Aubergines are one of the most abundant vegetables produced on the island of Kos because they are available throughout the summer and the climate favors them. The actual plant is around 40cm to 1.50m tall, has a spiny stem, and produces a white flower. The leaves are large and coarse.
These large, firm dark purple skinned vegetables have a spongy flesh and are somewhat bitter when eaten raw but become rather tender when cooked and have become a major ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine and more specifically Greek cuisine. They are cooked in a multitude of ways, the simplest being just grilled or fried (traditionally accompanied by some garlic sauce), while the “Melitzanosalata” i.e. the aubergine salad (the aubergines are grilled, then skinned and deseeded, and finally mashed and mixed with some olive oil) the papoutsakia (fried aubergines with béchamel, minced meat and cheese) and the classic Moussaka are some of the more popular dishes. All of these recipes are available in most traditional restaurants especially during the summer months.
