Ping Tung quickly became a favorite around here. The shape makes it easy to handle and use in the kitchen and its flavor is exceptional. The plant does extremely well overall in the north. It sets fruit earlier than most varieties and keeps producing into the fall, and even though the fruits are smaller, the overall yield is higher. Harvest fruits when young, about 4" for a delicate treat, or let them grow full size to 12-15" long. When we contacted artist Aster Hung about helping to tell the story of this eggplant from Ping Tung we lucked out. She was in Taiwan! "I just picked up two healthy Ping Tung eggplants from our local market," she wrote. "Ping Tung eggplants are the standard eggplant in Taiwan. This scene is a combination of the daily street markets where my grandmother and I buy almost all of our groceries, and the evening night markets. My favorite way of eating these is cooked then chilled with a dash of soy sauce, freshly chopped garlic, and small pepper slices."
