Classic #Chinese #Appetizer (Cold Dish): Steamed Mashed Eggplant, spicy or not

Raw eggplant can have a bitter taste, with an astringent quality, but it becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Rinsing, draining, and salting the sliced fruit before cooking may remove the bitterness. The fruit is capable of absorbing cooking fats and sauces, which may enhance the flavor of eggplant dishes.
Due to its texture and bulk, it is sometimes used as a meat substitute in vegan and vegetarian cuisines.
In Chinese cuisine, eggplants are known as qiézi (茄子). They are often deep fried and made into dishes such as yúxiāng-qiézi ("fish fragrance eggplant") or di sān xiān ("three earthen treasures").
Elsewhere in China, such as in Yunnan cuisine (in particular the cuisine of the Dai ethnic people) they are barbecued or roasted, then split and either eaten directly with garlic, chilli, oil and coriander, or the flesh is removed and pounded to a mash (typically with a wooden pestle and mortar) before being eaten with rice or other dishes.

The advantages of Steaming food:
1. Steam uses gentle heat, thus not burn or scorch food, and prevents foods from drying out.
2. Steam-cooked foods retain more flavor, texture, and color.
3. Less vitamins, minerals, and nutrients are lost compared to dry-heat cooking, which often means a decreased need to add salt or oil.
4. Different types of food can share the oven without transferring the flavors.
5. Steam units are easy to clean and avoid the "baked-in spillage" of conventional ovens.