Taming Eggplant's Bitter Bite

Ever wonder why eggplant sometimes makes your mouth tingle? So did we.

Eggplants are members of the botanical genus Solanum, a group commonly referred to as nightshades. (Tomatoes and peppers are also in this genus.) Plants in this group often have chemical defenses such as bitter-tasting alkaloids or even, in some cases, poisons. A common example of such a chemical defense is capsaicin, which gives hot peppers their burn. Selective breeding has reduced or eliminated most of these chemicals in many cultivated members of the genus, but bitter alkaloids, which can cause a tingling sensation, are often found in mature eggplants. The bitter alkaloids in eggplant are concentrated in the seeds.

THE BOTTOM LINE:  To avoid tingling, select eggplants that are medium-size or smaller. If you’re stuck with a large eggplant, slice or cube it, place the pieces in a colander, toss them with salt, and let them sit for 30 minutes to drain. Quickly rinse and thoroughly dry the eggplant before cooking. The salt masks some of the bitterness.