Why do you put salt on eggplant?

Hey what is the deal with putting salt on eggplant before you cook it? I am trying to make some eggplant parmigiana and it says "slice the eggplant, place on paper towels, sprinkle slices with salt and let sit for 15 - 30 min." After that you pat the slices dry from the liquid that comes to the top. My question is why do you have to do this? Doesn't the eggplant lose flavor?

As always chefs, thanks for the help

[mudbug]

When young, the skin of most eggplants is deliciously edible; older eggplants should be peeledSince the flesh discolors rapidly, an eggplant should be cut just before using. Bitter, overripe fruit can benefit by the ancient method of salting both halves and weighting them for 20 minutes before rinsing; the salt helps eliminate some of the acrid taste.

look up eggplang in the epicurious food dictionary http://www.epicurious.com/run/fooddi...?entry_id=8035

[Isa]

I always thought you put salt on them to dégorger, not sure what the english word is but you do that so the water will come out of the vegetable.

Sisi

[Nick.Shu]

disgorging with salt (sprinkling with salt and resting for several minutes) helps to draw the bitterness out of the eggplant. The juice of the eggplant is drawn out by the salt.