When I was travelling in rural Japan I came across a whole series of "tsukemono" or Japanese pickles, made from eggplants. The only eggplants I know of here in Australia are whopping big purple ones the size of a fist, thin cylindrical purple ones bout 8 inches long or the pea green Thai ones. The ones in Japan were small okra sized three inches or smaller and purple and of a slightly different shape. When I asked one of the farming ladies, she told me these were "nasu".

Anyone with the background to tell me about these plants? Are they a variety of eggplant/aubergine? Are they something different?

Oh and if anybody has recipes for tskemono?!