Cookbook:Garden Egg
Garden Egg | |
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Category | Vegetables |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients | Vegetables
The garden egg, gilo eggplant, or guinea squash is a small, specific variety of eggplant native to Sub-Saharan Africa.[1][2]
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]Garden eggs are small and ovular, much like their namesake the egg.[1][2] Their skin is white in the 'immature' stage, after which they fully mature to yellow-red or, rarely, purple to black—however, they are primarily consumed in their white stage.[1][2] Uncooked, they have a crunchy texture with a mild bitter flavor.[3] Cooked, their spongy flesh absorbs the surrounding flavor of the dish.[1]
Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]When fresh, garden egg is best stored around 50°F.[1] The vegetable can also be dried and stored for up to three months at room temperature.[1][2]
Uses
[edit | edit source]Garden egg fruit, stems, and leaves can all be eaten.[1][2] The fruit can be eaten raw,[1][2] although it is most commonly cooked.[3] It can be simmered in soups and stews, grilled, mashed, and sautéed. It is widely used across Africa,[2] though otherwise limited to this continent and its diaspora communities.
Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d e f g h "Garden Egg | WorldCrops". worldcrops.org. Retrieved 2024-08-25.
- ↑ a b c d e f g National Research Council (U.S.); National Research Council (U.S.), eds. (1996). Lost crops of Africa. Vol. I. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. ISBN 978-0-309-04990-0.
- ↑ a b "Garden Egg Eggplant". specialtyproduce.com. Retrieved 2024-08-25.