Yoshikawa nasu is an eggplant variety originating around the former Yoshikawa Village of Sabae City. The eggplant is round or slightly oval-shaped, reminiscent of old Japanese money-bags or purses, which is the reason why it's used in high-class restaurants.
The flavor is intense, while the texture of the flesh is firm. The skin is very thin, so the eggplants can easily become bruised or scratched. The seeds are very small, so the eggplants don't break apart and become too mushy when cooked. Yoshikawa nasu is usually harvested from June to November, and each tree yields about 40 eggplants.
The process of selection is quite strict – only those eggplants that are glossy, black to purple, pristine and undamaged are selected for the market. The production of Yoshikawa nasu peaked around 1942, but in 2009 it was almost ceased as the only farmer who produced them had died.
Nowadays, the eggplants are protected by volunteer farmers who keep the tradition of these prized eggplants going by planting new seeds and shipping about 10,000 of them yearly.
