Fish fragrant eggplant or yuxiang qiezi (鱼香茄子) is a delicious Sichuan Chinese recipe that, incidentally, has no fish in it.The term “fish fragrant” actually refers to a flavor profile similar to certain Sichuan fish dishes.This recipe has a great balance of spicy, sweet, tangy, and savory flavors.

We’re long overdue on sharing our version of this popular favorite! The Origin of the Name Fish Fragrant Eggplant The story behind the term “fish fragrant eggplant” is that a housewife used some leftover sauce from a braised fish to cook eggplant.Because the sauce was reminiscent of that familiar fish preparation, “fish fragrant” eggplant was born, and the name stuck.  The sauce contains many layers of flavor—fermented spicy bean sauce (la doubanjiang), garlic, ginger, scallion, rice wine, sugar, and a touch of vinegar.It’s complex and delicious, and the dish is wildly popular across China.   We added fish sauce to our fish fragrant eggplant recipe as an optional ingredient—both to add more umami flavor and to honor the origins of the dish! That said, it does not traditionally include any seafood ingredients.  What Kind of Eggplant Can I Use? Long, light purple Chinese eggplants are the most tender, with a thin light purple skin.

These eggplants are the most common type that you’ll find in your local Chinese grocery store.They cook quickly, are very tender, and their thinner skins and fewer seeds make them less bitter and

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