Author: Perry Santanachote

Basmati rice—often called the "queen of rice" in India and Pakistan—is cherished in kitchens worldwide, particularly in South Asian cuisines. When translated directly from Hindi, basmati means “queen of fragrance.” Its delicate aroma, long slender grains, and fluffy texture make it a favorite in various dishes. “Growing up as a first-generation Indian, we never ate a meal without rice,” says Priyanka Naik, a chef, TV host, columnist, and author of The Modern Tiffin. “Whether it’s just plain rice or made into a pulao, basmati is a huge part of our diet, and we're very particular about how it's cooked.”

Whether you're preparing a traditional biryani or a simple side of steamed rice for curry or dal, understanding how basmati rice is cultivated, selected, and cooked can elevate your culinary game. We spoke with Naik, as well as Brita Lundberg, a fourth-generation farmer at the California-based rice farm Lundberg Family Farms to learn more. 

How Basmati Rice Is Cultivated

Basmati is a long-grain rice variety developed at least 250 years ago by the farmers of India and Pakistan and grown along the Himalayan foothills in these two countries ever since. The unique environment of the area, with its cool climate and nutrient-rich soil, plays a significant role in developing basmati’s subtly nutty flavor and aroma that’s reminiscent of pandan and popcorn. Growing basmati rice is truly an art form. Farmers in India and Pakistan grow seedlings in a nursery and then transplant them by hand. The process requires careful attention to detail to ensure the grains develop their characteristic length, aroma, and texture.  After harvesting, Indian and Pakistani basmati undergoes a period of aging through long storage, typically for six months to a year, which intensifies the flavor and allows the grains to elongate further when cooked.

What About American-Grown Basmati?

Because of the unique environment in India, Pakistan, and other parts of the Indian subcontinent, which contributes to basmati’s unique flavor and aroma, true basmati can’t be grown in the US—but since there are currently no patents or official DOP- or DOC-style rules (designation of origin) rules governing basmati there have been cases in the States of companies creating basmati hybrids without acknowledging the rice’s South Asian history. Most notably, in 1984, Robin Andrews, former chief executive of the rice company RiceTec, created a hybrid between basmati and American long-grain rice and marketed it as Texmati. It’s still sold today, along with other American hybrids, and has been the topic of much discussion surrounding colonialism and imperialism. These hybrids are grown by planting seeds directly into production fields, instead of in a nursery. Similarly, Lundberg Family Farms grows a version of basmati in California and calls it "California basmati" to distinguish it from basmatis grown in the Indian subcontinent. Unlike Indian basmati, the grains of American basmatis usually don’t elongate during the cooking process and they tend to have a less pronounced aroma. 

How to Shop for Basmati Rice

When shopping for basmati rice, the packaging and the grain itself can tell you a lot about its quality. Here’s what to look out for:

Grades and Terminology

There are a few terms and grades you will encounter when shopping for basmati rice.

• Super basmati is the top grade, featuring extra-long, slender grains. It's ideal for special dishes like biryani or pilaf.
• Pusa basmati is a hybrid version of basmati rice that also has long grains but is typically less expensive than super basmati.
• Brown basmati retains the bran layer, offering more fiber and nutrients than white basmati, but with a nuttier flavor and chewier texture.
• Aged basmati is rice that’s undergone the aging process, which gives it a stronger flavor and fluffier texture.

Grain Appearance

A good basmati rice grain should range from long (6.6 to 7.5 mm) to very long (more than 7.5 mm) and be slender (2 mm wide). Broken or short grains indicate lower quality. “Look for translucent—not chalky—grains of uniform shape and size to ensure a consistent cook and ideal texture,” says Lundberg. The color should be slightly off-white or light golden due to the aging process. If the rice looks too white, it might have been over-processed or over-polished.

Storage

Keep dry basmati rice in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, along with the moisture-absorbing packet that typically comes with the rice to help keep it fresh. If it's especially humid where you live, or you're concerned about pests, keep your rice in the freezer, which shouldn’t affect its quality. 

Signs of Well-Cooked Basmati Rice

Indian and Pakistani basmati grains should lengthen significantly when cooked—almost double their original length. “There's no right or wrong way to cook it,” says Naik. “It depends on your personal preferences and what dish you're eating it with.” You can cook the rice on the stovetop or in a rice cooker, but note that the grains may not be as fluffy when made in a rice cooker.

If you're eating rice with something soupy like dal (stewed lentils), Naik says the rice should be cooked with slightly more water than the typical 1:1 ratio she recommends so it comes out a bit mushy, because once you pour the dal over the rice, the rice needs to absorb it. If the rice grains are too loose, the rice won’t absorb the dal and instead will just spread out on your plate.

For specialty rice dishes, like pulao, each grain should remain distinct, not sticky or mushy. Sauté the washed grains first with nuts like pistachios, almonds, or cashews, and spices like peppercorns, a cinnamon stick, and turmeric. “This type of rice must be made in a wide pan, not in a pot, because you want all the rice grains to hit the heat and mix with the spices,” says Naik. Once the mixture is aromatic, add water (1:1.5 or 1:2 rice to water ratio) and bring it to a simmer. Cover and cook until it’s a loose and fluffy consistency with a slightly al dente bite, about 15 minutes. 

Common Uses for Basmati Rice

Basmati rice is incredibly versatile. Its light, fluffy texture pairs beautifully with everything from rich spiced meats to delicate vegetable stews. Aside from South Asian dishes, it also is just as prized in Middle Eastern cuisines. Here are some of the most popular uses:

Steamed: A simple side of steamed basmati rice is often served with curries, kebabs, and grilled vegetables across many cuisines. Its light and fluffy texture balances out the richness of many accompanying dishes. For a variation on plain steamed rice, try Persian-style chelow.

Biryani: Perhaps one of the most famous dishes using basmati rice, biryani is a rich layered rice dish cooked with spices, vegetables, and meats like chicken or lamb. The long grains of basmati are perfect for absorbing the complex flavors of this dish.

Pilaf: Basmati rice is often used in pilafs, where it’s cooked with fragrant spices, broth, and sometimes dried fruits or nuts. The rice's fluffy texture and the grains’ ability to stay separate make it ideal for this type of dish. Take your pick from Greek, Armenian, and Indian styles, among others.

Desserts: In Indian and Pakistani cuisine, basmati is sometimes used in sweet applications like phirni, a creamy dessert commonly served during Muslim festivals in India. Dry fruits add texture to the base and you can add your favorite fruit pulp for extra flavor. Kheer—a silky rice pudding flavored with cardamom, saffron, and nuts—is also a popular South Asian dessert.

Dosa: These giant, crispy South Asian crepes are made from fermented basmati rice and lentils and usually served with chutney and sambar, or rolled like a wrap.

Tahdig: To make Persian tahdig, basmati is infused with saffron, cooked until crunchy, and bejeweled with pomegranate seeds. It’s often a centerpiece dish served with all kinds of entrées like stews, grilled or roasted meats, fish, vegetables, and herb platters.

The Takeaway

As you can see, basmati rice is more than just a side dish; it’s a staple ingredient that brings elegance and flavor to any meal. Understanding basmati rice is about appreciating the artistry behind it—from the field to the kitchen. When you select a good quality rice and cook it properly, the results are nothing short of extraordinary.

What's your "smells like home" meal? For me and many Thai people I know, it’s not a meal, per se, but an integral component of a meal: jasmine rice, or khao hom mali. The fragrant aroma of a fresh pot of steamed jasmine rice is about as comforting as it gets. 

“Jasmine rice is special,” says Pranee Khruasanit Halvorsen, a Seattle-based Thai cooking instructor. “It's an occasion, almost a dish in and of itself. It's like when you whip out the good olive oil.” 

Thai jasmine rice has won numerous “best rice in the world” conference titles and awards. Its fragrance and tender grains make it an ideal pairing for a number of dishes, from spicy stir fries to creamy rice puddings. But beyond aroma and taste, what makes this grain so unique? I spoke with Halvorsen to uncover more about jasmine rice. Read on to learn about the cultivation of jasmine rice, how to shop for and cook it, and ideas for using it in various cuisines. 

How Jasmine Rice Is Cultivated

Jasmine is a relatively new rice variety discovered by accident in 1945 by a farmer in Thailand's Chonburi region. The rice was named Khao Dawk Mali (jasmine rice) 105. Today, jasmine rice is still primarily grown in Thailand, particularly in the northeastern region of the country, but it can also be found in Cambodia, Laos, and Southern Vietnam. The warm, tropical climate and the seasonal monsoon rains create the perfect conditions for this long-grain rice variety to thrive. In this region, rice seedlings are usually grown in a nursery, planted by hand in the early rainy season (May to June), and harvested by late autumn (October to November). In the US, farmers plant seeds directly into production fields in April and May and harvest them in September and October.

After harvesting, jasmine rice grains are typically polished to remove the husk, bran, and germ, resulting in the white rice we commonly see. However, brown jasmine rice, which retains the bran layer, is also available and offers a nuttier flavor and chewier texture. Like basmati rice, jasmine rice is often aged for several months to a year by drying out in a storage facility, which enhances certain aspects of its flavor (though the flavor will still be more prominent right after harvesting) and cooking properties, making it fluffier and less sticky when cooked.

What Does Jasmine Rice Smell and Taste Like?

You would be forgiven for thinking jasmine rice smells of the jasmine plant, but the name actually comes from the color of its grain—which is as white as the jasmine flower. The rice’s aroma is, in fact, closer to the grassy, floral notes of pandan, a tropical plant of the screwpine family, which includes shrubs and evergreen trees. “Jasmine rice [from] Thailand will give you the strongest aroma and an almost silky texture,” says Halvorsen. “It's not sticky or chewy, but the grains do slightly stick together in just the right amount.” 

While jasmine rice is grown in the United States, it doesn't have the same pronounced aroma and silky texture as Thai jasmine rice. It could be due to the provenance, suggests Halvorsen. “Like when you grow the same grapes in California, Italy, or France, and the wine tastes different because it takes on the taste of the land,” she says.

How to Shop for and Store Jasmine Rice

A grain of jasmine rice should be pearly white, semi-translucent, long, and slender, with a length-to-width ratio of 3:1. When cooked, the grains are shiny, soft, and tender, with a natural aromatic flavor that’s most pronounced when freshly harvested. You might want to avoid rice that looks chalky, broken, or excessively white, as this may indicate that it’s been over-polished or over-processed. However, this lower grade of rice is sometimes cheaper, so it’s an option if you’re on a budget. And there are some cases, such as when you are making Vietnamese cơm tấm, that broken rice is exactly what you want to look for.

Jasmine rice is available nearly everywhere, from major market retailers to specialty grocers. But not all jasmine rice is fragrant, so you’ll want to look for jasmine rice from Southeast Asia for the best aroma and flavor. In the US, it’ll likely be imported from Thailand. Look for a green and yellow seal on the package that says “Thai Hom Mali Rice Certificate,” which indicates it’s been certified by the Thailand Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce. "It guarantees that the rice was grown in Thailand under the conditions essential for its signature aroma and texture," says Halvorsen.

Thai jasmine rice is graded based on the percentage of whole kernels and the purity of the mix, meaning how much of the product is solely jasmine rice without other varieties mixed in. AAA is the highest export quality, with a minimum requirement of 100% whole kernels and 92% purity. An 80/20 mix—which will be labeled on the product—means a fifth of the bag contains different types of rice. Broken rice is a grade of broken kernels that’s best reserved for porridge and dishes like Vietnamese cơm tấm that specifically call for broken rice.

You might also see some bags of jasmine rice labeled “new crop,” which indicates it was packaged shortly after harvest, when the rice’s fragrance is strongest. “New crop rice is the best, if you can afford it,” says Halvorsen, as it tends to have a higher price tag. “It’s very desirable because of the aroma, but it’s also so soft and nice on the palate.” New crop rice contains more moisture than older rice, so you need less water to cook it.

If you’re not sure whether you have new crop rice, Halvorsen says to test it by making one cup of rice with one and a half cups of water. If it comes out too wet, that means it’s new crop and you’ll need to adjust the ratio and use less water next time. If it’s dry, then it’s been aged and you’ll need to add more water. Halvorsen suggests performing this test whenever you open a new bag of rice. “Because even if something says it's a new crop, you don’t know how long it’s been sitting in storage,” she explains.

As for storage, keep jasmine rice in an airtight container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight—ideally with the moisture-absorbing packet that typically comes with the rice, which will help the grains stay fresh. If it's especially humid where you live or you're concerned about pests, you can keep your rice in the freezer, which shouldn’t affect its quality. 

Signs of Well Cooked Jasmine Rice

When made right, jasmine rice should be soft and tender, with a subtle stickiness that holds the grains together but doesn’t make them mushy. (Not thoroughly rinsing your rice before cooking it could lead to a mushy texture.) Fortunately for home cooks, rice cookers make it easy to cook jasmine rice to perfection, but you can also make stovetop rice, and Halvorsen even uses her oven to cook rice for a crowd.

Common Uses for Jasmine Rice

Jasmine rice is much more than just a side dish—it's a fragrant, flavorful, and versatile ingredient that plays a central role in Southeast Asian cuisine. As Halvorsen aptly puts it, "Cooking jasmine rice is about embracing its simplicity and letting the grain's natural fragrance and texture complement the flavors of the dish."

Here are some of the most popular ways to enjoy it:

Steamed as part of a meal. The simplest and most common use for jasmine rice is to serve it steamed as part of a balanced meal. Its texture pairs well with stir fries, curries, and soups. In Southeast Asian cuisines, jasmine rice is a staple that complements bold, flavorful dishes like thit heo nuong xa (Vietnamese grilled lemongrass pork chops), gaeng khiao waan gai (Thai green curry), phat bai horapha (Thai-style beef with basil and chiles), and rau muống xào thịt bò (sautéed morning glory).

Fried rice. Jasmine rice is often used for fried rice dishes, in which it’s commonly cooked with garlic, soy sauce, and vegetables. The rice’s slightly sticky texture makes it ideal for absorbing sauces and seasonings without becoming mushy.

Jok, congee, and other rice porridges. Jasmine rice is used to make rice porridge in many Asian cuisines. The rice is cooked with plenty of water or broth until it breaks down into a creamy consistency. It’s a comforting dish often served with pickled mustard greens, kimchi, salted eggs, marinated tofu, sautéed mushrooms, or poached chicken for breakfast or as a light meal.

Clay pot rice. Cantonese clay pot rice is cooked slowly and gently in a porous, semi-glazed clay pot until the rice is fluffy and aromatic with a satisfyingly crisp bottom. It’s commonly served with chicken and shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, or soy-marinated pork belly.

Rice pudding. For an easier, quicker, more stovetop-friendly version of the iconic Thai sticky rice with mango, use jasmine rice in place of sticky rice. Unrinsed, the grains give the dessert just the right amount of starch.

The Takeaway

Jasmine rice is much more than a staple food—it's a cultural touchstone that embodies the comfort of home for many people. Its delicate fragrance, tender grains, and versatility in both savory and sweet dishes make it a beloved ingredient around the world. Whether served simply alongside stir fries or transformed into rice porridge, jasmine rice brings a unique balance of aroma and texture that enhances many cuisines, especially Southeast Asian ones. As you explore the magic of this grain, remember that its subtle nuances come from both the land where it's grown and the care taken in its preparation.

Potatoes are a kitchen staple for good reason—they’re versatile, hearty, and capable of being transformed into countless delicious dishes. Keeping a supply of spuds in my pantry is handy for making easy side dishes, such as roasted potatoes, air-fryer baked potatoes, or smashed potatoes, but every once in a while, I’ll reach for a potato and find it sprouting, wrinkling, or worse—rotting. 

The disappointment isn’t so much about the waste—potatoes are cheap and easy to compost—but when I want a potato, I freaking want a potato! To prevent future dinnertime tantrums from my inner child, I went on a journey to discover the absolute best ways to store potatoes and tested various methods for keeping them fresh and firm for as long as possible.

Optimal Conditions to Store Potatoes

Before I began testing, I consulted several agricultural guides on post-harvest potatoes, including those by the Oregon State University Extension Service, the UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center, and the Utah State University Extension. I learned that potatoes can last up to a year after harvest when kept under ideal conditions, but can quickly spoil if not stored properly. 

Potatoes stored at room temperature (around 68°F/20°C) will start to sprout, wrinkle, soften, and rot after just a week or two. On the other hand, storing them in the fridge can cause the starches to turn into sugars, making them brown too quickly if destined for the fryer. Too much light can cause potatoes to turn green from chlorophyll, frequently accompanied by high levels of a toxic alkaloid called solanine.

The Goldilocks solution? A dark, coolish (45°F/7°C to 55°F/13°C or to), well-ventilated place, like a wooden potato box in a root cellar—words that aren’t exactly part of the modern-day vernacular. As an urban apartment dweller, my task was to find the next best storage container and storage area.

Choosing Potatoes to Test

The shelf life of potatoes can vary depending on the type. Russet potatoes, known for their thick skin and starchy flesh, typically have the longest shelf life, lasting about three to five months when stored properly in a cool, dark, and dry place. With their thinner skin and creamy texture, Yukon Gold potatoes generally last about two to three months under the same conditions. Red potatoes and fingerlings, which have a higher moisture content and thinner skin, tend to have a shorter shelf life, often lasting around one to two months before they soften or sprout. 

For this experiment, I purchased 10-pound bags of russet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes—the two types most Americans are likely to keep on hand—at Costco, making sure they had no cracks, bruises, wrinkles, soft spots, or greening beforehand.

Finding the Best Container for Storing Potatoes

I first focused on finding the best containers to store potatoes, then seeing how they fared in different storage areas. Ideal containers allow air to circulate and retain humidity while preventing moisture buildup that can lead to rot. I opted to try six vessels:

• Paper bag
• Mesh cotton produce bag
• Perforated plastic bag (the ones bulk potatoes are sold in)
• Lidded cardboard box 
• Metal wire basket 
• Plastic mixing bowl

After choosing the storage containers, I put them to the test in two sets of conditions:

1. In a temperature controlled refrigerator drawer set to 50°F (10°C) and 65% humidity to mimic ideal root cellar conditions.
2. In the pantry.

Results: Refrigerator Drawer Set to 50°F (10°C) and 65% Humidity

I placed two russets and three Yukon Golds in each container and stored them—with nothing else—in a refrigerator drawer set to 50°F (10°C) and 65% humidity (a much higher temp than your average refrigerator drawer, for testing purposes). I checked the drawer’s condition with an indoor thermometer and hygrometer. (Potatoes are about 80% water, so high storage humidity—90 to 95%—is ideal to prevent moisture loss and shriveling.)

After a week, all of the potatoes looked more or less the same. The ones in the mesh cotton produce bag and the plastic mixing bowl were slightly softer than the others, but still mighty fine-looking potatoes. If you have a refrigerator crisper drawer that can be set to a different temperature than the rest of the fridge, this seems to be an ideal spot to keep your spuds, whether you bag ‘em, bowl ‘em, or just toss ‘em in loose. That said, high-tech cooler drawers are about as accessible as root cellars, so onward with the testing.

Results: Room Temperature Pantry

Since the refrigerator drawer couldn’t knock out any of the storage container options from my testing, I repeated the test but placed all of the batches of potatoes in a less ideal environment: a room-temperature kitchen pantry. 

I removed everything that wasn't a potato from the storage space and kept the potatoes there for one week. The daytime temperature (in July) over the week ranged from 65°F (18°C) to 77°F (25°C) with 70 to 95% humidity. Here’s how each one fared.

Paper Bag

The paper bag prevented ventilation and ended up feeling damp after a week. At least a couple of potatoes were getting moldy.

Mesh Cotton Produce Bag

The mesh cotton bag also retained too much moisture, causing the russets to grow mold.

Perforated Plastic Bag

Whoever developed the potato sack at Big Potato knew what they were doing. The bags that these potatoes came in did their job well, allowing for proper ventilation. The next time you buy several pounds of this staple, don’t transfer them to another container. 

Lidded Cardboard Box 

Like the paper bag, the cardboard box felt damp, the potatoes were moldy, and some of the Yukon Golds began to sprout.

Plastic Mixing Bowl

The plastic bowl didn’t offer quite enough air circulation, making the potatoes at the bottom damp and squishy.

Metal Wire Basket

This storage method was right up there with the perforated plastic bag. The open sides offered the potatoes the airflow they needed. Based on the success of both this method and the perforated plastic bag, I concluded that maximizing air circulation as much as possible is key for making potatoes last. You can even leave them in a pile on the counter, if you don’t mind them knocking around, but any breathable open container or bag will do.

Storing Potatoes Alongside Onions

While onions are commonly stored with or near potatoes, experts advise against this since onions emit ethylene gasses that can negatively affect the potatoes. The UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center says low levels of external ethylene can cause weight loss and mild shriveling in potatoes, while high concentrations of external ethylene may induce sprouting. 

It’s worth noting that commercial non-organic potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors to extend storage life. (Organic growers might use essential oils to reduce sprouting naturally.) The potatoes I used in this experiment were conventional, so possibly treated with a sprout inhibitor.

I tested onion’s impact on potatoes by storing them both in the same wire basket in one pantry and potatoes on their own in another pantry for a control group. I also placed one batch in a dark corner of my counter, sitting next to a bowl of onions.

After one week, the countertop potatoes sitting next to the bowl of onions fared the worst out of all the potatoes throughout the testing. The spuds were shriveled, squishy, and a little moldy (see above). The potatoes that were stored closer to the onions but in the more ideal storage conditions of the pantry looked much better. 

However, the pantry potatoes stored next to the alliums picked up an off flavor—likely a degradation caused by the ethylene emitted from the onions—which I discovered when I cooked with them. I fried and boiled batches of each to see how they tasted. Fried russet potatoes that had been stored in the pantry next to onions smelled oniony and tasted acrid, sour, and bitter compared to the control group, which smelled fresh and earthy and tasted only of potato.

Steamed Yukon Golds stored next to onions had some sharpness but weren’t as sour. I suspect I wouldn’t have noticed this much if I didn’t perform a side-by-side tasting. The steamed russets stored with the onions were more unappetizing, taking on a stale taste, and void of potato flavor.

My takeaway, which aligns with expert advice, is to avoid storing these staple foods together—and likely other ethylene gas-producing foods like bananas and apples, for example—particularly in the same bowl. Since the room-temperature potatoes were rotting, I didn’t taste them, but they looked terrible. We know that storage conditions also have a big impact on the outcome of your potatoes, so the less ideal the storage conditions, the worse overall, and the presence of ethylene gas-producing foods exacerbates that. 

How Refrigeration Affects Potato Storage

The Oregon State University Extension Service says storage temperatures below 38°F (3°C) can cause sugar buildup or sweetening: “Fried products from such tubers are darker and oilier than those from tubers stored at higher temperature.” However, the UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center says that chilling damage, defined as a “discoloration of internal tissue,” only occurs during longer periods of storage, usually a few weeks.

To see if one week in the fridge noticeably altered potatoes’ sugar-to-starch ratio, I placed a wire basket of potatoes in the crisper drawer of my fridge and set it to 34°F (1°C) and 60% humidity. After a week, the appearance didn’t change much, except for the moisture condensing on the skins as they returned to room temperature.

In my own tests, I could clearly see the refrigerated potatoes brown faster when fried—too fast for them to cook thoroughly without burning. These refrigerated potatoes also tasted bitter, possibly due to the extra browning. There was no discoloration when I steamed the potatoes, but the refrigerated ones tasted slightly bitter and kind of like a refrigerator—like when butter is kept too long. The pleasant, earthy potatoey flavor that should be there was lacking.

The Takeaway: How to Store Potatoes So They’ll Last 

By following these steps, you’ll enjoy fresh, firm potatoes for weeks, ready for use in whatever dish you desire—whether it’s a comforting mash, crispy fries, or a hearty stew. 

1. Choose quality potatoes. Start by selecting firm, unblemished potatoes. Avoid any with cuts, bruises, or green spots, as these are more prone to spoilage.
2. Don’t wash before storing. Keep your potatoes dry. Any additional moisture can lead to mold growth and premature spoiling. If your potatoes are particularly dirty, gently brush off excess soil with a dry cloth or a soft brush.
3. Store in a cool, dark place. If possible, find a spot between 45°F (7°C) and 55°F (13°C), like a basement, pantry, or cool cupboard. Keep potatoes away from sunlight and heat sources.
4. Maximize air circulation as much as possible. Use breathable storage, such as a mesh plastic bag or a wire basket, to store your potatoes, making sure not to crowd the potatoes to avoid excess moisture buildup. 
5. Check on them regularly. Inspect your stored potatoes for signs of sprouting or spoilage every one to two weeks. Potatoes that have spoiled will cause others to spoil faster, so remove any that are soft, sprouting, moldy, or green.
6. Keep away from ethylene-producing foods. Potatoes and onions may be kitchen companions in cooking, but they shouldn’t be stored together. Onions release gasses that can give potatoes an off flavor and speed spoilage, and so do other fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, tomatoes, and avocados.
   

From mashed potatoes to crispy fries, the humble potato is a staple in kitchens worldwide, loved for its versatility and comfort-food appeal. However, a concern arises when you encounter a potato with a green hue—should you eat it? 

Potatoes with green spots are more likely to contain elevated levels of the toxin solanine, which can cause digestive symptoms if consumed. However, they could be safe to eat when certain precautions are taken. We spoke with Zachary Cartwright, PhD, lead food scientist at Aqualab and a member of the Institute of Food Technologists Food Safety and Quality Management Division, to find out more. 

Why Do Potatoes Turn Green?

Potatoes—which, of course, grow underground—turn green when exposed to any type of light, whether it's sunlight, fluorescent lighting in a store, or even the light in your kitchen. The green color is caused by the production of chlorophyll, the same pigment that gives other plants their green color. Chlorophyll itself is harmless and doesn’t affect the potato’s flavor or safety directly. However, the greening process can sometimes indicate something more concerning is happening beneath the surface—an increase in solanine.

What Is Solanine?

Cartwright says solanine is a natural glycoalkaloid poison found in all members of the nightshade family, which includes potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. “In plants, solanine serves as a defense mechanism against pests and diseases,” he says. “While potatoes naturally contain small amounts of solanine, the levels increase to toxic levels when the potato is damaged, exposed to light, or stored under too hot or too cold conditions.”

Solanine also causes a bitter flavor. If cooked potatoes taste bitter or cause a burning sensation in your mouth or throat, this can indicate high solanine levels, even if the potato does not look green.

Health Risks of Solanine

Consuming high levels of solanine can lead to solanine poisoning, which, though rare, can cause serious symptoms, including:

• Gastrointestinal distress. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the most common symptoms associated with solanine poisoning. These symptoms can occur within hours of consuming a green potato.
• Neurological symptoms. In more severe cases, solanine can affect the nervous system, leading to headaches, dizziness, confusion, and even hallucinations.

Most cases of solanine poisoning involve mild symptoms and are often the result of consuming significant amounts of green potatoes, but the only way to completely mitigate the risk is to completely steer clear of any green potato flesh. 

How Much Solanine is Dangerous?

“A potato with solanine levels above 20 milligrams per 100 grams of potato flesh can start to cause symptoms,” says Cartwright, though typical store-bought potatoes usually contain much less than this.

The amount of solanine that can cause poisoning varies depending on several factors, including the individual’s weight, the amount of green potato consumed, and the solanine concentration in the potato. Solanine poisoning symptoms may begin to appear after consuming two to five milligrams of solanine per kilogram of the person’s body weight. For reference, a potato with visible greening might contain around 250 to 280 milligrams of solanine per kilogram, meaning that a small amount of green potato can still pose a risk, especially for children.

What to Do if Your Potato is Green

If you notice a potato has turned green, here are some steps you can take:

1. Assess the greening. If you see green spots on the outside, it doesn't mean the whole potato is affected. “You can remove the spots and eat the potato,” says Cartwright, “but if it's too great of an extent, I wouldn't even mess with that.”
2. Check for sprouts. Green potatoes often develop sprouts, which also contain high levels of solanine. If your potato has sprouted, it’s best to remove the sprouts or discard the potato altogether. If you choose to use the potato, cut or dig the sprouts out completely, removing any green flesh around the sprouts as well.
3. Peel the potato. Since the majority of solanine that’s already present in potatoes is concentrated in the skin and just beneath it, peeling the potato can help reduce the solanine content. Be sure to remove any green flesh as well.
4. After cooking potatoes, be aware of any bitter flavors. Solanine is heat-stable, says Cartwright, meaning that baking, boiling, frying, or cooking the potato in any other way will not reduce its solanine content. Solanine can impart a bitter taste to the potato, so if your potato tastes bitter after cooking, it's a good indication that it may contain higher levels of solanine and you should stop eating it.

Preventing Potatoes From Turning Green

Commercial potato growers take measures to prevent greening in potatoes from the moment the spuds are harvested to when they arrive on grocery store produce stands. “This includes everything from proper storage and handling to screening measures for greening and sprouting before reaching consumers,” says Cartwright. “This is why you don’t really see green potatoes at the grocery store. But that may change as they sit out on a kitchen counter over time.”

The best way to avoid the risk of solanine poisoning is to prevent your potatoes from turning green in the first place. This comes down to three main factors, according to Cartwright: 

1. Proper storage. Keep potatoes in a cool, dark, and dry place. Reaction with light will cause greening and solanine formation, so this step is key. 
2. Avoid damage. Ensure you're handling the potatoes carefully to avoid bruising or nicks, which can also cause solanine formation.
3. Consume fresh potatoes. Aging and sprouting will also lead to higher solanine concentrations, so eat your spuds before they sprout or turn green.

The Takeaway: Should You Eat Green Potatoes?

There are potential health risks associated with consuming solanine, a compound present in green potatoes, so it’s best to avoid eating those discolored tubers when you come across them. While small amounts of green potato might not cause severe symptoms, the risks can outweigh the benefits. If you do come across a green potato, your safest bet is to either cut away the affected areas or discard the potato entirely.

By storing potatoes correctly and being vigilant about any signs of greening, you can enjoy this versatile starchy vegetable without worry.

It’s difficult to describe the taste of watermelon, because nothing tastes quite like it. To me, a perfectly ripe watermelon hits you first with a fresh floral but vegetative aroma, then delivers a bright, fruity sugar rush upfront with a rich, lingering sweetness. 

Before diving into this topic, I honestly can’t remember the last time I was able to track down the perfect watermelon. I’ve partly chalked it up to bad luck and partly resigned myself to believing most modern watermelons are simply not what they used to be. But my hope was recently rekindled after speaking with various watermelon experts who gave me nine tips to increase my chances of finding the right one.

But first, where to shop. 

Supermarket vs. Farm-Stand Watermelons

While ripe and delicious watermelons can be found year-round in supermarkets (these are commonly hybrid seedless types developed specifically for commercial production), many of the melons in these stores can be duds, so the odds are stacked against you. 

“Watermelon growers harvest millions of tons weekly, so they’re going through the field and picking everything, not only the ones that are ripe,” says Thanh Truong, a.k.a. Fruit Nerd, a third-generation fruiterer who’s worked at major supermarkets and in wholesale markets.

Farmers must factor in shelf life and transportation. Truong says that melons at peak ripeness would never survive the time and long-distance travel required to get to supermarket shelves. “Ideally, they’re somewhere between 90 to 93% mature, but there can be ones that are 85% ripe in the batch.”

Truong says the difference in flavor is enormous. Anything below 80% ripe is not sweet enough. “A watermelon at 91 to 92% is very sweet,” he says. “But a fully ripe watermelon grown in someone’s backyard, small farm, or market garden will be amazingly juicy, sweet, and crunchy.”

Not only are you much more likely to find a fully ripe melon at your local farmstand in the peak of summer, but you may find watermelons in many sizes (from mini to extra large), shapes (round, oval, blocky, elongated), flesh colors (red, pink, orange, yellow) and rind patterns (from solid to striped or speckled). Truong says watermelons found at local markets would be cultivated for their sugary flesh—not their ability to survive a cross-country road trip.

Still, it is possible to find a sweet and ripe watermelon at a supermarket, you just need to be more prudent when picking.

9 Tips For Picking the Best Watermelons

Whether at a store or farmers market, watermelons with certain characteristics (which we’ll get to in a moment) will be the best of the bunch. These qualities won’t always be obvious, and some methods for selecting ripe ones are more nuanced than others, so do your best.

“Every tip you use might get you a 5 to 10% better selection, but add all the tips together, and eventually you're going to have a watermelon that’s maybe 30% better than the ones literally right next to it,” says Truong.

And no pressure or anything, but picking the right one matters even more since watermelons don’t continue to ripen after harvest. “It'll soften, and the texture may improve a little bit, but it will never get sweeter,” says Amy Goldman, an heirloom seed preservationist and author of The Melon. “What you pick is what you get.”

Matte Skin

Look for a watermelon with dull, waxy-looking skin. “If it looks glossy, it's not ripe,” says Penelope Perkins-Veazie, PhD, a watermelon specialist and professor of horticultural science at North Carolina State University. However, the difference can sometimes be too subtle, even for her, so don’t spend too much time on this one. While shopping, I noticed most watermelons at the store looked matte, so when you see a glossy one, like the one pictured above,  it should stand out like a greased thumb, and make sure to avoid it. 

Full Ends

“Watermelons should also be well-rounded, with filled-out ends,” says Goldman. “If it's not filled out, it means pollination was poor, and the flesh quality suffers.”

Bouncy Sound

Tapping watermelons won’t tell you how ripe or sweet they are, but it can clue you in on any damage the watermelon has suffered. “Watermelon is a big bruiser and more fragile than you think,” says Goldman. “I cringe when I see people piling watermelons on each other because that compression damages the texture inside.”

Thumping the watermelons is an option to get at what’s going on behind the rind. (However, it only really works with the large melons, not the minis.) Truong says you’re essentially assessing for reverb. “When a watermelon has a bruised part, the water separates from the flesh, so it absorbs sound,” says Truong. “When you tap it, you want it to sound even and for the vibration to bounce back like a basketball.”

But to be clear, this can be a difficult sound to detect, and some never manage to hear the difference. Even the pros admit it’s pretty hard to assess. “I've thumped these things to the end of the earth, and I can't tell the difference,” says Perkins-Veazie.

Yellow Spot

Look for the ground spot on the watermelon, which is the large, lighter patch on one side. “The spot is where it rested on the ground,” says Goldman. “The spot's color should be a buttery yellow, a sign the farmer picked the watermelon at maximum maturity.” The melon may not have had enough time in the field if it's white. Webbing on the spot is also an excellent sign of sweetness.

Shriveled Stem

Watermelon growers will know that a harvested watermelon is ripe by looking at the calyx, which is the stem area. Truong says if the watermelon is ripe and ready, the stem shrivels, and the melon falls off the vine, but stem tears indicate that the watermelon was forcibly ripped off before it fully ripened. Some melons have a little dried up stem tail still attached, like the one pictured above, making it easy to visually confirm that the stem was brown and shriveled. Some watermelons barely have a stem left, but if they were picked too soon, you can see tears along one side where it was ripped off the vine (below).

Solid Striping

“Look at the striping pattern,” says Perkins-Veazie. “Well-developed stripes mean it's more likely to be ripe.” This is true of the watermelons available to most consumers, but there are heirloom varieties without stripes, so this tip won’t work for those. Goldman adds that if the darker green stripes contain too much yellow, the fruit may be overripe.

Rugged Ridges

“If you look at watermelons closely, they have subtle ridges called veins that run the length of the watermelon,” says Perkins-Veazie. If the ridges look well extended (raised and protruding out—like a pomegranate, but less showy) that's a good indication it’s ripe. They’re definitely visible in larger melons, but not minis. If you can’t see them clearly, feel for them.

Heavy Weight

According to the experts, the watermelon that feels heaviest for its size is likely the juiciest. The easiest way is to pick up several watermelons to compare. I suggest running through all the tips above first to help you weed out the watermelons worth lifting.

Sugar Crystals (For Selecting Cut Watermelon)

If you buy a halved or quartered watermelon, Truong says little sugar crystals near the seeds or false seeds is an obvious sign the watermelon is sweet. In the image above, for example, the flesh around the seeds look like little geodes.

Putting the Tips to the Test

In my quest to pick the perfect watermelon, I purchased six options—three large and three mini  across three vendors (two grocery stores and one farmers market). In each instance, I tried to check all the boxes to get the best possible selection; I also picked one from each shop that was missing some of the qualities to see if they were lacking in sweetness or succulence. 

When I followed all (or most) of the tips together, I consistently picked great watermelons. It’s true what the experts say in that all the tips in combination with each other really pay dividends. When I opted to heed only half of the tips, the watermelon was about half as good.

Most of the tips were easy to assess (especially when I paid no mind to the produce employees teasing me for spending 20 minutes picking out a watermelon). The only one I found a bit tedious was trying to gauge which ones were “heavy for their size.” This tip is easier said than done with the big watermelons. You can’t really pick up two at once, so some muscle memory is required. Mini watermelons are much easier to gauge weight—just hold one in each hand. Goldman’s rounded-ends tip was also helpful in deciding which melons to pick up. The scale at checkout helped me confirm that my prized watermelon was indeed heavier than my second pick by 12 ounces. However, after all that, when I cut the two open at home, the lighter watermelon was sweeter. 

All but one of my melons had beautiful, crisp, damage-free flesh, which means the thumping test likely works. I’m no baller, but I’ve bounced a few basketballs in my life, and Truong’s analogy was spot on. When tapped, a few melons seemed to suck down the sound and vibration, while others sprung it back into my hand. This only worked for the big watermelons though; I didn’t get much feedback tapping mini watermelons, and alas, one of my minis had compromised flesh.

At the end of the day, I was happy to know great watermelons can still be found at the store, but I was even more elated to find a watermelon with lots of crusty webbing over the ground spot at the farmers market; it was the sweetest of the bunch. Just another reminder of the benefits of shopping locally! 

A third of my tiny windowsill herb garden is devoted to growing various types of basil. Even when I’m not cooking with the herbs, I often rub their fresh leaves between my fingers to release their powerful aromas, which range from sweet to peppery. Some varieties, like holy basil, have a dank, musky smell reminiscent of marijuana.

Do I need multiple basil varieties in my kitchen? I certainly think so, but even if you don’t want to devote time and space cultivating your own, it’s worth knowing when to use the two most common types of sweet basil and why. Most commercially grown basil in the U.S. comes from Hawaii, where an estimated 60% of the 12 million-pound annual harvest is sweet Italian basil, the most popular variety in western supermarkets. Hop over to an Asian supermarket, and sweet Thai basil, which accounts for the remaining 40% of the crop, reigns supreme.

To learn about the differences between the two basil varieties, I spoke with Ann Ziata, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education's New York City campus, and Jet Tila, chef and author of 101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die.

What's the Difference Between Italian (Sweet) Basil and Thai Basil?

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is native to India and Asia and is a part of the Lamiaceae family, which includes mint. The herb grows quickly and easily in warm, sunny weather, and thrives equally well in gardens and containers. Like most edible plants, their flavors vary depending on the variety. Ziata tells me that while Thai basil and Italian basil are both sweet basils that share similar characteristics, they're still very different herbs.

Italian basil (a.k.a. sweet basil)  is lightly sweet with a hint of black pepper. The leaves are wide, with some large enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but they're also thinner and more delicate than Thai basil leaves, and are prone to bruising. This type of basil is used widely in the Mediterranean, where it features heavily in Italian, Provençal, Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese cuisines.

Thai basil has a strong, savory licorice flavor. It has purple stems and smaller, narrower green leaves that are thick and hold up well during cooking. It’s an integral ingredient to Southeast Asian cuisines, such as Thai, Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian.

What Are the Best Uses for Italian (Sweet) Basil vs. Thai Basil?

“Both go heavenly with summer vegetables like eggplant, peppers, and yellow squash,” says Ziata. (Provençal ratatouille, anyone?) She recommends pairing Thai basil with coconut, galangal, ginger, lemongrass, scallions, and cilantro, and notes that Italian basil goes particularly well with oregano, balsamic, lemon, pine nuts, olives, and soft cheeses.

Ziata says Italian basil’s rounded flavor is the ultimate sidekick to tomatoes and mozzarella—fresh in a caprese, simmered in tomato sauce, or scattered atop Neapolitan pizza. A particularly well-known cultivar from Italy is Genovese basil, which is famous for its use in pesto alla Genovese; it also goes wonderfully with garlic and white beans.

Because Italian basil is very delicate and will wilt quickly when cut or cooked, it’s generally sliced or torn into pieces, then added towards the end of cooking. Thai basil, on the other hand, is a much sturdier herb that can withstand the heat of cooking without compromising texture or appearance.

Thai basil’s resilience is matched with a pungent, aromatic flavor that goes well with other bold ingredients, says Ziata, who enjoys using the herb in a stir-fry with ginger, garlic, and chilies.

There are two main ways to enjoy Thai basil, says Tila. “It's either dropped into hot dishes, like pad kee mao, curries, or pho, where the essential oils permeate the dish, or it's eaten raw in a salad or parcel, like gỏi cuốn (summer rolls), for a burst of herbaceousness.”

Tila also recommends using the purple flowers of the Thai basil if they’re still attached to your stems. “They look nice on a fresh Vietnamese rice paper roll platter or as a garnish,” he says. “And they taste like concentrated Thai basil, especially that anise flavor, with a little more bitterness.”

Ziata says both basils are also fantastic herbs to pair with summer fruits like strawberries and peaches. To add a burst of refreshing, herbaceous flavor to desserts like strawberry sorbet or peach melba, top them with a chiffonade of fresh basil. 

Can You Substitute Italian (Sweet) Basil for Thai Basil, and Vice Versa?

If you can’t get your hands on Thai basil, Tila says you can use Italian basil, but the dish will lack that distinctive licorice kick: “Italian basil still offers a mild anise note, and I would rather somebody get part-way there than just throw up their hands and not make the recipe.”

Conversely, using Thai basil in place of Italian basil may be too jarring, as Thai cuisine often has the bold flavors of fish sauce, chiles, and acid to help balance Thai basil’s robustness, says Tila. Italian food, on the other hand, has tomato, cheese, salt, and a little acid—mellow ingredients that would likely be overpowered by Thai basil.

“I personally do not recommend substituting one for the other,” says Ziata. “They are both very unique and have differing flavors, textures, and intensities.”

The Takeaway

While both Italian and Thai basil bring unique flavors to the kitchen, they are best suited for different culinary applications. Italian basil, with its mild and sweet notes, is a staple in Mediterranean dishes—ideal for fresh caprese salads, pesto, and pasta sauces. On the other hand, Thai basil, with its robust anise and licorice flavors, shines in Southeast Asian cuisines, and is perfect for stir-fries, curries, and pho. 

While substitutions can be made in a pinch, the distinctive characteristics of each type of basil make them irreplaceable in their respective culinary contexts. For the best results, seek out fresh Thai basil when your recipe calls for it, but don't hesitate to experiment and adjust seasonings if you must substitute.

"Men and melons are hard to know," wrote Benjamin Franklin. Preach, Ben! However, there are some telltale signs that can help us select good melons. (Not sure I can say the same about mankind…)

So, what are we looking for in the perfect melon? 

“It's not just about flavor, aroma, and sweetness,” says Thanh Truong, a.k.a. Fruit Nerd, a third-generation fruiterer who has worked at major supermarkets and in wholesale markets. “It's also about mouthfeel. Foods taste good when there's multiple things going on in your mouth.”

When you pick a fruit that is vine ripened and harvested at maximum maturity (or at least 95% there), Truong says it’ll also have developed more complex flavors. “I call it sweet umami,” he says. “It's a little acidic, a bit sour, and has some tang, because if you eat a melon that is only sweet, it's like eating straight sugar.”

Choosing a melon that is ripe when you buy it is key, says Amy Goldman, an heirloom seed preservationist and author of The Melon. Melons picked before their time can become softer, juicier, and more fragrant, but they never catch up on flavor. “What you pick is what you get,” she says. “But there are certain tips that discerning consumers can use to try to pick the best.”

Don’t just eye the fruit. “Get in there, hold it with your hands, use your nose,” says Truong. And even then, despite the consumer's best efforts, there’s no guarantee. “Sometimes it's not a fine flavored variety or it was a poor growing season,” says Goldman. “You take your chances.”

Below, we dive into how to use each of your five senses to up your chances of picking the best melon out there. 

Look

All melons should be well rounded (filled out) and free of mold, bruises, soft spots, holes, and other signs of damage. Various types have other visual clues as well that indicate they’re ripe and ready.

Netting: Muskmelons, like American cantaloupe, have a raised netting on the skin. Goldman says the melon will have better flavor when the pattern is more raised, dense, and evenly distributed. 

Webbing: Different from netting, webbing looks like veins that develop on the surface of the rind on some melons, such as the Santa Claus melon, as they age on the vine. “Looking for webbing has never ever failed me,” says Truong. “They make the melons look kind of ugly, and since we unfortunately live in a world where everything has to look visually appealing, growers don’t pick these webbed melons on the first round of harvesting. That extra time on the ground means they develop more mature flavors.”

Color: As melons mature, the primary color of the fruit skin warms, usually changing from greenish to yellowish. “Regardless of whether it's a muskmelon, honeydew, or other type of melon, it's not necessarily the color of the skin you're looking for,” says Truong. “It's the undertone of the skin.” Under the surface of the skin, you'll be able to see whether it's green, white, or yellow. When it’s green or white, he says it's not going to be as sweet as something that's a warm cream, beige, or yellow. 

Feel

“Judging the worth of many sweet dessert melons is literally right in your hands and under your thumb,” says Goldman.

Pick up the melons: “If one feels relatively heavy for its size, that melon is generally more juicy,” says Truong. “Pick up two of the same size with each hand so you can tell if one is slightly heavier than the other.”

Press gently: Look for melons that are not too hard, not too soft. Use your thumb to press at the blossom end—the base of the fruit, opposite the stem. “The bottom often gives first,” says Truong. “If you press here and it has a slight give, that means the flesh inside is soft and ready to eat. However, if the sides are giving, it's too far gone.” He explains that when a melon gets too ripe, the water splits from the flesh and it becomes almost alcoholic in terms of its aroma and flavor.

If your thumb leaves an indentation, that also means its overripe, Goldman says. “If the thumb breaks through, forget about it!”

Smell

Muskmelons, such as American cantaloupe, are very helpful in that they announce their ripeness by emitting a perfume. They’re slightly elongated, Truong says, so the thinnest parts of the skin are at the top and the bottom. Take a whiff at these ends, and if they’re especially fragrant with a pleasant aroma, they’re ready. A musty or acidic smell might mean the melon’s overripe, while a cucumber aroma means it’s underripe. 

While this tip can be helpful when shopping, it’s important to note that the sniff test doesn’t work on thick rind melons like honeydew and Santa Claus melons. 

Listen

Give the melon a little shimmy shake. You should not hear any juice sloshing around, which would mean the melon’s overripe, says Goldman. Rattling is okay—it's just loose seeds.

Truong says there's an optimal moment to eat a melon. “Once you pass that moment, it becomes water-logged; it won't be as crunchy and crisp anymore,” he says. “It'll be kind of flat and soft, even if sweet.”

Taste

Most often, you’re tasting the melon after you’ve picked it, but take a retailer or farmer up on the offer if they’re handing out samples. You may not taste the exact melon you’d be taking home, but it’ll give you a sense of the quality of the batch.

Putting the Tips to the Test

Following all these tips myself led me to some pretty darn-good melons, even though peak melon season was another month or so away when I was doing my research. I was surprised at the quality I was able to find at supermarkets, but the farmers market melons were far superior, giving me that sweet umami flavor Truong noted. There’s also the benefit of having the grower right there in case you have any questions. 

I found the tips were easy to follow in the real world. The trickiest tip for me was listening for sloshing. I picked one Santa Claus melon that was webbed to perfection, but discovered upon slicing it that it was probably overripe—juices spilled out and you can see in the photo above that it was pooling in the flesh. Still, I ate every last bit of it because it was succulent and sweet. Christmas in July, baby!

I also bought some melons that did not fit the ideals and they were indeed underwhelming. The cantaloupes were too firm, not giving that toothsome tenderness they’re known for. The honeydew didn’t have much flavor at all—like the difference between drinking real fruit juice and a sparkling water with a mere hint of fruit essence. So, do yourself a favor the next time you're melon shopping, and tap into all of your senses. 

Despite what the eggplant emoji may suggest, European eggplants centuries ago did actually look like little white chicken eggs dangling from a bushy plant, which is how the vegetable got its name. 

“The problem with white eggplants was that when they were shipped, they tended to bruise and scar easily,” says Peter “Produce Pete” Napolitano, former fruit and vegetable buyer and retailer, and author of Produce Pete's Farmacopeia: From Apples to Zucchini, and Everything in Between. So over thousands of years of cultivation and hybridization, eggplants eventually became what we recognize today. By the Middle Ages, it was already known for its purple skin in various parts of the world. But let’s rewind even further.

“Eggplants are believed to originate from India because ancient written evidence of their use dates back about 2,000 years,” says Venkateswara Rao Kadium, a PhD student in plant breeding and genetics at Montana State University. “It spread to China, where people have been cultivating it for over 1,500 years, then [it was] introduced to Europe through the Middle East and finally reached America through European colonizers.”

Today, the white eggplant is rarer, but the name stuck. “Eggplant is used predominantly in American English,” says Kadium. “But in India, it goes by brinjal, while the French and British call it aubergine.” 

The name aubergine reflects the plant's history and movement across cultures. It originates from the Sanskrit word “vatinganah,” which evolved into “badingan” in Persian. Arabic speakers adapted the word to “al-badhinjan,” and when the Arabs brought the vegetable to Spain, it became “berenjena.” The word then evolved in Catalan to “albergínia and in French to “aubergine.”

Eggplant, by any name, is a delicious, versatile vegetable that can take myriad forms as an entrée, dip, or side dish. From long, skinny Japanese eggplant to the big and fat globe variety, there are a handful of shared traits to look for when shopping. Read on to learn about different types of eggplant, as well as tips to help you buy the best eggplants at the market and cook them up—no matter what kind you choose.

What Is Eggplant?

This summertime crop is a member of the Solanaceae nightshade family. Like its relatives—which include tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers, among others—eggplant harvest season typically begins mid-summer and continues through mid-fall. Although people prepare eggplant as a vegetable, the produce is technically a berry because of its numerous tiny, edible seeds.

In the US, farmers cultivate eggplants as far north as New York, but they usually grow best in sunnier southern states. “Eggplants need heat and considerable irrigation to grow,” says Napolitano. “That’s why, for example, eggplant doesn't figure in northern Italian cuisine as it does in southern.” 

Yet, New Jersey is number one for eggplant production and, according to Napolitano, grows about 66% of the world’s eggplants because the state’s southern area offers the well-drained, sandy-loam soil these plants need to thrive.

10 Eggplant Varieties to Try This Summer

There are dozens of types of eggplants in various shapes, sizes, colors, and textures, including many heirloom varieties. Some of the most common eggplants you're likely to see at your local grocery store include the following.

Globe Eggplants

Size: Large
Shape: Oval
Color: Deep purple
Texture: Smooth and firm
Flavor: Mild, slightly sweet
Cuisine: Common in Mediterranean and American cuisines; often used in dishes like eggplant Parmesan and ratatouille.

Also called American eggplant, these tend to be large, meaty, and seedy. They hold their shape well when cooked and are great for grilling or frying. For the best taste and texture, look for small to medium eggplants that are about six inches in diameter.

Italian Eggplants

Size: Medium to large
Shape: Pear-shaped
Color: Dark purple
Texture: Firm
Flavor: Rich and slightly bitter
Cuisine: Integral to Italian cuisine; used in dishes like caponata and melanzane alla parmigiana (Italian-style eggplant Parmesan).

These eggplants are similar in shape to the globe but smaller with thinner skin. They are a few inches in diameter and about five to eight inches long. Italian eggplants are an excellent multipurpose eggplant that can be breaded, stuffed, roasted, and broiled. Another variety, Sicilian eggplant, is also part of this category and can be used interchangeably in recipes.

Japanese Eggplants

Size: Medium to small
Shape: Long and slender
Color: Deep purple
Texture: Tender and creamy
Flavor: Mild and sweet
Cuisine: Predominantly used in Japanese cuisine; great for grilling and stir-frying.

Japanese eggplants are gently curving in shape. They are relatively thin-skinned, with few seeds and a creamy texture. They hold their shape well, making them great for braises and stir-fries.

Chinese Eggplants

Size: Medium
Shape: Long and slender
Color: Light purple
Texture: Tender
Flavor: Mild and slightly sweet
Cuisine: Prominent in Chinese cuisine; ideal for stir-fries and braised dishes.

This type of eggplant is similar to the Japanese eggplant but more lavender in color. It also has a lovely creamy texture and is wonderful in braises and stir-fries, pairing well with bold flavors like garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

Indian Eggplants

Size: Small
Shape: Round or slightly oval
Color: Dark purple
Texture: Crisp and tender
Flavor: Mild and sweet
Cuisine: Widely used in Indian dishes like baingan bharta and curries.

Also called baby eggplants, eggplants of this variety are squat ovals with medium-thick, rich purple skin and crisp, white flesh. They have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and creamy texture that makes them well-suited to curries. They can also be stuffed and cooked whole or used in dips.

Thai Eggplants

Size: Small
Shape: Round
Color: Green with white stripes
Texture: Firm and crisp
Flavor: Slightly bitter and crisp
Cuisine: Essential in Thai cuisine; often used in green curries and stir-fries.

Thai eggplants—also called apple eggplants—are small two-inch globes that remain green even when ripe (you can still recognize their ripeness by checking for glossy skin, an indicator that they're ready to use). They are mildly bitter and crunchy, and are excellent in curries. 

White Eggplants

Size: Medium to large
Shape: Oval
Color: White
Texture: Smooth and firm
Flavor: Mild and creamy
Cuisine: Used in various cuisines; often grilled, baked, or stuffed.

These eggplants come in many varieties, including one called the Ghostbuster. They have similar flesh to purple eggplant but tougher skin and a milder, slightly more delicate flavor.

Graffiti Eggplants

Size: Small to medium
Shape: Oblong
Color: Light purple with white stripes
Texture: Tender and delicate
Flavor: Sweet and creamy
Cuisine: Popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes; often roasted or grilled.

Also known as fairy tale eggplants, these are palm-sized and marked by purple and white streaks. They have few seeds, making the flesh sweet and creamy—ideal for roasting whole, blitzing into a creamy dip, or grilling.

Black Beauty

Size: Large
Shape: Oval
Color: Dark purple
Texture: Firm and meaty
Flavor: Rich and slightly bitter
Cuisine: Common in American and Italian dishes, such as eggplant Parmesan.

This variety is a century-old heirloom eggplant that is large and bulb-shaped with dark purple skin. It’s meaty, typically grows about eight inches long, and weighs more than a pound. It’s prized for its bolder flavor and is ideal for grilling.

Rosa Bianca

Size: Medium to large
Shape: Round
Color: Light purple and white
Texture: Creamy and tender
Flavor: Mild and sweet
Cuisine: Common in Mediterranean dishes; often used in baking and grilling.

This Italian heirloom variety has a light purple-and-white striped pattern. This sweet and creamy fruit is picked before seed formation starts. It’s perfect for stuffing with savory fillings or topping with cheese.

Picking the Perfect Eggplant

Similar to other produce, where you shop matters. “You might find a wider range of fresh, locally grown varieties at farmers markets versus supermarkets,” says Kadium.

In addition to farmers markets,  local produce shops are a great place to look for different kinds of eggplant since they might carry produce from multiple farms. When Napolitano ran his family’s produce store in Bergenfield, New Jersey, he would buy from local farmers and sell fresh eggplants hand-picked that same day. 

According to Napolitano, there are five things to look for when selecting your eggplants.

• Weight: Look for fruit that's heavy in the hand for its size. “If it's large but feels light, it will be pulpy,” says Napolitano.
• Skin: Napolitano says the skin should be smooth, taut, and glossy, not dull.
• Stem: A green calyx—the cap with little spikes around the stems—is a sure sign that the eggplant is fresh, says Napolitano.
• Blossom: The blossom is the opposite end of the stem, with a mark like a belly button. Napolitano says males have a round mark, and females have an oval mark. “The females are firmer and have fewer seeds,” he says. “The fewer seeds the eggplant has, the less bitter it will be.”
• Flesh: Gently press the flesh with your thumb. It should be firm and spring back. “If it has soft spots or leaves an indentation, pass that eggplant by as it’s likely overripe,” says Napolitano.

As a bonus tip, Napolitano shares a lesson in buying ugly produce. In his family, Italian gumbroit is a beloved dish (similar to ratatouille) passed down over generations. It took his mother years to perfect it when it finally dawned on her that the secret was using “imperfect” vegetables with scratches, spots, and bruises. “Those vegetables were absolutely dead ripe,” says Napolitano.

“The problem with most Americans is that they only buy with their eyes, but just because something looks perfect, it won't necessarily taste good,” he says. “A winter tomato can be perfectly round and uniformly colored, but it won't taste like anything. As often as not, your other senses—especially your nose—will tell you as much about fruits and vegetables as your eyes.”

How to Store Eggplants

You should use a fresh eggplant as soon as possible after purchasing, but you can store eggplants at room temperature for two to three days—ideally in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat sources, says Kadium. In the refrigerator, eggplants can last for up to a week, but Kadium says the quality may diminish after a few days.

If refrigerating unwashed and uncut eggplant, Napolitano suggests loosely wrapping it and keeping it in the crisper drawer.. Wrap the eggplant in paper towels to absorb excess moisture, then place it in a perforated plastic bag that allows for some air circulation. If you don't have a perforated bag, you can loosely wrap the eggplant in a regular plastic bag.

How to Prepare Eggplants for Cooking

The longstanding debate in the culinary world is whether or not to salt your eggplant before preparing. One reason for salting is that it removes bitterness, but these days, commercially grown eggplants are not usually bitter. Larger and more mature eggplants can have a slightly bitter taste, though. 

To get rid of that unwanted flavor, Napolitano says to peel the eggplant (the skin is likely bitter and a little tough), then slice the eggplant, sprinkle it with salt, and allow it to drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Then rinse and dry thoroughly. 

However, salting eggplant is not just about bitterness. Salting also helps collapse the flesh’s cellular walls and remove moisture so the eggplant doesn't soak up so much oil when you sauté or fry it—its greatest asset, after all, comes from the spongy texture’s ability to absorb flavors during cooking, which it can’t do if it’s already soaked full of oil.

How to Cook Eggplants

Eggplants are a key ingredient in Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisines, but many other cuisines around the world also showcase their versatility. While somewhat neutral in flavor when raw, eggplant has a mildly sweet and umami quality that pairs well with tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, mushrooms, cheese, yogurt, oregano, and marjoram. 

The goal when cooking eggplant is generally tender, almost custardy pieces that hold their shape. Kadium explains that the silky texture that eggplant takes on once cooked is due to several factors related to its composition and cooking methods. “The cell structure of eggplants is spongy and porous, allowing them to absorb water, cooking oils, and flavors easily,” he says. When heat is applied, the air-filled flesh collapses and becomes denser. Meanwhile, the cell walls release pectin that melds with the water in the eggplant to create a smooth, soft texture.

You can achieve meltingly tender eggplant using several cooking methods.

Braising

Japanese and Chinese eggplants braise well because they keep their shape while the flesh gets custardy. In Sichuan-style eggplant, the eggplant is first stir-fried until charred and smoky, then braised in a garlicky basil sauce to soak up all the flavors. Slender eggplants also get the twice-cooked treatment in kashk-o-bādemjān (Persian braised eggplant with kashk, a fermented dairy product that is a common pantry item in Persian cookery). Pan-frying the eggplant until deeply browned and then braising it in water gives it a silky, creamy texture and a subtle caramelized flavor. Braising the kashk with the eggplant allows kashk’s tangy and savory flavor to infuse into every bite.

Broiling

Skinnier eggplant varieties are also preferred for broiling, as they cook faster than fat ones. Nasu no dengaku is traditionally made by broiling slender Japanese eggplants, spreading them with a sweet miso glaze, then broiling them again until the glaze is caramelized and sizzling. Globe, Italian, and graffiti varieties can also be broiled as an alternative to breading and frying, like in this eggplant tian recipe, which flavors the eggplant in a balsamic vinaigrette before broiling.

Roasting

Both fat and thin eggplants take well to roasting. A small globe, Italian, white, or graffiti eggplant simply sliced in half and roasted would make a showstopping main dish. This eggplant with tahini, pine nuts, and lentils benefits from roasting because cooking it at high heat evaporates its moisture quickly, rendering its flesh meaty, charred, and smoky. In tortang talong (Filipino eggplant omelet), Japanese eggplant is roasted at a moderate temperature until it becomes creamy, then battered, shallow-fried, and stuffed with seasoned ground pork.

Grilling

Some dishes, like baba ganoush, require high heat to char eggplant and infuse it with smokiness before blitzing it into a creamy dip. But you can also simply cut any globular eggplant into slices and brush it with oil before grilling it briefly on each side. Top off the eggplant with feta and maras pepper for a simple yet satisfying summer meal.

Steaming

Steaming eggplants keeps their flesh moist and tender, resulting in a different texture than when roasted. Chinese eggplant salad and this Chinese-style steamed eggplant require minimal cooking, and the cold dishes turn out refreshing and light without the need to turn on the oven. You can even steam eggplants in the microwave.

Frying

Globe and Italian eggplants get breaded and fried in the Italian-American classic eggplant Parmesan, Israeli sabich, and Mexican eggplant torta. These examples highlight how eggplant can make for a hearty meat replacement. The key is removing as much water as possible. Sandwich the slices between paper towels before weighing them down with a plate and microwaving them to purge the flesh of air and moisture. This process makes them fry up crisp and golden brown, with a dense, meaty interior. 

You can also forgo the breading and fry up slices in a pan until golden brown to add to casseroles like moussaka and vegetable lasagna. Or slather Indian eggplants in masala and fry them up for a flavorful dish in 15 minutes.

Stir-Frying

In makheua yao pad tao jiao, a Thai-Chinese stir-fry, slender eggplant pieces are flash-fried in hot oil to soften the flesh while preserving the skin’s vibrant purple hue. Like in many cooking methods, the eggplant is twice-cooked, this time stir-fried with meats, spices, and other saucy seasonings. 

Baking

Fat, globular eggplants take well to low-and-slow baking. An Italian, white, or graffiti eggplant baked low and slow in a hearty sauce makes a perfect entrée. Score the eggplant halves before baking to encourage more of their liquid to evaporate. You can stuff them with lamb and pine nuts or smother them in a walnut sauce. Or keep it simple and toss eggplant in oil and bake at 350°F (176.6°C) for 45 to 50 minutes until beautifully soft and golden. You can also bake Japanese eggplant into a delicious Provençal tian alongside zucchini and squash. 

Sautéeing

In French ratatouille, eggplant is sautéed along with other summer vegetables, including squash, zucchini, and tomatoes. Dicing the vegetable into small pieces, as in this Sicilian caponata recipe, precludes the need for any brining or salting before sautéing.

Stewing

Thai eggplants are great for adding to curries and stews. It doesn’t get any easier than this prep-wise—just slice them up, throw them into the simmering sauce, and cook until softened. In Thai green curry, the crisp and slightly bitter eggplants provide textural contrast and a little respite from the heat of the curry. Note that once cut open, the flesh of Thai eggplants quickly oxidizes, so it’s a good idea to soak them in water until you’re ready to add them to the curry.

When melons are at the height of their season in late summer, you can find them at local farm stands and markets in a delightful variety and abundance. Whether sliced for snacking, blended into a refreshing melon drink, added to salads, or even grilled, they’re versatile and full of flavor. 

Having grown up on supermarket foods in the ‘90s, I didn’t see much by way of melon diversity. I had tasted the standard cantaloupes and honeydews, but even as a child, I turned my nose at super-sweet fruits and insisted I didn’t like melons. Give me crisp. Give me tart—I’m a sucker for a little pucker. Later, while traveling in Asia and Europe, I was romanced by melons that looked nothing like the ones at home. Some resembled pumpkins, some were colorfully striped, and many were absolutely bursting with the various flavor nuances I craved in fruit, from bittersweet to green and earthy. Today, I’m game to try any new melon I meet.

Given how many varieties of melons there are, do yourself a favor the next time you're at the market and pick one up, even (or perhaps especially) if it looks different from what you’re used to seeing. “Don’t limit yourself to what’s available at the grocery store,” says chef Thomas Trainor, a lecturing instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. “Check out your local farmers market for fresh, seasonal options. And visit an Asian grocery store in your area for great options beyond the watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew.”

Trainor adds that melons stand out in sweet and savory applications, "can be added as a fresh bite to elevate many dishes," and "have a unique ability to cross into many different cuisines and styles." Plus, they can be used at or before peak ripeness with equally delicious results. To help you make the most of the summer fruit, we’ve put together this guide to some popular (and lesser-known) melon varieties and how to best use them.

What Is a Melon?

Melons are a sun-loving fruit that grow on trailing vines. “They love to grow in places that have warm temperatures and lots of sun, so photosynthesis sends sugars to the fruit,” says Penelope Perkins-Veazie, PhD, a professor of horticultural science and specialist in postharvest produce at North Carolina State University. She notes that cool nights are also essential to help keep the sugars in the fruit.

All melons belong to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae—that means they share much in common with cucumbers and both summer and winter squash. What differentiates them is sugar and soft flesh. “The sugar content in these sweet melons is between 8% and 16% as opposed to the 3% to 4% in squash,” says Perkins-Veazie. “Melons also have a lot more free water content.” Meaning, they’re refreshingly juicy!

The Cucurbitaceae family splits into four genera, two of which are the sweet melons: citrullus lanatus and cucumis melo. 

The citrullus genera includes fruit with seeds spread throughout, like watermelon. The more commonly grown cucumis melo have a central seed cavity, like cantaloupes and honeydew, and are actually more closely related to cucumbers than to watermelons. Watermelons were originally cultivated in Africa and came to the Americas via European colonists and the slave trade, while melons came from Southwest Asia and spread through Europe before making their way to the colonies in the late 16th century.

Types of Melons

“There’s an enormous number of melons, and most people are not familiar with the extraordinary diversity,” says Amy Goldman, an heirloom seed preservationist and author of The Melon. “Farmers and amateur breeders have developed hundreds of varieties over hundreds of years, and I think there's a melon for everybody, for every inclination.”

Goldman explains that melons have 16 horticulture groups. The melons we’re most familiar with in the US generally settle into one of two groups. 

• The inodorous group, a.k.a. winter melons or casabas, is known for being extremely sweet but not so fragrant until sliced open. The thick rinds that allow them to be stored well for several months also make them lack aroma. These melons are generally larger and take longer to grow, so you’ll see them later in the summer or in early fall.
• The reticulatus group, a.k.a. muskmelons, is very aromatic but has a short shelf life. 
• Watermelons don’t have any horticultural groups, but Goldman says there's a lot of diversity there, too, which is typically missing at the supermarket.

Regarding sweetness levels, the industry measures melons in degrees of Brix using a refractometer device. Goldman says a reading of 11 degrees or more will put a smile on your face. Below is an overview of 10 melon varieties—a few standards you’ll find at any supermarket, as well as several specialties that you may see at local markets, farm stands, or Asian grocers.

Cantaloupe

Origin: Persia and western Asia
Group: Reticulatus
Color: Beige-yellow rind, orange flesh
Flavor: Strong musky aroma and sweet like honey
Texture: Dense
Sugar Content: 10-11° Brix
Best Uses: Pair with cured meats, black pepper, celery, or mint.

The melon Americans call cantaloupe is technically a muskmelon—a melon group characterized by a robust musky aroma and a raised netting pattern or deep grooves on their skin. 

The orange flesh that’s subtly sweet like honey is often used in fruit salads and desserts, but Trainor says cantaloupe pairs exceptionally well with salty items and benefits from a bright, fresh herb like mint or basil. “An acidic vinaigrette can also help enhance the flavor of the melon,” he says. “A great example of this is the classic Italian melon and prosciutto salad.” Or step it up by pairing melon with with jamón serrano. 

An example of a true cantaloupe is the highly fragrant charentais, which is common in Europe. “This melon has beautiful flesh and a prominent level of sweetness,” says Trainor. “Just eat it as is or with a pinch of salt to bring it to the next level.”

Honeydew

Origin: Western Africa and western Asia
Group: Inodorous
Color: Creamy yellow rind, pale green flesh
Flavor: Sweet like honey and vegetal
Texture: Smooth and tender
Sugar Content: 11-12° Brix
Best Uses: Pair with cilantro, cucumbers, fish, mint, or salty ham. Great in fruit salads and as a base for chilled soups and drinks, like a Pimm’s cup.

Honeydew is one of the sweetest melons around. It’s an inodorus wintermelon, which is less aromatic than cantaloupe but offers a sweet, refreshing flavor. Similar to cantaloupe, the seeds are located in the center channel. These seeds are edible, like pumpkin seeds, so you can roast and salt them for snacking.

“Honeydew pairs amazingly with citrus and spice,” says Trainor. “The classic Mexican fruta con chile would be a fantastic way to use honeydew. Just top the melon with a spiced chile mixture, like Tajín, and lime juice.”

Watermelon

Origin: Northeastern Africa
Color: Green rind, red or yellow flesh
Flavor: Juicy and sweet
Texture: Crisp, grainy, watery structure that compresses when you eat it
Sugar Content: 10-11° Brix
Best Uses: Grill, pair with salty cheese, purée to make a beverage, pickle the rind.

Watermelons vary in size and appearance but tend to be oblong with a smooth, dark green rind and light green stripes. They’re a more distant relative to the other melons on this list. Heirloom varieties may feature different rind color patterns and flesh that ranges from white and yellow to red and pink. The typical supermarket watermelons feature stripes on the rind and a bright red seedless interior.

Seedless versions of the fruit are created by treating young plants with a chemical that causes the plant to produce fruits with nonviable seeds that don’t develop a fibrous black coating. Perkins-Veazie says 97 to 98% of watermelons are seedless now. “It’s funny, now it’s the seeded ones that fetch a premium price.” That’s because seeded melons are typically sweeter.

If you don’t mind some seed spitting, buy your watermelons at a farm stand. They will almost always be sweeter. “My customers tell me our melons are the best they've ever tasted,” says Ashley Armstrong, a fourth-generation farmer and owner of Armstrong Farms in Bastrop, Louisiana. “The Summer Flavor 720 we grow is hard to beat,” she says of a variety that can be both seeded or seedless. “I can't go in the store and buy melons anymore because they don't taste the same, and I don't want to disappoint myself.”

“Watermelons taste great with salty cheese,” says Trainor, like in this watermelon and feta salad. “You could also compress it with a food saver or vacuum sealer with high-end olive oil and some soy and make a nice faux tuna dish.” Or keep it simple and purée it into watermelon margaritas or limeade. “I love a good watermelon because it is so versatile,” says Trainor. “Every part of the watermelon is edible, so pickled watermelon rind is a nice bonus.”

Canary

Origin: Persia
Group: Inodorous
Color: Bright yellow rind, white flesh
Flavor: Sugary, tangy, and tropical tasting, with hints of coconut and passion fruit
Texture: Tender and supple
Sugar Content: 12° Brix
Best Uses: Cold soups or salads, and with herbs such as basil, mint, and cilantro.

Canary melons, also known as amarillo, are football-shaped muskmelons with a smooth skin that’s a little wrinkled. “They turn bright yellow when ripe, so it’s easy to know when they’re ready,” says Perkins-Veazie. The white flesh is Asian pear–like in texture with an umami-rich depth of flavor. Closer to the rind, you’ll get a bit of tartness, with almost citrusy or passion fruit notes. Unlike many other muskmelons, the canary contains much less of an overpowering musky scent, so it can complement a wide variety of ingredients. Trainor says it’s a terrific addition to a fruit salad. Look for the canary melon in Asian grocers, farmers markets, or specialty stores.

Galia

Origin: Israel
Group: Hybrid
Color: Beige-yellow rind, pale green flesh
Flavor: Like an extra-sweet honeydew
Texture: Smooth and tender, like honeydew
Sugar Content: 14° Brix
Best Uses: Chilled with a sprinkling of sea salt.

Galia melon is a hybrid of cantaloupe and honeydew melon, but slightly smaller and sweeter than both. It’s covered in a netted rind like a cantaloupe but with juicy green flesh like a honeydew. Like a cantaloupe, the rind will turn from green to golden when it's ripe. Enjoy it as you would cantaloupe or honeydew, or serve it chilled with sea salt.

Ivory Gaya

Origin: Japan
Group: Inodorous
Color: Ivory rind with green spots and stripes, white flesh
Flavor: Mildly sweet with green vegetal flavor, with notes of cucumber and under-ripe pear
Texture: Firm, densely packed, and lusciously soft
Sugar Content: 11° Brix
Best Uses: Sprinkled with lemon or lime juice or added to a fruit salad

The ivory gaya melon, also known as snow leopard, is a small muskmelon with an oblong shape, a smooth rind with variegated streaks and speckles, and firm white flesh. Its flesh has a crisp consistency closer to the skin and a softer, juicier flavor near the seeded core. This variety can be challenging to find, but look for it at farmers markets and Asian grocers.

The melon’s crisp consistency allows it to be eaten as-is, or sprinkled with lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavor. You can also wrap it in salty cured meats as an appetizer or blend it into smoothies, juices, and cocktails. 

Since the melon is small, you can slice it and use the melon halves as individual serving bowls filled with cottage cheese or yogurt and granola. Ivory Gaya melons also pair well with other fruits, such as berries, citrus, and kiwi, making it a great addition to a fruit salad.

Hami

Origin: Northwestern China
Group: Ameri
Color: Yellow rind, light orange flesh
Flavor: Mild floral sweetness, subtle Asian pear 
Texture: Crisp and watery, like a watermelon
Sugar Content: 11° Brix
Best Uses: Slice and eat or use in place of cantaloupe.

The Hami is a larger melon that’s also known as the Asian muskmelon. It's golden yellow with subtle netting, oblong in shape, and known for its pleasant floral sweetness. It tastes like a cantaloupe but with the texture of an Asian pear or jicama. The flavor is very mild and subtle but aromatic and blossomy. Find this melon at Asian grocers.

The Hami melon is excellent simply sliced and eaten as-is, or try using it to make a melon liqueur or syrup. “Melon syrup works great in addition to, or instead of, Midori and is usually not as sweet,” says Trainor. “I’ve also used it as a dessert sauce or flavoring for sparkling water.” 

Crenshaw

Origin: Turkey
Group: Inodorous
Color: Yellow-green rind, pale orange flesh
Flavor: Sweet and slightly peppery with slight cucumber notes
Texture: Dense and chewy, almost gummy
Sugar Content: 10° Brix
Best Uses: Grilled, sprinkled with chili flakes.

Crenshaw melons, a.k.a. Crane melons, are a type of large cantaloupe. They bear a sweet, vegetal, and floral aroma. The flesh is dense and slightly spicy. Their rind is thick and dark green when young but turns golden yellow or yellowish green when ripe and has a waxy feel. They’re oval-shaped but taper to a point at the stem end. Find crenshaw melons in late summer at farmers markets or specialty stores.

Trainor wants people to see melons more as a cooking fruit versus something you'd just eat raw, and the crenshaw is an example of a melon that is sturdy enough to stand up to light cooking, like kissed on the grill for a savory-sweet flavor. “A big reason to cook melons is to intensify or add flavor,” he says. “I feel we will see cooked melons start to take off in the culinary scene the same way we have seen a surge in cooked stone fruits, like grilled peaches, mango salsa, and poached plums.”

Korean

Origin: Korea
Group: Makuwa
Color: Striped yellow rind, white flesh
Flavor: Delicately sweet and aromatic with a slightly bitter rind
Texture: Crisp
Sugar Content: 12° Brix
Best Uses: Chilled and sliced.

Korean melons are smallish fruits with an oblong shape. They are known as Chamoe in Korea, but they are sometimes labeled as Oriental melons in Western markets. They have a thin, edible rind and intense aroma. Like cucumber seeds, the seeds of the Chamoe have an aqueous membrane around them. “The flesh is bright white with a wonderful crispness,” says Goldman. Korean melons have a delicate floral, sweet, and subtly vegetal flavor that’s well suited for chilled, fresh preparations. Some consumers discard the skin due to its bitter nature, but others enjoy how it balances the sweet flesh. 

Santa Claus

Origin: Turkey
Group: Inodorous
Color: Yellow-green rind, white to yellowish-green flesh
Flavor: Clean and mildly sweet, with an earthy quality
Texture: Soft, tender, and spongy
Sugar Content: 9° Brix
Best Uses: Paired with salumi, blue cheese, and Marcona almonds or puréed into chilled soups, like gazpacho.

The Santa Claus melon, also known as the Christmas melon, is harvested around the end of summer to early fall. It has a longer shelf life, about two months, so it can still be on the store shelves during the holiday season, hence its festive name.

The melon’s rind is thick, hard, wrinkled, and rough, covered in textured striping and mottling. When the melons are young, the rind is green, and as the fruit ripens, the rind transforms into a bright yellow hue. The flesh ranges in color from white to pale green and is smooth, soft, and tender with a succulent consistency. It tastes refreshing and sweet with a subtly earthy nuance. Santa Claus melons will not emit a strong aroma when whole due to their thick rind, but once sliced, they release a fragrant scent.  

This is a good melon for making a cold soup. In La Mancha, a region in Spain, a similar melon called piel de sapo (translation: toad skin) is used in a twist on gazpacho. Trainor says he loves to tweak cooking methods to create distinct melon-based gazpachos—smoking, grilling, salting, and dehydrating are all processes that will change the flavor and texture of a melon and yield a unique soup every time.

Heirloom Varieties

There are hundreds more heirloom varieties of melons—some sweet and some not—that people like Goldman propagate. Seek them out at specialty markets and farms or grow them yourself. Goldman recommends perusing seeds at the Seed Savers Exchange, a nonprofit seed-saving organization.

When most people think of corn, sweet corn comes to mind—the fresh corn on the cob we like to boil or grill and slather with butter. However, of the over 90 million acres of corn planted in the US, sweet corn makes up less than 1% of the total crop. The rest is starchy and dry field corn, which is mostly used to feed cows.

Indigenous peoples originally cultivated corn's wild ancestor, teosinte, over 9,000 years ago in what is now Mexico. That corn, called maize, was more similar to field corn, as sweet corn wasn’t cultivated until the mid-1700s.  The revered and versatile crop shaped the region’s culinary landscape and played a pivotal role in the history and development of North America.

Corn is a major agricultural commodity used extensively for livestock feed, biofuels, and food products. According to the Center for Food Safety, approximately 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain some form of genetically engineered ingredients, and corn is a significant part of this statistic due to its widespread use in various forms such as high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, and corn oil​.

Though sweet corn and field corn are related, they aren’t the same. Sweet corn and field corn are two distinct types of corn that differ in several aspects, including their purpose, flavor, texture, and cultivation practices. To learn more about the difference between the two, I spoke with Dave Smoke-McCluskey, a Mohawk chef and owner of Corn Mafia, a micro-milling project that explores native foodways. 

What Is Sweet Corn?

The fresh corn we enjoy grilled at cookouts and grab canned or frozen at the grocery store is sweet corn, which carries a gene that develops twice as much sugar as starchy types. “This corn has lots of natural sugars that make it delightful to eat straight off the cob or in a variety of dishes, like creamed corn,” says Smoke-McCluskey. Mexican and American cuisines (especially Southern) employ sweet corn in many dishes, including elote, corn chowder, and succotash.

Sweet corn is harvested in the summer while the kernels are still tender and juicy, before the sugar turns into starch. Smoke-McCluskey explains that sweet corn of the past had unstable sugar levels that converted into starch rapidly after harvest. “You had to eat it right away, and it tasted pretty bad by the time it got to the supermarket,” he says. “Sweet corn breeders have genetically modified today’s corn to produce much higher sugar levels and make it so that the conversion of sugar to starch occurs much slower,” which is a practice that began in the late 1960s. This longer shelf life means super-sweet varieties stay sweet for up to 10 days after harvest.

Sweet corn is available in white, light yellow, and bicolored varieties, but Smoke-McCluskey says there isn’t much of a discernible difference in flavor. “They’re all sweet and delicious.”

When shopping for your sweet corn recipes at the grocery store or farmers market, he says to look for ears with fresh, green leaves but brown silks at the top—a sign that the corn was ripe when picked. The silk inside should still be soft and the kernels should be plump, not shriveled, though peeling back the husk to check the kernels understandably aggravates many corn vendors, so we don't recommend this. Ideally, you can trust your vendor and know that the corn was harvested at its peak, but you can also feel for the full kernels through the husk.

If you’re growing your own sweet corn and don't mind poking a hole in a kernel, you can tell it's ready if you puncture a kernel and milk comes out. If the juice is clear, it’s too early; if there’s no juice, it’s too late. Cut it when the time is right because corn doesn't continue to ripen off the stalk.

Pro tip: If your sweet corn is past its prime, Smoke-McCluskey says you can soak the cobs in sugar water (1/2 cup of white sugar per gallon of water) for a couple of hours to plump them back up.

What Is Field Corn?

Field corn can refer to any starchy variety, but most field corn in the US is dent corn, which gets its name from the dimple at the end of each kernel that forms as it dries out. 

Although field corn kernels start out soft like sweet corn, this variety is left to dry on the stalks in the field before harvesting in the fall once much of its sugar content has converted into starch, meaning it’s no longer sweet and juicy. And you won’t see any field corn at the grocery store.

“If you grab an ear of field corn and take a bite, you'll probably chip a tooth,” says Smoke-McCluskey. About 40% of US dent corn is used as a feed grain for livestock, according to the USDA. Most of the rest is funneled into making ethanol fuel, while a small portion is milled to make foods and beverages, such as cereal, tortilla chips, whiskey, and grits. 

The kernels of commercial field corn are often a deep yellow-orange, referred to as “yellow gold.” However, heirloom varieties have kernels that span the colors of the rainbow. 

Smoke-McCluskey likes to nixtamalize many kinds of field corn to make hominy. Nixtamalization, a.k.a. lyeing and washing, is a process in which field corn is boiled in water and hardwood ash, says Smoke-McCluskey. “The alkaline quality of the mixture softens the kernels enough to peel off their tough outer hull, making the corn more digestible and its nutritional benefits more bioavailable.” 

Among the Mohawk people of the Northeast, lyed corn is used in soups, stews, grits, mush, and cornbread. Smoke-McCluskey works with seed savers and growers, such as The Congaree Milling Company, to nixtamalize and coarsely grind hominy grits for sale to chefs and specialty stores. In Mexican cuisine, the nixtamalized mixture is ground into masa for tamales and tortillas.

Other Varieties of Corn

Most of the United States grows the exact same variety of corn from one seed, from one company. We're not going to get into that here, but there are still many other flavors and nuances in different varieties of corn to be found, including indigenous field, flour, and flint varieties that are as delicious and nutrition-dense as they are beautiful. 

The Takeaway

Sweet corn is cultivated and harvested for its sweetness and tenderness, making it ideal for direct human consumption—such as boiling for corn on the cob or turning into chowder. Meanwhile, field corn is grown for its high starch content and versatility. Due to its tough texture and lower sugar content, it’s not typically consumed fresh but is commonly used as animal feed and in ethanol production. It is also nixtamalized and used to make masa, grits, mush, and cornbread.