Orido Nasu
On Sunday, one of the stitchers gave each of the rest of us an Orido Nasu, which is a type of eggplant grown in the Orido area, near where we live. I didn't know about this vegetable and its interesting history.
These eggplants are round and about the size of a tennis ball. During the Meiji period (1868 - 1912), growing this type of eggplant was discontinued because of its small harvest volume. For many years it was thought to be extinct, but in 2005, seeds were discovered in the national laboratory of the National Agriculture and Food Research Oganization (NARO). Only 50 seeds were given to the Shizuoka prefectural government that year. Those 50 seeds were given to only three farmer's households in the Orido area where they were originally grown, near Miho no Matsubara.
In 2007, they started selling the newly revived eggplant in Shizuoka and around Tokyo. Now they are being grown by (only) six farmer's households.
They are becoming very popular because of last year's Taiga drama on NHK about Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543 - 1616). It is reported that the eggplants from this area were offered to him and he regularly served them to guests at Sunpu Castle. It was believed at that time that eating from the first harvest of these vegetables would extend one's life by 75 days.
My image of eggplant was that of a difficult vegetable to prepare, so I never buy them. Following the simple microwave directions of the person who gave it to me, I was amazed! I cut it in half and microwaved, then scooped the eggplant out of the skin. It was so soft and creamy, not like the eggplant I've known before. I mixed the eggplant with spicy salsa and added parmesan cheese on top. It was so delicious!
6 comments:
That eggplant is awfully cute! And I'm glad to hear it was easy enough to cook. The way you did it sounds so delicious! I might have to try that method sometime -- although we probably have a different types here.
That's the problem with local produce, people from outside that area don't know how to prepare and eat it.
I'm often given 'strange' vegetables and fish and don't know if it can be eaten raw, or how long it needs to be cooked.
The recipe you got and the personal adjustments you made sound great. If possible, however, you should also eat the skin as it is rich in polyphenol.
Well I do love what we call an aubergine and the history of this one is fascinating. I have never microwaved one though - I usually slice, brush with olive oil and grill but there loads of things you can do with them. How long did you microwave for? xx
Orido-Nasu is round and cute, isn't it?
Japanese eggplants are delicious vegetables with different shapes, colors, and textures depending on where they are grown.
Kyoto’s Mizunasu is bigger, rounder and cute that Orido-Nasu.
I love eggplant.🍆
There are many farmers in Shizuoka and other prefectures who continue to grow traditional vegetables.
I'm glad you were able to eat eggplant deliciously and easily.🙌
The eggplant here are bigger and longer and don't have much taste to me. We used to slice them and put salt on to draw out a lot of moisture, then crumb and cook like a schnitzel. (When #1 son was vegetarian)
I'm not a big fan of eggplant, but I heard the Japanese varieties are very different from our European ones. Never sen this one before, though, what an interesting history!
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