Natural Seeds.

6. Inexperienced Knight

A hybrid selection, ‘Inexperienced Knight’ bears green-skinned fruit that attain seven to 10 inches lengthy. They’re delicate in taste, with few seeds and a meaty texture.

An early-maturing selection, you’ll be harvesting the succulent fruit from these 34- to 36-inch crops in simply 55 to 60 days.

‘Inexperienced Knight’

You could find packets of 30 seeds, or bundles of three ‘Inexperienced Knight’ crops, obtainable at Burpee.

7. Hari

An Indian hybrid, ‘Hari’ has waxy inexperienced, skinny pores and skin and grows from inexperienced stems.

Fruits attain seven to 10 inches lengthy, and have tender flesh with a light taste and no trace of bitterness.

An ultra-early maturing selection, ‘Hari’ will probably be prepared to reap in simply 50 days.

8. Ichiban

‘Ichiban’ is a Japanese hybrid that loves sizzling climate, however may also thrive in cooler climates – and it bears fruit all through to the primary autumn frost.

Its identify means “finest” in Japanese, and lots of gardeners agree that that is on the high of their Asian eggplant checklist!

‘Ichiban’ produces slim, purplish-black, 10-inch-long fruits on purple stems.

The fruits have skinny skins with a fragile, candy, and delicate taste, and a succulent texture.

Crops develop in an upright kind, reaching three to 4 toes tall, and two to 3 toes vast at maturity.

‘Ichiban’

They carry out effectively in containers, and they’re prolific and really early, bearing fruit simply 50 to 60 days after transplanting – with 12 fruits per plant, on common.

You could find ‘Ichiban’ crops in four-inch pots from Bonnie Crops through House Depot.

9. Japanese Pickling

The longest Asian eggplant amongst my choice, the fruits of ‘Japanese Pickling’ can attain an astonishing 22 to 26 inches in size!

Shiny to darkish purple in coloration, these are lengthy, skinny, and barely curved – measuring simply 2 inches in diameter.

‘Japanese Pickling’ eggplant are candy and mellow tasting with creamy, meaty flesh – and as their identify suggests, they lend themselves completely to pickling.

‘Japanese Pickling’

A mid-season cultivar, ‘Japanese Pickling’ has a great germination charge, and involves maturity 75 to 85 days from transplanting.

You could find seeds in a wide range of packet sizes obtainable from True Leaf Market.

10. Kurume Lengthy

Hailing from the town of Kurume in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture, ‘Kurume Lengthy’ is an open-pollinated cultivar that bears shiny, nine- to 10-inch-long black fruit on black stems.

The delicate, delicate fruits of ‘Kurume Lengthy’ are glorious for making tempura or for pickling.

‘Kurume Lengthy’

This cultivar is vigorous and matures very early – simply 60 days from transplanting.

‘Kurume Lengthy’ seeds can be found in a wide range of packet sizes from True Leaf Market.

11. Lengthy Asian

With lengthy purple fruits which have a candy, succulent style with no trace of bitterness, ‘Lengthy Asian’ is an open-pollinated selection.

‘Lengthy Asian’ bears tender and scrumptious fruit that develop to eight to 10 inches lengthy.

‘Lengthy Asian’

‘Lengthy Asian’ fruits will probably be prepared to reap – and throw on the grill – about 60 days after transplanting.

You could find seeds in a wide range of packet sizes obtainable from Eden Brothers.

12. Machiaw

‘Machiaw’ is a hybrid selection that bears pale purple to deep pink fruit.

‘Machiaw’ was one of many winners for finest Asian kind eggplant in Purdue College’s 2008 Eggplant Selection Trial in central Missouri.