“Traditional vegetables” mean the vegetables that have long been grown in various parts of Japan and have been intricately connected to the local natural conditions and dietary cultures. There have been many such vegetables that disappeared from the markets as they could not be either produced or supplied in a stable manner (for mass consumption). However, efforts to resurrect and popularize “traditional vegetables” have gained momentum with attention to food safety and the idea of “local production for local consumption” growing.

Tamage-nasu (Tamage-aubergine) - Hagi-shi, Yamaguchi Prefecture

Tamage-nasu is an extremely large variety of aubergine, with a typical size and weight of roughly 30cm and 500g, respectively. Compared with the normal variety of aubergine, Tamage-nasu is roughly four times as large. The name derives from an expression in the Yamaguchi dialect, “tamageta,” which is uttered when one is startled.

This massive aubergine has a thin skin, and in contrast to its appearance, the flesh is soft and delicate, and melts in your mouth. That is the main characteristic of this variety.

Tamage-nasu is harvested in the period of late May through mid-July. In order to fatten the fruit, the variety is grown using a special method: unnecessary leaves are all removed, which concentrates the nutrition into the fruit. Only two main stems are left uncut. Due to this growing method, only two to four fruits can be harvested from a plant. As the variety is also easily susceptible to diseases and pests, the production of the variety has been dwindling recently.