Many western cooks are familiar only with the large, fat, purple eggplants also known as aubergines. But in cities such as Hong Kong, the long, narrow Chinese and Japanese varieties are available in abundance. In fact, there are dozens of types of eggplants, in many sizes, shapes and colours.
What are they? Although they're treated as a vegetable and used in savoury preparations, they're a fruit, botanically speaking.
Season: they're available year-round.
Where are they grown? Lots of places, including India, China, Japan, Thailand, Italy, Greece, the Middle East, Brazil, Bulgaria and Russia.
How to choose? Pick eggplants that are heavy for their size and have smooth, firm skin with no soft spots.
How to store? Wrap them in plastic and store in the fridge.
