抄録
The Taya eggplant is a traditional vegetable cultivated in Yamaguchi Prefecture of Japan. We compared the characteristics of the Taya eggplant with the Chikuyo variety which is generally sold at markets in the Yamaguchi area. One of the distinguishing features of Taya is its size, it is larger than Chikuyo in both diameter and length. The total amount of pigment (anthocyanins) in the peel of Taya was less than that of Chikuyo, so that there was little elution of the pigment into stock. A sensory evaluation showed that the texture of simmered or baked Taya was smoother and thicker, and the taste was sweeter than Chikuyo. After heat cooking, the watersoluble pectin content of Taya was greater than that of Chikuyo. The smoother and thicker texture of Taya was probably related to water-soluble pectin. It is likely that the sweet taste of Taya may have originated from the high content of such soluble sugar as sucrose, glucose and fructose.
