Have you ever tried eggplant caviar? An oven-baked eggplant cream that becomes sublime spread on crostini or used as a quick pasta sauce.

Eggplant caviar is widely used in Provence; imagine that it is the only vegetable preparation that can be called caviar (caviar d’aubergine).

Then, of course, every country has its own version and in Lebanese cuisine it becomes Baba ganoush (with the addition of tahini) served with pita bread. In Arabic it is called Moutabal with the addition of pomegranate and yogurt. In Armenia it becomes Patlatchan with cumin, garlic, and onion. In Iran it is called kashk e bademjan and is served with fermented whey.

Then we arrive in Turkey with patlıcan salatası, which besides grilled eggplant includes lemon, oil, tahini, green pepper, tomatoes and garlic; sometimes they add yogurt.

The Israeli version salat ḥatzilim is also prepared with grilled eggplant reduced to a purée, with tahini and garlic. Sometimes, instead of tahini, they add mayonnaise.

In Greece it becomes melitzanosalata with Greek yogurt, while in Macedonia Greek yogurt is replaced by a particular goat cheese called sirene and it is called malidzano.

So many versions for one wonderful and versatile sauce/cream based on eggplant.

Here are a few other eggplant recipes you might be interested in: