In its ongoing efforts to introduce new variety of fruits and vegetables to consumers, the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia recently hosted a recipe sampling session featuring white eggplant.

The session was held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at Massy Stores’ Sunny Acres outlet, where the store’s customers and employees sampled dishes prepared using white eggplant: eggplant paste, eggplant bread, and eggplant fritters. The dishes were made from three varieties, namely Surge, Pure White, and F98-2554. They also received a free booklet that features simple recipes: White Eggplant Sauté, Fish-Flagrant Eggplant, White Eggplant Bread, Savoury Eggplant Paste, Garlic Butter Roasted White Eggplant, White Eggplant Fritters, and Stuffed White Eggplant.

White eggplant varieties typically have more seeds than purple eggplants, and the older the eggplant becomes, the more seeds it will develop. The flesh also transitions into grey or beige hues when cooked. White eggplant is firm to the touch, but not overly hard. If the eggplant emits a dull sound when lightly tapped, it is ripe. Cooked white eggplant has a light, mild, subtly sweet taste with nutty, mushroom-like nuances. White eggplant is traditionally less bitter and acidic than purple eggplant, allowing it to be used in more neutral preparations.

Mr. Edward Wilson, Production Officer with the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia, said the initiative was a strategic move by the Seven Crops Project, Massy Stores Saint Lucia Ltd., and its seed supplier.

“We tackled the entire value chain as much as we could by introducing three new varieties of white eggplant,” he said. “We understood that consumers had issues with local varieties of eggplant, mainly the taste and in terms of preparation techniques and highly productive quality of eggplant. We decided to target both issues. On the production side, we looked for varieties of eggplant which offers farmers an increased yield as well as catering to the consumers’ tastes and preferences.”

Mr. Wilson noted that white eggplant is a very resilient crop which is able to thrive in very arid conditions. While local production can be increased, the rate of local consumption is far too low which underscores the Seven Crop Project’s intervention. It is hoped that since these white eggplant varieties are more prolific, and offers superior taste characteristics, consumers will buy into them.

“The traditional purple eggplant is usually bitter,” Mr. Wilson noted. “Contrastingly, the white eggplant varieties boast softer and creamier traits. We also realized that the culinary techniques of many local consumers are very traditional, which deters consumers, and more often than most, fails to remove the bitter taste.”

With regards to food security, Mr. Wilson explained that the Seven Crops Project considers all the pillars of food security, including that of utilization, which speaks to consumption and diet. He said incorporating a super food like eggplant into our diet can significantly strengthen our nutrition and help reduce our rate of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Hence, the partnership with Massy Stores to improve awareness of eggplant and its preparation techniques which are not so traditional and provide consumers with options. In doing so, it is hoped that there will be increased consumption of eggplant.

“We’re very happy to be partnering with Massy Stores Saint Lucia, and hope to see more initiatives like these in the future, where we can bridge production and marketing to ensure that we make strides in the attainment of a food secure country whilst eat healthy foods,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kwame Augustin, who says he is involved in food and beverage, was among the many customers who sampled the dishes prepared using white eggplant. While not a big fan of eggplant, he admitted that the recipe sampling session gave him some good food for thought.

“Eggplant is not something that’s very popular with me and I’ve never prepared it,” Mr. Augustin said. “However, the sample recipes I tasted were very tasty, so I guess it’s all about how to prepare eggplant. I’m currently looking for a substitute for meat, so I’m happy that I’ve now been exposed to these preparations.”