Yu Xiang Qie Zi (Eggplant in Garlic Sauce)
It's not Mapo aubergines! The real Sichuan is "the aroma of sweet and sour fish"
Description
Japanese 'Mapo Eggplant' was invented by food companies for the local market. In authentic Sichuan cuisine, eggplant is NEVER cooked in 'Mapo flavor (numbing Sichuan pepper)', but strictly in 'Yu Xiang' flavor—a highly addictive sweet, sour, and spicy sauce made from pickled chilies, black vinegar, and sugar.
Restaurants serving Yu Xiang Qie Zi (Eggplant in Garlic Sauce)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Peel strips of skin off long eggplants and cut into batons.
- Eggplants act like oil sponges; toss them with salt to draw out moisture, then dust lightly with cornstarch to seal them.
- Heat generous oil to 180°C and flash-fry the eggplant until golden, then remove. This ensures a meltingly soft texture without being greasy.
- Leave a little oil, fry minced pork.
- Add massive minced garlic, ginger, scallions, and the core ingredient: 'Pao Jiao' (pickled chilies) or Pixian Doubanjiang to release the red oil.
- Pour in the 'Yu Xiang Sauce'—equal parts soy, black vinegar, sugar, and broth.
- Return the eggplant, letting it absorb the sweet-sour-spicy sauce, thicken, and serve.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Sweet/sour of black vinegar & sugar、Doubanjiang depth
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Japanese Mapo Eggplant packets (completely diff flavor)
Pairing
White Rice(Endless pairing)
Trivia
[Trivia] Named 'Fish Fragrance', but contains absolutely zero seafood. The name comes from applying the traditional aromatics and seasonings used for cooking fish in Sichuan to eggplants instead.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] The melting eggplant absorbs the highly complex sweet-sour-spicy sauce like a sponge. Scoop it with a spoon, dump it on white rice, and devour the gravy and veg together.
Allergen
Soybeans, Wheat, Pork