When people think of summer vegetables, cucumbers and eggplants often come first. They are almost like childhood friends. Both came from Asia, both have a long history, and both can be cooked in many ways. Most of all, they help cool our bodies during the hot summer.
But their personalities are not the same.
The cucumber belongs to the gourd family. It is a vegetable made for eating fresh. More than 95% of it is water, so it is almost like a drink. It does not have many nutrients, but its cool and crisp taste is special. It shines in salads and simple Japanese pickles.
The eggplant belongs to the nightshade family. It is at its best when cooked. It goes very well with oil, and cooking makes it soft and full of flavor. The skin has many healthy polyphenols, so it is good to eat it with the skin on. Eggplants taste great grilled, fried, or simmered.
They also grow in very different ways. Cucumbers are climbing plants and need poles or strings to grow upward. Eggplants grow upright, and farmers usually keep three main stems and remove extra shoots. But they share one important point: both need careful watering and regular fertilizer. If they do not get enough water or food, they quickly stop producing good fruit.
In our field, the eggplants are now in the stage of renewal pruning. When the harvest becomes smaller in late summer, we cut back many branches so the plants can keep producing until autumn. Younger eggplants are also growing well. Cucumbers need daily care too. Without enough water, they become bent or bitter. They never accept the idea of “Maybe tomorrow.”
People eat them in very different ways. Cucumbers are best fresh, while eggplants become delicious after cooking. Still, they share something: both are good for pickles and Japanese dressed dishes. When made into rice-bran pickles, their nutritional value becomes even higher. Nutritionally, cucumbers are mostly water, while eggplants contain antioxidant polyphenols.
One climbs. One stands tall. One is best raw. The other is best cooked. They are different in many ways. Yet they grow together in the same field, in the same summer, asking for the same water and care. They are different, but also alike. They make a great team.
On the dinner table, cucumbers are crisp and refreshing, while eggplants are soft and rich. Summer meals would not be complete without both of them. This year again, I will grow them with care.