Bitter is Better: The bitter melon is an acquired taste
July 30, 2004
My first experience with bitter melon ended in tears. As a little kid, I didn’t understand why my parents fed me a bowl of crunchy vegetables that I squished in my mouth until it formed a bitter paste. To this day, I think back to my first bites of bitter melon and my mouth is quickly reminded of the astringent taste and numbing sensation.
In Chinese, the word “golden” is used to describe the delectable bitterness of this melon. This “golden” taste in the mouth is said to whet the appetite and cleanse the palate, a perfect refresher for warm, summer days. Twenty years later, I’ve actually grown to love the bumpy-textured melon and appreciate both its “golden” flavor and health benefits.
A member of the cucumber family, bitter melon, or balsam pear, is a popular ingredient found in Asian, Southeast and South Asian cuisines. If you’ve never tried bitter melon before, you’ve probably seen it at Asian markets or farmers’ markets but have avoided it because of its gnarled appearance. It is green and oblong and has a raised, knotted surface, which feels like veins and reminds me of the roots of my neighbor’s overgrown pine tree. Inside of the melon, large, red seeds are loosely encased in the spongy flesh. The taste is a cross between a cucumber plus a combination of mustard greens and dandelions.
When choosing a bitter melon, select ones that are firm and light to dark green in color (which indicates a young melon). You can eat the seeds of a young melon, but they get hard and inedible when the melon matures. The bitterness comes from quinine in the melon and it is an acquired taste. But with garlic and spices, it gets a unique deliciousness with a refreshing tastiness from all the different flavors.
The length of cooking time can turn it crunchy, crispy, or soft and creamy. A favorite in our Cantonese family is steamed bitter melon stuffed with ground pork and shrimp. The saltiness of the pork and the sweetness of the shrimp lessen the bitterness of the melon.
In a couple of years, bitter melon is sure to join the ranks of the bitter and beloved family of dandelion, mustard greens, arugula, green chicory, radicchio, escarole and frisée. In my experience, sometimes it takes some bitterness to create a harmony of flavors. Bitter melon is a best friend to other ingredients since it tends to bring out the best: Fish tastes a little sweeter, beef tastes more robust and curries are more aromatic.
Bitter melon/gourd
Burma: kyethinkhathee
China: ku gua, fu gwa
India: karela
Indonesia: pare, peria
Japan: niga-uri
Laos: bai maha
Malaysia: peria
Philippines: ampalaya
Sri Lanka: karavila
Thailand: mara
Vietnam: kho qua, muop dang
Origin: Old World
Availability: April to September
Source: Asia, East Africa, South America, United States, Canada
Storage: Plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to five days. They will continue to ripen and the seeds will become harder.
Use: Slice and discard seeds and fibrous core. You can blanch the melon in boiling water for two to three minutes to cut the bitterness. Young melons can be eaten raw in salads and are commonly stuffed, curried or pickled. It is also used in stir-fries and soups.
Medicinal effects: In Asian countries, bitter melon was prescribed to cleanse the blood and replenish the milk of nursing mothers. The leaves were used to treat eye ailments in elephants. In the Philippines, scientists label bitter melon as a bioactive herb, which increases energy and stamina. The Chinese have used bitter melon to treat diabetes. Recent studies claim it can even lower blood sugar in diabetics, inhibit HIV and strengthen the immune system.
Beef and Bitter Melon with Black Bean Sauce
• 1-2 bitter melons
• 1/2 pound flank steak
• 1 tablespoon salted or fermented black beans
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sherry
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 stock pepper
Soak fermented black beans. Mince garlic, then mash with drained beans; set aside. Slice flank steak thin against the grain. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sherry and1/2 teaspoon sugar; add to beef and coat. Cut bitter melon lengthwise in half, scoop out the seeds and pith, discard. Cut crosswise in 1/16-inch slices; parboil two to three minutes. Blend remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sugar to a paste with cold water and pepper. Heat oil. Add garlic-black-bean mixture and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add beef and stir-fry until it loses its redness (about one to two minutes). Add bitter melon and stir-fry for about a minute. Stir in stock, cover with lid and let cook for two minutes over medium heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken. Serve with rice.
Burmese Bitter Gourd Salad
• 1 young bitter melon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• limejuice to taste
Wash the bitter melon and slice it as thinly as possible. Sprinkle with salt and mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse under cold water and squeeze dry. Put melon into bowl with garlic and ginger and mix well. Add limejuice and mix again. Serve as a side dish to rice and curry.
Bitter Melon Curry, Bengal Style
• 1-2 bitter melons
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 large potato
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup green beans
• 3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil, or mixture of both
• 1 teaspoon garam masala, curry or panch phora
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon sliced fresh chili
• 1 cassia leaf (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon English hot mustard
Slice melon lengthwise and into 1/4-inch slices and toss with 1/4 teaspoon salt and turmeric. Peel and dice potatoes; prepare vegetables. Heat ghee or oil in a wok and dry bitter melon until golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add spice mixture (panch phora) to pan and cook until fragrant; add ginger, chili and cassia leaf and fry, stirring until ginger is soft. Add vegetables and fry, stirring for five to eight minutes. Add salt, sugar and 1 cup hot water. Cover and cook over low heat until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes). Turn off heat and add mustard to sauce; coat vegetables with sauce and serve with rice.
Adapted from Charmaine Solomon’s Encyclopedia of Asian Food, Periplus Editions, 1998
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