80 days from setting out transplants.

The name is perfect: "shikou" means "supreme" in Japanese, and that's how we feel about this Asian eggplant! Long, elegant dark purple fruit arise in good numbers on nearly spineless plants, and once you get a taste of their meaty, succulent flavor, you will be determined to make Shikou part of your yearly vegetable garden!

Not only is the fruit itself a deep violet, but the stem is as well. Expect these eggplants to reach 6 to 8 inches long and just 1 to 1½ inches wide, with a smooth, thin, very tender skin concealing dense, nearly seedless flesh. Use Shikou in stir-fries, grill it in long slices, or chop it up for casseroles and stews. The flavor is fabulous!

If you are an Asian eggplant connoisseur, you may be interested to know that Shikou is a cross of Kurowashi and Tarowese. It offers absolutely gourmet fruit on high-performing plants that reach 18 to 24 inches high in the garden. Shikou will not be the earliest Asian eggplant to mature, but it is well worth the wait. If you live in a short summer climate, you have plenty of time to start the seed indoors and then transplant it when the soil has warmed up. You don't want to miss Shikou! And if you live in a warm climate, you can even make succession plantings to get several glorious crops of this gourmand treat!

Begin seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before planning to set out. Eggplant is a warm-weather crop, so wait until after danger of late spring frost before transplanting seedlings into the sunny garden. Set the seedlings 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 24 to 36 inches apart. Pkt is 25 seeds.