This is a superb early maturing, disease-resistant eggplant from the city of Ping Tung, Taiwan. It is one of the only eggplants to do well in our Zone 4 garden. Long, slender, light purple eggplants grow to about 12 inches long. Fruits are sweet and tender. And the plant itself is beautiful with its stately dark green leaves and purple flowers. In his book, Growing Food in a Hotter, Drier Land, seed historian and author Gary Paul Nabhan recommends Ping Tung as an “Early-Maturing, Heat-Tolerant, Drought-Evasive” eggplant variety. It is also resistant to bacterial wilt (Wehner 2002).
We have found that some of the best eggplant varieties come from Asia–in terms of taste, earliness, productivity and cooking versatility, which makes sense considering that eggplants (Solanum melongena) were originally domesticated in Asia (in the region of China & India). Eggplants only made their way to Europe in the Middle Ages, and then much later to North and South America. There are also several wild species of eggplants in Africa.
Health Properties: We need more eggplants in our diet. Eggplants are low in calories and high in nutrition. Here is a summary of the nutritional properties of eggplants published by Taher and colleagues (2014) in the journal “Frontiers in Plant Science”:
Regarding nutritional value, eggplant … is considered among the healthiest vegetables for its high content of vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds for human health (Raigón et al., 2008; Plazas et al., 2014b; Docimo et al., 2016). In this respect, eggplant is ranked among the top 10 vegetables in terms of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (Cao et al., 1996). The bioactive properties of eggplant are mostly associated with high content in phenolic compounds (Plazas et al., 2013), which are mostly phenolic acids, particularly chlorogenic acid in the fruit flesh (Stommel et al., 2015) and anthocyanins in the fruit skin (Mennella et al., 2012).
Growing an eggplant or two in your backyard is a good way to get motivated to include more eggplants in your diet.
How to Plant: Similar to tomatoes start indoors 8 weeks before the date of last frost. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in individual pots. A heat mat will help germination. Transplant outside when nighttime temperatures are consistently 10C or warmer. Ping Tung does best in a container (5 gallons) and is happiest in a nice hot spot on your patio or sheltered location.
