Eggplants come purple, white, lavender, orange, streaked, cylindrical or pear-shaped with flavours ranging from bitter to sweet, giving the cook plenty of options in the kitchen. Thai pea eggplants are an exciting heirloom of exotic old Siam and are round, green and the size of peas with fruit hanging in clusters of 10-15. They have a wonderful, strong, rich eggplant taste, perfect for stir-frying, relish, pickles, soups and curries. Thai eggplants are quick to grow and give a 'wow' factor at a banquet. Watch out when you eat them in a dish that is hot - they can explode when you bite into them and be hotter than the rest of the meal.

Originating in tropical Asia, eggplant quickly spread to India and the Mediterranean. Known as 'aubergine' in France, 'brinjal' in India, 'melanzana' in Italy, and 'Makua' in Thailand, it is used as a vegetable, although it is correctly called a fruit.

Growing instructions

Eggplants need a long hot summer to grow well. They need full sun and good drainage and can brave hot, humid days better than any other vegetable. And because the smaller the eggplant the quicker they are to grow, the Thai pea eggplant takes 10 weeks to harvest and the tall plants yield loads of fruit. Eggplants may also be grown in pots, with a quality potting mix. You'll need to prepare your soil before planting out eggplant seedlings and heavily manure the soil before planting. If the soil is acidic, add a dressing of lime or dolomite. Then add a little potash to the soil to encourage the eggplants to flower.

In the kitchen

Thai pea eggplants can be stir-fried, pickled, thrown in curries and made into relish. They are barbecue vegetable of choice for vegetarians and are delicious barbecued until cooked and added to Thai curry. Or mix barbecued fruit with chopped tomatoes, a little tahini and fresh parsley and serve with pan-fried fish.

Eggplant tips

• Eggplant should be grown during the hottest part of the year. Plant out seedlings in early summer so that your eggplant will fruit through summer and on into autumn.
• While fruit is forming, water deeply at regular intervals. Fruit will continue to form from late January through to May.
• Large varieties of eggplant take up to 12 weeks to mature and you will need to stake the stems for support as the fruit can get quite heavy.
• Harvest fruit when it reaches a glossy, rich colour and is soft when pressed. Cut the stem with secateurs, leaving a short stem attached, and take care to avoid the sharp spines on the calyx and leaves.
• Don't leave fruit on the bush too long, eggplant seeds will begin to harden and turn brown, and the flesh will become quite bitter.
• Once picked, eggplants will keep only a week or so in the fridge, so be sure to pick them when you know you will have some time to use them.
• In temperate, frost-free regions eggplants will continue as perrenials for several years.

This information kindly provided by the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia.