One of the great delicacies when properly prepared. For years I didn't have any properly prepared and thought much like uk1, then I finally came across eggplant/aubergine done right. Heavenly!!!! Better than almost any other food. Actually several different styles of cooking works, but one of the simplest is to barbecue it, charring the surface completely and letting it collapse into a creamy mush. Bitter, soft, crispy, sweet -- all the basic food groups, in one simple dish that cooks itself.