In summer, they reign supreme in the garden, used in countless recipes to make the most of this seasonal vegetable, despite it now being available year-round. We're talking about eggplants, the star of tasty dishes ranging from hearty parmigiana to lighter grilled vegetables: they're versatile in the kitchen and boast a variety of beneficial properties, especially as a source of fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. It can happen—and not uncommonly—that when you bite into an eggplant, your tongue starts to sting. Why does this happen? Although it seems like a mystery, there's obviously an answer.
Why Do Eggplants Sting (Or Taste Bitter)?
The tingling sensation is linked to solanine, a substance naturally present in various vegetables from the Solanaceae family, which also includes potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. It is an alkaloid that plants produce to defend themselves from insects and parasites: when ingested by humans, it can cause this uncomfortable sensation. In fact, although solanine is toxic to our body, it is not truly dangerous, since we would have to ingest it in massive doses to experience consequences such as nausea or intestinal disorders. We notice it is there because we can feel it on the tongue: it is often found concentrated in eggplants when they are young and unripe, since its quantity is inversely proportional to ripeness; in large varieties, with thick, dark skin and rich in seeds, it is more likely to be present in greater quantities than in smaller, elongated varieties. Furthermore, solanine is the main component that gives the typical bitter taste, not as pleasant as in other vegetables where the bitterness and pungency are a distinctive and valuable note, for example in arugula or radishes.
What are the remedies? First of all, focus on fresh vegetables and store them carefully if you don't use them immediately. Then, be careful when cooking: eggplants, like potatoes, should never be eaten raw or undercooked. Whether fried, grilled, or baked, the loss of moisture helps lower the solanine level, as well as making the texture pleasant. Another technique that, as they say in family parlance, "removes the bitterness" is the good old grandma's trick: slice the eggplant, sprinkle it with coarse salt, place it under a weight, and then let it "purge" for half an hour, thus making the flesh sweeter. It's not always mandatory, but if you have any doubts about the taste, it's a simple step that improves the final result of your recipe.
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