There are almost as many beautiful varieties of eggplant as there are heirloom tomatoes.  They come in all shapes and sizes in jewel tone colors like fuchsia or emerald and of course jet black.  Some varieties are the size of an 8 ball, others are long and thin like a drum stick, sometimes they are deeply lobed like a pumpkin and others are as smooth as a leather shoe!  Although the majority of the variations are visual, there is also a lot of difference in flavor and texture.  We are mostly familiar with the store bought large black eggplant which has a light spongy texture and almost watery flavor.  Asian and heirloom eggplants are denser and hold much more complex flavor when roasted.  I've found that sometimes they barely need more seasoning than a bit of olive oil and salt. 

My go to recipe is a whole eggplant cut down the middle, drizzled heavily with olive oil and dusted with salt and smoked paprika.  Roasted face up in the over for about 30 minutes on a high temperature, something between 365 and 400.