A frustrating quality of aubergines is the excess of seeds, which make their taste more bitter, are difficult to remove and doing so often leads to wasting part of the product.
With the goal of preventing this problem for all aubergine enthusiasts, producers of Ein Yahav, in southern Israel, have developed and started marketing a new seedless variety, which is characterised by an attractive appearance, good structure and a glossy black colour. It is relatively large, 400 grams on average, and consists mostly of flesh due to the absence of seeds and the hollow space found in conventional aubergines. It has a shelf life of up to two weeks, relatively long for an aubergine.
The new variety has been bred by artificial insemination. There have been previous attempts in Israel to create seedless aubergine varieties, but the result was too small and thin, so they did not gain much popularity.
The aubergines will be marketed under the brand Ein Yahav under a "seedless" designation. Rami Sade, one of the producers of Ein Yahav says: "Growers who want to survive in these times always have to be on the lookout for innovations, such as new varieties that can become popular amongst consumers. The transition to the cultivation of this variety will only boost the overall consumption, since people who do not consume aubergines because of their bitterness will appreciate this seedless variety. A large share of these aubergines will go to the local market, but some have already been exported to Russia, where it has been successful."