How to buy a good aubergine? The "usual" veggie rules apply - it should be fresh, shining, "tense" in skin, without any blemishes. But there is one more important thing to check out that will determine if your aubergine will taste more or less bitter. At the bottom part of the aubergine (not the end with the leave cap, but the other end) there usually grows a flower that is normally removed before selling. After removal you can see a small oval or round shape there. The oval one means that the aubergine is female, the round one is male. The male is more bitter than the oval female, so depending on your taste and choice - pick the aubergine that fits you.