Go fry an egg(plant): How cooking methods affect eggplant palatability
image: The effects of domestic and novel cooking methods (boiling, steaming, deep frying, and superheated steam (SHS)) were shown to shape the physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and palatability of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.).
Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University
Improving the palatability of vegetables through cooking is an important strategy to promote vegetable consumption. An Osaka Metropolitan University-led research team aimed to elucidate the effects of domestic and novel cooking methods (boiling, steaming, deep frying, and superheated steam (SHS)) on the physicochemical properties, sensory characteristics, and palatability of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Deep fried eggplant exhibited significantly higher liking scores with lower variability among untrained participants compared with boiled, steamed, and SHS-treated samples.
Although no significant differences in total polyphenol content (TPC) were observed among cooking methods, fewer participants perceived astringency in deep fried eggplant, suggesting that oil altered astringency perception. Deep fried eggplant was also characterized by higher selection frequencies for toasty, oily, and sweet attributes. While total soluble solid (TSS) did not differ significantly among cooking methods, reduced moisture content during deep frying likely concentrated water-soluble sugars, enhancing sweetness perception. Boiled, steamed, and SHS-treated eggplant showed no significant differences in overall liking; however, SHS treatment produced softer eggplant while better preserving flesh brightness and vivid purple peel color. Penalty analysis indicated that sweetness positively influenced palatability, whereas astringency negatively influenced palatability in water-based cooking methods.
These findings demonstrate that cooking methods substantially influence eggplant palatability not only through changes in chemical composition but more importantly through modifications of sensory perception. Deep frying enhanced palatability by reducing perceived astringency and imparting desirable flavors, while SHS cooking emerged as a promising alternative that balances texture softening and color retention. It requires increasing sweetness and reducing astringency to improve acceptability of eggplant in water-based cooking methods.
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