Chinese · side

Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (鱼香茄子)

Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (鱼香茄子) reads umami 6.5, salinity 4.9 and richness 4.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese side, about 25 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.1 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 4.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.5 · Salinity 4.9 · Richness 4.6 · Sourness 4.4 · Funk & Ferment 4.3 · Allium 4.2 · Heat 4.1 · Sweetness 4.0 · Nutty 3.1 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Earthy 1.3 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 0.8

What's in it (12)

• 1 lb Chinese eggplant, cut into strips
• 4 oz ground pork
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp black vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp chili oil

Time & effort: about 25 min (20 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 74.6 kcal, 3.4 g protein, 4.5 g fat, 5.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

1. Fry eggplant pieces until softened and slightly golden, then set aside.
2. Stir-fry pork with doubanjiang, garlic, and ginger until fragrant and red.
3. Return eggplant, add the sweet-sour-spicy sauce, and toss everything together until glossy.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁) — Chinese
• Gochujang-Glazed Meatloaf — Korean
• Gyoza (餃子) — Japanese
• Gochujang Tofu Stir-Fry — Korean
• Fish-Fragrant Aubergine (Yu Xiang Qie Zi) — Chinese · Sichuan

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.