eggplant (African, Asian, green Thai) African eggplant are used in slow-cooked dishes in Senegal. Called diakatou in Wolof, these green firm vegetables look a little like a green tomato with tight pleats or wrinkles radiating down from the stem end. They have an agreeably bitter taste. Substitute green Thai eggplant, green tomatoes, or tomatillos. Asian eggplants are long (six to twelve inches), narrow, and pale violet or dark purple. They are used in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and other East Asian cooking and can be found in East Asian groceries and in well-stocked produce sections of large grocery stores, unlike Mediterranean eggplant, they need no preliminary salting to draw out bitterness. Small green Thai eggplant are one of many varieties used in Thai cooking. Pale green and the size of a large cherry tomato, they may be slow-cooked or used raw. They are available in Southeast Asian groceries.
