This year brought a cold winter to Israel, and the fact I can’t really hike drove me back to the kitchen. I was always fascinated by the variety of dishes made with, or out of Eggplants. Eggplant is kind of a taste that grows on you (and around you, if you live in the Middle East). Most kids tend to stay away from Eggplant dishes; maybe it’s the complex texture or the in inherent bitterness that people tend to appreciate better as they mature.

Eggplant eaters all have their tricks for a proper pickup. Yet, weather it’s the complexion of the skin, the curvatures of it’s figure, or the measured weight in your palm – you can never ever tell the true nature of an eggplant before you cut it open.

The most challenging of the Eggplant dishes is also the simplest: grilled eggplants. With fried or backed eggplants, you first cut the fruit, and if you see the dark clusters of the seeds you know it’s hopeless. But a good grilled eggplants salad is a mystery.

I wash the aubergine skin and watch the light playing reflection tricks as the water drops away from the tied skin. I puncture eggplant softly and put it on the hissing grill. The grill must be burning red, as it scorches one side of the eggplant and than the other. I then take it off, and let it cool down at a slight angle to let the bitter juices flow out. Than comes the moment. You can be absently minded as you cut the burned skin, or enjoy an instant thrill of discovery a second before finding if your efforts were in vain. No matter how many times you did it before, you can never truly know the outcome until you reach the point.

Eggplant originates in India, sister to one of the most common heeling herbs in India. It is widely spread in Asia through East Europe. The Eggplant is a close relative to tomato, potato and… tobacco. They are all part of Solanceae Family.

Eggplant is a fruit and botanically it is a berry.  The bitterness in the seeds are nicotine alkaloids.  It’s purple skin hints of anti-aging capabilities.  It is a fruit and a toxin all in one.

Eggplant is called ‘Aubergine’ in UK. The word is French, originating from the Catalan word ‘Alberginia’ , originating from Arabic, originating from the Sanskrit word ‘Vatiga-Gama’ : which means… : ‘Egg Plant’.

There you go:  a full circle in meaning. The tao of things.

But sometimes an Eggplant is just an Eggplant.