Eggplant, also known as Lu Su, is the fruit of the eggplant plant (*Solanum melongena*), an annual herb. Native to Southeast Asia, it was introduced to China during the Western Han Dynasty and has been cultivated for over two thousand years. Eggplant is grown throughout China, is a popular food, and has high medicinal value for preventing and treating various diseases.
China has a wide variety of eggplant types and is considered the secondary center of origin for eggplant. The two main types of eggplant widely cultivated in China are the round type, common in the north, and the long type, mainly cultivated in the south.
【How to Select】
The age of the eggplant greatly affects its quality. Eggplants should be eaten when young, not old. A reliable way to judge the age is to look at the size of the eggplant's "eye": the white, slightly greenish band-shaped ring at the junction of the calyx and the fruit, which farmers call the eggplant's "eye". The larger the eye, the younger the eggplant. At the same time, a young eggplant feels sticky when cooked and has a shiny appearance. The best time to consume eggplant is in May and June.
【Nutritional Content】
Contains carbohydrates, vitamins, flavonoids, fat, protein, nasunin, calcium, phosphorus, shisonin, etc.
【Medicinal Effects】
(1) In Traditional Chinese Medicine, eggplant is considered sweet and cold in nature, and acts on the spleen, stomach, and large intestine meridians. It is said to promote blood circulation, resolve stasis, clear heat, reduce swelling, and relax the bowels. It is applicable to intestinal bleeding with hemorrhoids, toxic sores, and skin ulcers.
(2) Eggplant contains flavonoids, which have antioxidant functions, can prevent cancerous cell changes, lower cholesterol levels in the blood, prevent arteriosclerosis, regulate blood pressure, and protect the heart. Purple-skinned eggplant is particularly beneficial for patients with hypertension, hemoptysis, and skin purpura.
(3) The eggplant skin contains pigments such as nasunin and shisonin. Modern medical research has proven that these substances have certain biological activities and are very beneficial to human health.
【How to Eat】
Eggplant can be eaten cold in salads, stir-fried, dried, or pickled. The pickled variety is of excellent quality and was once a tribute item during the Qing Dynasty. Eating eggplant stew in winter is aromatic, whets the appetite, and has anti-cancer properties. Common ways to eat eggplant include braised eggplant and pickled garlic eggplant.
The method for making pickled garlic eggplant in the imperial kitchens of past dynasties was unparalleled, differing greatly from the method used by common people. The ingredients are simply eggplant, garlic, and salt. The method is as follows: first, wash the eggplant, steam it in a pot until it is nine-tenths cooked, then take it out to cool, and tear it into strips. Place the strips in an enamel basin. Next, mix the minced garlic with salt and blend it into the eggplant in the enamel basin, stirring gently. Finally, place it in a ceramic jar and seal it with kraft paper. Store it in a place at 36°C, and it can be opened and eaten after 24 hours.
【Contraindications】
Not suitable for patients with tuberculosis or arthritis.