I Didn't Know People Ate Eggplant Like This!

Get $5 off your first Graza Duo with code BERYL5 at graza.co/BERYL5
Thank you so much to Andreea, Ira, Ryan, Stella, and Cathy for sharing your stories with us!
My Filipino grocery store video I mentioned: • What Should You Buy at...
More about eggplant history: www.saveur.com/article/Kitche...
The Iranian breakfast plate I talked about from my most recent Breakfast episode: • This is How People Aro...
RECIPES
Salată de Vinete: www.beryl.nyc/index.php/2023/...
Melanzane 'mbuttunate: www.beryl.nyc/index.php/2023/...
Niyok Biringhenas: www.beryl.nyc/index.php/2023/...
Tortang Talong: www.beryl.nyc/index.php/2023/...
Zhao Shao Niàng Qiézi: www.beryl.nyc/index.php/2023/...
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:50 Filipino Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette)
03:17 Trying Tortang Talong
07:21 Hong Kong Zhao Shao Niàng Qiézi (Stuffed Eggplant)
11:36 Trying Zhao Shao Niàng Qiézi
14:10 Italian Melanzane 'mbuttunate (Stuffed Eggplant)
18:26 Trying Melanzane 'mbuttunate
20:44 Chamorro Niyok Biringhenas (BBQ Eggplant with Coconut)
23:24 Trying Niyok Biringhenas
24:53 Romanian Salată de Vinete (Eggplant Salad)
28:34 Trying Salată de Vinete
Wanna mail something?
Beryl Shereshewsky
115 East 34th Street FRNT 1
PO Box 1742
New York, NY 10156
Follow me on Instagram: / shereshe
Support me on Patreon: / beryl

[@marimo1314]

Yay beryl! U made my stuffed eggplants (squeal in joy)! You did great! Im so happy to see u really enjoyed it! The leftover stuffing can use to stuff mushrooms , bell peppers....or if u just wanna be lazy, just fry into a big meat patty by flatten the stuffing into a big pancake. Cut into big chunks. Then u can braise any vegetable with it! Enjoy!

[@Poppykat9866]

I was thinking the filling would make delicious little meatballs too!

[@christina33333]

Can also stuff into halved long peppers (can apply a thin layer of cornstarch if the stuffing doesn't stick to the pepper/eggplant), onto thick slices of medium firm tofu (intermediate level lol), into halved fried tofu (refrigerated section in a bag), scoop meatballs into boiling soup or press the stuffing into a patty in a non stick pan, pan fry the stuffing, slice it then mix with other stir fried veggies.

[@Ealsante]

Yesss! There's this thing in Guangxi called "eighten stuffed things", which is exactly what the title says - it's that paste stuffed into tofu, mushrooms, peppers, eggplants, chilli, bittergourd, etc. etc. etc.

[@marushka123]

It is the one I want to make.

[@erickj.j.7437]

Use the oven, just cut holes in the eggplant . Prevents it from bursting. Easier to turn and peel once it's cold. Can also be eaten as a salad with vinegar, garlic . Drizzle some olive oil and some parmesan.

[@kaekaeoshi69]

I'm Indonesian and love Philippines Eggplant omelette, sometimes i add balado (minangese sambal) to give the eggplant more kick on it ❤❤❤

[@ishi0ishi457]

PH 🇵🇭 🤝 🇮🇩 ID

[@alainepistolamata2881]

i love also beef rendang

[@neilneilguiang8409]

Thats a good combo

[@rafaelteodosio7637]

I love sambal in it! Good thing we have that here in PH.😊

[@iKilleas]

Yeah, i love also my tortang talong spicy. So sambal is good.

[@eduardescueta3792]

For tortang talong you can add ground pork and some small cube potatoes. Beat the egg white first until it looks foamy and gently add the yolk but maintain the foamy consistency of the egg. It will give your torta crispy edges.

[@tenkaistar1089]

Yes! I like my tortang talong with ground pork as well. Ground beef is also good.

[@BrutishYetDelightful]

That sounds good! I am always in favor of pork.

[@AnniCarlsson]

What can I use instead of bananaketchup becouse never seen that in a store

[@onekill31]

@@AnniCarlsson A tomato ketchup is still okay

[@AnniCarlsson]

@@onekill31 oki. Thank you

[@lisam9233]

TIP: to more easily peel the roasted eggplant (and roasted red peppers, which I make *all* the time), after charring the skin, put it in a paper bag and close the top while it cools enough to handle. The skin will slip right off because it steams in the bag. 😁

[@rannarann9316]

No. Peel it through water. The easiest😂😂😂

[@tarastreasure]

Yes, the steam helps with that. I put them in a bowl and cover it with a lid.

[@hoshiandreeramirezhernande9682]

I was just just about to put this in the comments! In Mexico, when you char vegetables for a salsa, you put them in a plastic or paper bag and the steam gets the job done.

[@DramaQueenD13]

​@@rannarann9316doesn't that remove the flavor?

[@bilogskii2216]

@@DramaQueenD13 That's what I'm thinking. The whole point of charring the eggplant is to give it a smokey flavor and it might get removed if you remove the skin with water. If you don't want the smokey flavor then just boil the eggplant. Ot's easier to remove the skin that way.

[@janicelaccay2926]

Well I just found out that my dad's Eggplant omelet is a tortang tolang. Every other Filipino dish he made he called it by the Filipino name. So I always thought he invented the eggplant omelet because that's what he always called it. Although he did call Dinuguan, chocolate meat; but I figure that's many Filipino parents' strategy to make their American born kids try to eat it.

[@Vekcrazah]

that chocolate meat explanation gave me a laugh lol, that's very clever, hiding the bloody nature of a bloodied stew

[@arlynnecumberbatch1056]

chocolate meat??? 😭😭😭

[@Mondy667]

​@arlynnecumberbatch1056 well I did thought it was chocolate aswell

[@arlynnecumberbatch1056]

@@Mondy667 youre looking for champorado, its a rice cereal makeshift with chocolate soup

[@fightme4136]

Chocolate meat is for your own sake 😂

[@AngryKittens]

The Marianas recipe is very similar to a Filipino dish called "kulawo", which are also charred eggplants with coconut milk, onions, salt, vinegar, and other ingredients.. They're both Austronesian countries. And both were colonies of Spain. Even the term "niyok" is almost the same (coconut is "niyog" in Tagalog), although in Chamorro the y is pronounced more like a "dz" because of Spanish influence.

[@zhehanyguillergan5010]

It looks like ensaladang talong too, minus refrigerating it. 🇵🇭

[@ProximaCentauri88]

Chamorro "kilaguen" is actually just the Tagalog "kilawin."

[@UgLyMaLaySian]

We have that recipe too in the Philippines but I prefer tortang talong

[@mountainrock7682]

Not really Spanish influence. The "j" sound (which sometimes get weakened to "z") is native to numerous Philippine languages.

[@drrelivemusic]

Yes, for Chamorro cuisine! Like many other parts of the world that share "dishes", the Mariana Islands & Guam does share similarities with the Philippines as well. It's cool and amazing, just like the Chamorro people! Thanks so much, Ryan! This is Beryl's second "Marianas" recipe!!

[@sydneycometto6347]

I LOVE the historical introduction of the ingredient, especially as someone who is studying food history, and you should definitely keep doing that in future episodes!

[@maz.s]

Totally agree!

[@greenolive9927]

You might already be watching him. But cooking history with max miller is something you should watch.

[@p_d16]

​@@greenolive9927You mean Tasting History right? I love his channel 😊

[@shelbymuir9724]

You should read A History of Food in 100 Recipes by William Sitwell!!!!!!!

[@akitainu4431]

I'm so happy you made a Romanian dish!! Romanian cuisine needs more recognition, we have some delicious food :)

[@riverAmazonNZ]

Mucenici yummmm!

[@akitainu4431]

@@riverAmazonNZ Laşte cu nucă 😭😭

[@flavorbritt]

Agreed! I lived in Romania for a month about a decade ago, and have been seeking out the food ever since!

[@-emeysi-]

True! I am not Romanian but I love making and eating Sarmale, Mamaliga, and Mititei. Felurile acelea sunt atât de delicioase 😀

[@anna.iakobidze]

Been in Romania many times, have friends there, so agreed ❤

[@andreachua8453]

For the Chinese stuffed eggplant, it helps to cut the eggplant into thick discs and place the cut for the filling horizontally - it should end up looking a bit like a castanet! That way it has two flat surfaces for you to flip during pan frying

[@andreacontreras2278]

Genius idea. It sounds so obvious when you spell it out like that, but I wouldn’t have thought about it 😂 Thanks!

[@yeebabby]

Yes! Exactly! And it will be cooked way faster and more crispy.

[@JanetBrown-px2jn]

I use to get an eggplant dish at a Chinese restaurant in NJ done that way,as I watched BerylI was thinking no there is a better way.

[@blurnobody]

Plus, it can take more stuffing. I equate it to more of a clam, but I like the castanet example! 😊

[@madalina-cristianad9664]

I'm so happy you tried one of the dishes my home country has to offer and that you enjoyed it (Romania). The only tip i would give is to make the eggplant base as smooth as a puree, I usually use a blender for it. Thank you for featuring my childhood favorite dip. Gonna try some of the other countries recipes as I absolutely love eggplant.

[@alinux]

Pureeing the eggplant would be a blasphemy really! My tips to the video: the eggplant in the video seems undercooked to me therefore do not be afraid to roast the eggpland until it becomes black (can cook it on a metal tray that sits in between the eggplant and the fire so that you do not burn your fingers), use red onion and far less that used in the video, use a minced clove of garlic, salt and pepper of course. VERY IMPORTANT, it should stay in the fridge over the night for the flavours to properly blend. Follow my advice from Transylvania and see if there is any difference! 😊

[@adedow1333]

Salut! Thanks to both of you for the ideas and advice! My husband lived in Romania back in the mid 2000's and misses this dish. I am finally persuaded to try to make it for him!

[@madalina-cristianad9664]

@@alinux I would not call it blasphemy, just a different approach depending on the region you're from maybe. All the ones I ever tried were a bit more smoother, not better or worse than the one in the video imo, even in some restaurants in Transylvania. It comes down to your personal taste. I suggested blender as the wooden tool we actually use for this recipe could be harder to find in foreign countries. Also never heard of garlic in this one, you live and you learn :)

[@ioanastratulat3494]

And also very important : not adding the mustard in the mayonnaise and using sunflower oil, not olive oil 😅

[@cpybra]

⁠@@alinuxi grew up in Transylvania and my family (and every other family I knew) would always use an immersion blender to purée the eggplants. It’s not a blasphemy. Just personal preference. But yes, I agree, the eggplant was undercooked. ✌🏻

[@sallycormier1383]

So amusing as well as informational! Your “Believe me, I know hotdog buns” comment & French kiss after tasting the Italian stuffed eggplants was so classic Beryl! This is why we love your channel, great cooking, great humor, just an all around great time! (And that’s leaving out your costumed bits at the beginning.) Rock on sista!!!💜 OK I commented before your video finished, went back and “not a square to spare” happened. I’m dying here!😅

[@BerylShereshewsky]

Hahaha omg thank you ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@gabriele7381]

Eggplants are such versatile ingredients. In Italy, we also make melanzane al cioccolato, a dessert made with fried eggplants and chocolate sauce. It's really tasty!

[@priscillad8]

😮

[@MaryseMeunier]

Wow ! Never heard of it but now, I want to try it for sure ! Thank you for sharing !

[@TheWinnipegredhead]

Can we get this recipe in part 3?!?

[@gabriele7381]

@@TheWinnipegredhead I think it would be so fun for her to try it! It's surely something unusual

[@user-ie4tt1xp7j]

>dessert made with fried eggplants and chocolate sauce I'm pretty sure after that you should stop shaming Americans for Chicago-style pizza

[@jauca19]

The Romanian salate de vinete is one of my favorite dishes! 😋 So happy more people can hear about it. My grandmother makes it with roasted/charred eggplant, mayonaise, very finely chopped onions, a little salt and a dash of honey and cinnamon 😊

[@hal90001]

Scorțișoară în salată de vinete? Whaaaaaat? No way.

[@Emldnl]

There are so many Romanian eggplant salat recepies, my favorite is like that: you need to roast quickly on fire the eggplants and then take out the skin immediately (you can use some tools for that as the eggplant is really hot) then you let the eggplant to rest and get cold on a plate or on a board but during this time a special liquid will get out of the eggplant, you don't use that, it's usually unpleasant, you want that out. You chop like you did as fine as possible and than you add salt to your taste, it's almost impossible to make it salty later. You can use nou this paste as the mayo base, I usually add a spoon or two of real mayo if I have (depends on how much eggplant I have) and then I mix with an wooden spoon and I add slowly sunflower oil (very important for the taste) you can add until you see that the paste is becoming more and more white and fluffy. You taste, you don't want to have it too oily. Now if you want (I like) you can add a spoon of heavy cream or good sour cream (smântână). Mix well and let to rest. You can use less onion (I agree) and mixed it with a little bit of salt before adding to the "salata de vinete". Optional you can use green anion, you will get a special taste. If you don't use mayo in the beginning (you can make without mayo a very good "salata de vinete") and also you don't use sour cream, you need to add a little bit of fresh lemon juice, not too much, you don't want to add the lemon flavor but the acid. The best taste is with white bread and/or toasted bread but it is very very good with baked potatos (in skin), it's incredible. I hope you will try, I am sure you will see the difference. If you really eat a very good eggplant salad (salata de vinete) I think you really don't want to eat eggplant in another way. 😂

[@adedow1333]

❤

[@janellecaitlin9898]

The dish from the Marianas remind me of a dish from the Philippines that is also often served at the beach or during an island hopping tour. basically, it's grilled eggplants chopped into pieces to make a salad with tomatoes, onions, calamansi, sometimes coconut milk too, and salted egg. It's sooo good.

[@adinamatei279]

I love, love, looove seeing you making Romanian dishes and I'm so glad you loved salată de vinete 🩷 Some tips if you decide to make it again: 1. Homemade mayo is much easier to make with a wooden spoon. The wood emulsifies it quicker and you can go much slower and without all the effort. Also, Romania didn't traditionally have olive oil in the past so sunflower is the best option as it's more neutral in flavor. Canola would also work. 2. Try baking the eggplant for longer (maybe make 2) until you see the juices start to come out, then after you peel them, leave them to strain for 30ish minutes. You get a much creamier and denser salad, plus it's supposed to reduce the bitterness. 3. Yes, it was a bit too much onion xD but the important thing is that you loved it. Try serving the dip spread generously onto a piece of bread, ideally homemade or sourdough. 4. Maybe visit Romania soon? We'd love to have you ❤

[@adedow1333]

What great advice! I'm looking for comments like this one to make the best version I can for my husband who misses the food from when he lived there several years ago. Thank you!

[@mattildeo1950]

i litterally take out alllll the water possible out of the egglant by many many time and many process. its the best! and i add yogurt.

[@mihaelac2472]

After we char the eggplants we let the juices run out of them, as they are bitter. Also olive oil has a strong flavour, that changes the taste, we Romanians use sunflower oil. After adding the oil, salt and onions, I let the dip stay in the fridge for a while. It goes very well spread on bread, with tomato slices as garnish.

[@adinamatei279]

@@mihaelac2472 to be fair, Mihaela, I thought about this bitterness while writing the comment and described it as alleged. I feel like the eggplants we used to eat from grandma's garden were indeed bitter sometimes but nowadays, in supermarkets, you don't really find bitter eggplants anymore. I think the farmers only cultivate non-bitter varieties for commerce. The same goes for cucumbers... Have you had bitter, thick-skinned cucumbers lately? They used to be very frequent in my childhood, some we would peel and others we'd just throw away. Nowadays supermarket cucumbers are tender and not bitter at all. So yeah, I guess that as vegetables change, the way we prepare them also changes. But I still think that draining the eggplants in this case is a good idea :D

[@nothing7666]

If there is part 2 of this i hope you get the chance to do greek papoutsakia ( little shoes) i know musaka also has eggplant but i think its better to give attention to more less known dishes instead

[@SingingSealRiana]

This is the part two already

[@nothing7666]

​@@SingingSealRianait is ? Well part 3 then

[@sybilreneemcgowan1472]

@@SingingSealRianathen we need a third and fourth episode!

[@marss780]

I love eggplant. Thank you to everyone who shared your recipes for fellow eggplant lovers.

[@ryuichiro.sakuraba]

In our household, roasted eggplant is over the gas flame until the skin is charred to black and the burnt peel just needs a light scraping of the hand or a spoon as it crunches off the flesh. I prefer that when making tortang talong as it has more smoky notes which the household loves. Also, getting the bubbly eggy edges to a shattering crisp makes for a nice dish to go with rice, then letting the leftover cool and sog out a bit for a fun chewy texture akin to a spongy fried tofu skin. :)

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

The Northern Mariana Islands are a pretty cool place! The Northern Mariana Islands were settled by Austronesian people around 1500 BC. These people became the indigenous Chamorro and were influenced by later migrations, including of Micronesians in the first century AD, and island Southeast Asians around 900. The Spanish were the first to colonize them, then the Germans in the 1890s, the Japanese following WWI, and then the Americans took them after WWII. Northern Mariana Islands cuisines show a combination of traditional Chamorrian cuisine, Spanish cuisine, Asian cuisine, and American cuisine. Popular dishes include: Escabeche which is a common dish in Filipino and Latin American cuisine but is also enjoyed in the Northern Mariana Islands. It is made up of fried fish topped with a vinegar-based sauce which can either be sweet or sour, as well as sliced vegetables. Red rice is a staple and a necessary part of a meal at any party or gathering as has been for years for the Chamorro people. The rice gets its color from achote. There's also kelaguen which a dish steeped in a marinade combining lemon juice, onions, local hot peppers, salt, grated coconut, seafood, and beef, chicken to give it its flavor.

[@user-jl4in6et1c]

we actually have yellow eggplants as well here in Việt Nam! Its like the riped version of white ones:)) we sometimes have them as pickle and its DELICIOUS and perfect to have with noodles :D

[@Trilixa]

I hate eggplant lol. However, a couple of tips to help you along. One, when grilling eggplant to char it, put it into a bowl while it's still hot and cover the bowl in cling film. When it's cool enough to handle, the condensation from the trapped steam will greatly reduce the difficulty in peeling them. Two, when making homemade mayo, you can use a blinder or a stick blender and save your arm from the whisking. Love watching your stuff, always a big fan.

[@telebubba5527]

You can use that trick with the cling film on many vegetables, like tomato's, bell peppers, plain peppers and stuff like that.

[@kikihammond5326]

Mayo can also be made in a blender.

[@rhonarosales9416]

In the Philippines, we also have an eggplant salad (ensaladang talong/ kinilaw na talong). It’s really good. In my family, we add some mango in it.

[@jujutrini8412]

Green mango or ripe?

[@rhonarosales9416]

Ripe 🤤

[@rhonarosales9416]

@@jujutrini8412 ripe but in some people that i know of they prefer the unripe ones. I guess it’s preference

[@shannonrobinson262]

White eggplants usually have a mild mushroom taste. Casper is a great one to grow . It’s smaller than your white one and has great flavor. It goes in purée type recipes very well.

[@lisaflower5994]

I haven’t seen your channel for a while, and I missed you! So happy that you popped back in my feed with an eggplant (aubergine) episode. Re salting the eggplant or melanzana, when you split it, if there are dark seeds, then the salting and degouging of the bitterness is needed. If the seeds are white, there is nothing bitter to ‘pull’ Gracie Stella for sharing your Nonna’s recipe, and Gracie Beryl, for cooking it

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Wow, nice to see some Northern Mariana Islands representation for a change! Definitely not a place in the US that is talked about that much! They have a really nice flag! The dark blue represents the Pacific Ocean. The white star in the middle of the flag represents the US. The star is in front of a latte stone, which represents the Chamorro people who are found across the Marianas archipelago. Latte stones are megalithic capped pillars that were used by ancient Chamorro people as building supports for their homes. And the multi-colored floral wreath surrounding the latte stone represents the Carolinian/Refaluwasch people who migrated to Saipan from the Caroline Islands. Just like Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, the Northern Mariana Islands became administered by the US after Japan's defeat in WWII as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. As the Northern Mariana Islands are part of the same archipelago as Guam, there have been different referendums on whether to integrate with Guam. Four referendums were held in 1958, 1961, 1963 and 1969. On each occasion, a majority voted in favor of integration with Guam, but this did not happen as Guam rejected integration in a 1969 referendum. In a 1975 referendum, nearly 80 percent voted for Commonwealth status, and thus it became a Commonwealth in 1978. They became US citizens in 1986.

[@heidifogelberg3544]

Re: your left-over stuffing - I have seen a variation of this dish made into "sandwiches" with discs of various vegetables. Zucchini, eggplant, lotus root, etc. Just slice the veggies crosswise and use them instead of bread slices to make little miniature sandwiches with the pastey stuffing as the center. The way I've seen it done includes using flour or potato starch patted gently all over the veggies first to make them stick better to the stuffing. It also thickens the sauce a little during the simmering. Just a suggestion - it looks like a great way to do a party, I'd think. In fact, I'm planning to do an array of various kinds of these for an early brunch before Thanksgiving this year.

[@thepreparedpinoychannel5637]

for the tortang talong(the Filipino eggplant dish) you can peel it easily if after roasting the eggplant you would put it inside a ziploxk bag and let it stay there for several minutes. The moisture would help you peel it easily

[@grazieleroco7104]

Hey Beryl! tip for when handling pepper: rub oil on your hands and then wash it with soap, it will help to dissolve the capsaicin and then you can wash normally.

[@jessicastevens5782]

or an acid, like lemon or vinegar

[@cherylroush6737]

I’m fairly certain when she said score the flesh of the eggplant she meant on the flesh side, not on the skin side. It should look like crosshatch or grillmarks

[@nonnayurbuzness8107]

My wife is Romanian and she’s FURIOUS right now

[@toxicarrot89]

Amazing how in its origin the newness of eggplant made it a scapegoat for so many diseases, and today those unfamiliar with it might also be turned off by it. Thanks Beryl for sharing another set of veggie forward dishes!!!!

[@tylerc267]

The leftover pork and fish paste mix could be used to stuff other vegetables like bitter gourd, large chilli (in Singapore, it is a mild green one but I can’t find it here in the States. A good substitute would be to use sweet peppers which are sold in a bag of red, yellow and orange smaller peppers that has no heat but similar texture) and firm tofu. Search for Hakka Yong Tau Foo (客家酿豆腐) for the sauce.

[@JanetBrown-px2jn]

Could you use the long pale green Italian pepper to replace the chili from Singapore,I have also seen long chilesin the Chinese markets.Hope that helps.

[@tylerc267]

@@JanetBrown-px2jnThanks. I will pick some up next time I see them and see if they works.

[@samanthawauthier-paspuleti1992]

Such a fun and lighthearted episode ❤. Thank you Beryl, you really made my day.

[@ninakaiser2930]

All of these recipes look and sound amazing! I really enjoy watching you in the kitchen. It’s so much fun! 😊

[@alcor4670]

Tortang Talong might seem basic, but you can add practically anything to it. You could even add regional-specific items to it to resemble a dish commonly served in other countries: • Italy: Mozzarella and tomatoes, finished with basil and Parmesan. • Japan: Basic, finished with teriyaki sauce, japanese mayo, katsuboshi flakes, and nori powder. • French: Cooked in butter, add caramelized chopped onions, gruyere and a bit of creme fraiche. Finished with chopped chives. • Indian: Dusted with garam masala. Add cooked lentils, finished with a bit of yogurt. • Greek: Cooked in olive oil. Tomatoes, feta cheese, kalamata olives. • *_and so much more._* For Americans, I imagine you could add shredded rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, ground beef, or any type of bits of meat you'd like, and finish it with any sauce that matches those. Vegans might just add a variety of herbs and finish it with chopped chives and vinaigrette.

[@SweetAngelGC]

Just like when you char bell peppers, if you put your eggplant in a plastic baggie after charring and letting it sit for about 5 minutes, the skin is much easier to peel. Tortang talong is comfort food for me. :) The other dishes look delicious as well! I am definitely going to try!

[@stacyhanslow838]

Or, if they are too large for a bag, place them in a bowl (preferably metal or glass) and cover with clingfilm for 5 or 10 minutes.

[@Cyberia398]

Go plastic-free: just put a lid or plate on the bowl.

[@rolandpatterson5090]

This was awesome! You gave the history of eggplant characters and props. I loved the doctor!

[@heidiovalles2179]

The Filipino recipe reminds me so much of a Dominican dish called torrejitas de berenjena. You slice the eggplant, like a cucumber, & fry in the seasoned egg wash. My family eats it with rice dishes

[@cpybra]

I personally prefer grating the onions when adding them to the romanian salata de vinete. I also use an immersion blender to get a smoother consistency :) But overall a fantastic video as always

[@adedow1333]

Oh good idea! I'm looking through the comments for advice to make this for my husband who lived in Romania for a few years and misses the food

[@cpybra]

@@adedow1333 some more tips: roast the eggplant in the oven, until it can barely hold its shape (the one in the video was undercooked) also if you want to make your own mayonnaise, definitely use sunflower or another neutral oil (you can also quickly make it with the immersion blender) or you can just use some pre-made mayo :)

[@dumitriudaniela]

Hm. I am Romanian and we dont normally use mayonaise or lemon unless we want to add up to it and make something entirely different. The traditional recipe is using only burnt eggplants, sunflower oil (not olive), white fresh onion (not that much though :)) and salt. Nothing else, and is just delicious. Even though i tried all the other cultural recipes from arabic to turkish, to italian and so forth, i still enjoy this version the most and always crave it. Anything else added in the recipe is just a modern twist on it or maybe cultural, depending on the area you live. If you go to any traditional restaurant in Romania (not in Transylvania area, because that was not a part of Romania until 100 years ago) or read old Romanian cooking books, this is the recipe you will find. And no, we dont normally eat it with cheese either. It spoils the taste, unless we serve them together as a starter, with other traditional starters. Maybe Andrea, the Romanian who offered the recipe and was raised in Transylvania shares a recipe that belongs to her family, but that recipe is not the Romanian traditional one. To eat it, simply put it on toast bread alongside with fresh garden tomatoes and roasted bell peppers salad (made with vinegar, fresh garlic and sunflower oil). This is the traditional Romanian way to eat it.

[@carolineitis]

My mum told me they used to eat the version you described in the summertime because it's more refreshing and keeps longer. However the version with mayonnaise (with sunflower oil) is how she used to make it and the only one I know.

[@rain-cy6ve]

​@@carolineitisyou are actually right. The one described by OP is made mostly in the summer with fresh eggplants while the mayo one more of a fall or winter dish but honestly my family used to make it whenever

[@dumitriudaniela]

@@carolineitis when you know, you know :). Im curious, from which part of the country is your mother? mayonaise is normally added for christmas or during winter time, when the eggplants are not fresh to be burnt and are mostly used as frozen, hence, the mayo can help with improving the tasteless eggplants.

[@flzrin]

the real salata de vinete is actually made with mayonnaise lmao

[@dumitriudaniela]

@@flzrin Nope. Read the first printed romanian cookbook by Maria Maurer in 1841, or the ones by Sanda Marin (1930s) and later, the passionate Radu Anton Roman who studied old village recipes from all over Romania, and you will find that there was never mayonnaise in eggplant salad.

[@mdedal]

I'm enjoying the green screen work (and costume changes)! Looking forward for more. Thnaks for being so educational AND entertaining!

[@karenontheair]

I love the Graza olive oils also- I was excited to see you using them as well in your videos! The finishing olive oil is some of the best tasting I’ve ever had!

[@coladordevictoria]

You should try spanish "berenjenas fritas con miel de caña", which translates just as what it is: "fried eggplants with cane honey". Its so typical in southern Spain, and its DELICIOUS.

[@jujutrini8412]

What is cane honey? Sugarcane?

[@notwithoutclass]

Made the melanzane 'mbuttunate for supper tonight since I had a couple of eggplants and fennel that needed to get used. Totally agree with Beryl; this is a lovely warm comfort food (and perfect for a snowy day like today). I made it with the suggested fennel. Don't know what the dill version tasted like, but this one had a nice earthy warmth to it. Perfectly savory! Thanks for sharing, Stella!

[@lilianbratt1308]

It looks delicious, when I saw her talking about scoring the flesh( the inside) I wasn’t expecting she would score the skin…it seems she didn’t do it right, but I believe the flavors are there.

[@janetseidlitz5976]

To make it easier to stuff, cut a v- or u-shaped wedge out. You can chop the wedge up finely and add it to whatever you are stuffing the eggplant with.

[@Na-sb1cc]

It's such a cute intro 😊, especially the red beryl in 0:17 😂

[@impishishere]

I had no idea there were purple eggplants until I moved to the West. We have different types of eggplant (we call them garden eggs) in Ghana but none are purple.

[@jaminwaite3867]

I was hoping she would mention that! The first white ones I saw were “garden eggs” from some West African cooks.

[@toluasaolu]

I was looking for a comment like this. This is how it is too in Nigeria though these days, we can get the purple ones. We still call the others garden eggs (very yummy) and the purple ones are called eggplants😊

[@charliebrown1184]

All of your episodes are must-watch, Beryl!

[@OneOfTheFirstToWatchStarTrek]

The skits are gold!!! I've never really enjoyed eggplant because it can be better so I'm going to look up your other one and try some of these as well. I saw some of the little tiny Indian eggplants just yesterday at my local Walmart of all places, so I can try them!

[@maryflahive589]

Hi. loving this eggplant extravaganza! I think when they say "score the flesh", they mean the white interior, not the skin.

[@kweicee]

Don't you mean eggstravaganza? :)

[@jessicastevens5782]

yeah, I've seen some where there are "fingers" that cut all the way through, but if they just say score, it is typically a diamond pattern on the cut, flesh side

[@cindym5302]

Yup, when she started cutting I said out loud - that’s the skin not the flesh! I’m sure it works either way though 🤷‍♀️

[@davidonapittock8662]

Thank you also for drawing attention to my ignorance too

[@anitajohnson6894]

I love that you’re so real and not scripted

[@yefefiyah]

Loving that you have a new gas stove! It's so cute!!! Use it in good health! Eggplant is such a favorite food. I love every eggplant dish I'd ever tried. I even make a yummy shakshouka with some roasted eggplant added to the pepper base. It adds something special to the dish.

[@notrixamoris3318]

Awesome one woman show Berly...MAD RESPECT. And fun fact the eggplant omellete is the second best egg diah in the world...

[@randysmith2766]

I love you and your channel. Thanks for the smiles and the inspiration! I used to sell produce at the Norman OK Farmers market. Tomato Growers Supply has seeds for 27 varieties of eggplant. They grow easily and are mostly pest free. The big Italian Eggplants are male or female. The males have fewer seeds and are less bitter for dips.

[@baguette9692]

I really love your way of inserting ads into your videos. I never skipped them

[@jhbrown1010]

Beryl, huny bunny another great episode! Two pieces of advice. 1. Try cutting eggplant in half pole to pole and placing under broiler until charred. This works great for peppers too. 2. Cuisinart makes a 4 cup food prep machine that works great for emulsifying sauces like mayo, salsas, salad dressing etc.

[@tluvrock]

do you know her?

[@DebraFlower]

The beginning of this video was just too cute.

[@michelleboyle6497]

I love your new video format! The skits are fun, the contributor side commentary is interesting, and your dialogue is engaging. Good job! BTW, to get the smoky sense to roasted food, you might try a small Hibachi (out on your veranda) with natural wood lump charcoal, no chemical firestarter.

[@fatladyfarmer2025]

Dear! immersion blender with a wisk attachment. instant mayo. I raise chickens and always make fresh mayo. Easy peasy

[@brittanyvond.491]

Hi Beryl, I don't have a gas stove, so I bake the eggplants, cut in halves and skin side up, in the oven and just scrape out the flesh with a spoon. Works really good for dishes like baba ganoush and you can prepare your other ingredients while the eggplants are baking. Plus, you totally get that smoky flavour too. Will try that romanian salad, it sounds delicious. And I think that the first dish could be veganized with something like just egg, so I'll try that too :)

[@ShellyS2060]

The "game changer" moment with the garlic press was absolutely heart warming. ❤this channel and you are a gem!

[@bconsilio3764]

Yes i got the small white eggplant at my farmers market Also it the charred eggplant is placed in a heavy duty paper bag (or doubled) immediately after charring and close it up to steam until cooled it will peel easily. The same process as roasting red sweet peppers.

[@Pammellam]

All these dishes look and sound so amazing! You are a genius a picking dishes to do! You are the _Queen_ of choosing food to present! Beryl, here in Japan we have fish grills on our ranges where we grill fish, obviously. But the fish grill is great for grilling/charing red and green peppers and eggplants. There is fire coming above and below the food on the grill which makes it go much much faster. I think in countries that grill veggies a lot have other, easier ways of grilling. That pork and fish paste for the eggplant stuffing, the leftovers can be used like _meatballs_ in a stir fry. Or grill them for your own spam like sandwich meat! Aioli can be made in an instant in your unloved little blender! Watch Kenji Alt Lopez, he has several blender Mayo videos, I believe. But all you have to do is add the whole egg, lemon juice, salt, garlic etc then the oil on top, all the oil and blend, blend, blend. In an instant it will be made. Girl, you need to Watch Jamie Oliver videos, he has been saying for years and years, _You do not need to peel the garlic when you put it in a garlic crusher!_

[@fp2551]

I highly recommend everyone try the Romanian dish!! Our family friend is from Romania and she makes this every Christmas eve and I look forward to it all year 🤗🤤

[@hal90001]

100% true! Greetings from Transylvania 🙂🦇🧛‍♂️

[@adedow1333]

I'm absolutely going to make this for my husband. He lived in Romania for a fews years a while ago and misses your food very much. I've been scrolling through the comments for everyone's ideas for how to do it better and I feel like I can make it. I'm just sorry that I'll have to settle for feta instead of brunza. He has promised to bring me one day, but it's still too expensive. One day he will show me the cheesemongers!

[@MaryseMeunier]

I LOVE aubergines !!! Having a hand blender changed my life, for blending potages but especialy to make mayo. It is sooo easy ! If you don't have one, I highly recommend it.

[@edwinholcombe2741]

Aubergines?

[@MaryseMeunier]

@@edwinholcombe2741 French is my mother tongue.

[@SalvatoreSantillo92]

In Italy we also do vegetarian eggplant (meat)balls, where we boil the eggplants first, before mixing them with eggs, bread, minced garlic and parsley

[@LPdedicated]

I ADORE the little historic scenes at the start! So funny yet effective!

[@s.o.3753]

Yay salată de vinete! 🍆 But yes indeed, that was a bit too much onion. And this coming from a huge onion fan!! Also, you may want to chop them a little finer, in our family at least that’s how we think it tastes best. Thank you for showcasing this and the other wonderful eggplant dishes. Your videos are always such a joy ❤

[@robertstrickland2121]

Put the handle of the whisk between your palms and rub your palms back and forth, acts like a mini blender

[@Borderlines]

You are an inspiration in bringing cultures together

[@hoshiandreeramirezhernande9682]

I don’t know if you guys I the US have it but in Mexico we have little charring grills that you can basically put in my gas burner and it’s just really small chicken wire that will help you get a vegatable get the fire from the stove without it rolling around

[@regal_ego]

Philippines' Tortang Talong is best when added with finely diced purple onions while the eggplant is being soaked in the beaten egg. 🥰

[@melindawolfUS]

Can you do Okra next? It's in the same family as eggplant and tomatoes but since my mom hates it, I've only been able to enjoy it in gumbo and once as a pickled pizza topping. I'm SO curious how it's served outside of the US where I never see it fresh; only frozen, canned or pickled.

[@thighmeat6034]

i think it could be stir fried(not sure if whole or sliced, cuz i imagine cutting them might let the slime out), but for me i just boil them and pair with noodles. I think that some ppl dislike the sliminess from okra, but personally i love them😛

[@janjirawilliams1172]

My first time viewing your show&I'm loving it. and also I love love eggplants in every way and form. You came across as someone warm&genuine.

[@BerylShereshewsky]

Thank you!! 🙌❤️

[@danielleklopper1910]

Beryl i love your expressive face when you eat. It shows everything you feel about the dish🇿🇦👋

[@videoket]

The costumed intro was really fun! Thanks for putting that together, Beryl!

[@makistar2001]

For the Hong Kong eggplant dish, please don't buy the frozen fish paste, food markets in NY's Chinatown have the fresh ones, just go to the butcher counter and you can get 1/4 pound, 1/2 pound. Some even have shrimp paste that you can make shrimp toast with, yum!

[@user-nk9bq8ev3i]

I don't have a gas stove, only electric, so when a recipe calls for roasted eggplants I bake them in the oven and add some smoked chilli or paprika to get in the smokey taste.

[@jshu-_-]

These are all really great recipes! Can't wait to try it

[@lisam9233]

I love Thursdays because we get a new full episode with Beryl! ❤️

[@BerylShereshewsky]

❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰

[@sirvinter]

love the little history introduction! the skits were especially great hehe

[@salamandertoast]

I love eggplant but I don't cook with it very often, this video has inspired me to try it more because every single one of these dishes looks delicious!!

[@m.b.6402]

Does your toaster oven broil, or do some similar no-fat high-sear process? If so then you can use that broiler function to sear your eggplants without all the fiddle. Put the eggplant in a pan, put the pan in the toaster, turn the oven up to high-broil or whatever they call it, and turn the eggplant a few times. It's easier, faster, and far less fiddly than trying to use your flame-burner.

[@psycobasschick]

As someone who has always loved eggplant, tortang talong was perfect for the only eggplants I can get to grow. My psychiatrist is actually from the Philippines and I told her about making it and having it with garlic rice. She was shocked because I'm very white and autistic, especially since I said I used fish sauce in the rice (she hates fish sauce, said the flavor is too strong). And don't get me started on garlic rice... EDIT: this made me want eggplant, and as I live in Florida, my patio garden is still growing (better than during the summer). Throwing together what I have with some of the small Japanese eggplants I got from my plant (may need to fertilize because there are so many baby fruits on the plant), so spam and king oyster mushrooms that were a definite impulse buy with no executive function in sight. After digging out bacon grease (I'm southern, born and raised), a potato, the super sour kimchi that's been living in my fridge and a jjajang topokki kit I found a few hours ago, I'm making dinner

[@priscillad8]

I'm amazed how eggplant can be prepared in different ways and the taste can change completely

[@user-ul4pt2ov7p]

Can’t wait to try all of these! ❤️

[@nicolebouchez5307]

Great episode! You make me want to make every single recipe. Thank you

[@bad_mime]

It's funny you mentioned the Iranian breakfast while sitting down to eat the Romanian dip! When I first saw the dish in your intro for this episode, I was sure it was Iranian Kashke Bademjaan which is an Iranian eggplant & yogurt dip. :)

[@connieosness550]

I think there needs to be a part 3 with Kashke Bademjaan included! It is delicious.

[@Spooky-Sara]

Does kashk e bademjoon have yogurt?? Kashk isn’t really yogurt, it’s a whole different thing

[@erinlee5936]

I feel like we need a part 2 of this video. There's another Filipino eggplant dish that the world deserves to know - Puke Puke. The name sounds funny (or crude?) but the dish tastes delicious. It's actually easy to cook too!

[@calibomber209]

Poqui-poqui (pokè)

[@roviverdandelarosa2181]

Bastos

[@zzizahacallar]

Thank you for preparing all these nice recipes

[@willeon23]

You had so much fun with this one Beryl I'm jelly hihi

[@chrisk283]

One of your best ever @BerylShereshewsky. Every dish is a winner.

[@kasstty]

Do a round two with Greek dishes. 🫶

[@hal90001]

You have to try the Romanian dish people! You'll not regret it.

[@winskinini]

thanks for featuring tortang talong, my fave "struggle meal".. the skit at the start was awesome! love how you edit ❤ funny seeing my cat's tail getting featured online. still had blue hair here, now it's purple 😅

[@rachsantos]

You have to totally burn all the skin, cover it while it's hot so it's easier to take off the chard skin. It is also smokier, tastes so good! Thank you for always including 🇵🇭

[@cutelittlemoose]

My fave ways for eggplant are an Afghan recipe badenjan borani where the big fat eggplants are cut into quarter to third inch long (vertical, top to bottom) slices, seared in olive oil (skins salted before or charred, charred better always), patted dry so they aren’t overly greasy or soggy, topped with a spicy super thick tomato sauce, baked to tender soft perfection (baking improves the flavor-I’ve tried with all in a pan and it wasn’t anywhere near as good) and topped with sheep yogurt with garlic and sprinkled with ever important mint leaves, dried (just open a pure mint tea bag-the mint in those is sealed in the foil and better quality than the stuff sold as a spice, honestly, and the right near powdery consistency for this and other middle eastern dishes finished off with it-fresh mint is much more an Asian and Western European thing)… and my guilty one, stuffed Italian (hand sized) eggplants where you boil em whole in salty water to neutralize skin bitterness and soften em, cut em in half and scoop out the insides after they cool a bit (I use an ice bath so they don’t keep cooking), and mix the insides with lots and LOTS of Italian cheese, fresh herbs, and bread crumbs, and fry em face down. They can be served in that simple delicious form (no one has needed sauce lol) or of course a good marinara, a yogurt or sour cream based dipping sauce or really any other sauce you like (anything oozing cheese will taste good with, heck, I bet even ranch is good, but I love eggplant as is and no one ever wants them any different than “straight from the pan hope we don’t burn our mouths but don’t care!” They get gone so fast the work is worth it… same with badenjen borani, the afghan dish, that people inhale the first slice of then savor the second at a kinder pace. 🤤😋 It is truly versatile. 🍆 If the world only knew… Now I am wanting some baba ghanoush. Thankfully, I have some and the Siete cassava dip chips that are perfect for it (doesn’t go well with corn chips, and I can’t eat much gluten since I have a heightened risk of developing celiac disease according to wheat-specific gluten tests that show my white blood cells clinging to the stuff like crazy even in tiny dilutions, eep!)! :)

[@jujutrini8412]

Cheers for the recipe for the Afghan dish. It sounds like my cup of tea. 👍

[@skajohncarter]

A good friend from college made the Italian aubergine dish for a party of 8 or so. Whilst removing the show stopper from the oven, Marcello proceeds to drop everything (briefly) on the floor. Eyes met and we agreed to never mention anything in less than a second. The flurry of polyglot expletives was impressive; but no one was the wiser, everyone blissfully enjoyed the floor slop.