🍱 Kamo-nasu no Dengaku

“Kamo-Nasu” is one of the most popular traditional vegetables in Kyoto. Characterized by its round shape with a diameter of over 10 cm, the eggplant has a firm, heavy weight, and does not fall apart when cooked, thus it is called “The queen of eggplants" in the Kyoto area. According to one theory, the “Kamo-Nasu” was originally produced in” Serikawa”, “Shimotoba” Village, but was introduced to “Kamigamo” in the north and became a production center, hence the name, but this is not certain. The” Kamigamo” area is located on a fan-shaped alluvial plain between the “Kamo-Gawa” river to the west and the “Takano-Gawa” river to the east, and because the land was fertile, vegetables other than “Kamo-Nasu” , such as the traditional vegetable “Suguki”, have also been produced in the area for a long time. “Kamo-Nasu” are known for being difficult to cultivate because they produce only half as many fruits from a single eggplant as normal eggplants, and they also tend to lose their color and crack easily. A typical dish using Kamo eggplants is “Kamo-Nasu- Dengaku”. The eggplant goes well with oil, and its firm flesh allows the eggplant to be cooked slowly and still have a firm texture.