I thought normal eggplant was good until I tried Japanese eggplant. It is so sweet and easy to prepare, no soaking or salting, you can even eat it raw. Ever since we bought our house several years ago we have planted it in our spring/summer garden. Ichiban eggplant is generally long and slender and can be straight or slightly curved, it comes in a beautiful variations of purples from dark to almost neon. The blooms are a beautiful shade of lavender.