OFF THE SHELF
The bitter melon both looks and tastes unusual

By Kaui Philpotts

Bitter melons grow well in Hawai'i gardens and are popular from China to India. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Bitter melon has a slightly quinine flavor and is always cooked with other ingredients. One of the most popular ways to prepare it in Hawai'i (perhaps because it reduces the bitterness) is a Chinese method, hollowing it and stuffing it with seasoned pork, then steaming it. Often, sauces made for bitter melon are strongly flavored with chile pepper, fermented black beans or garlic.

Chinese-style, bitter melon is popular braised, stir-fried, steamed and in soups. It's also popular across South Asia.

In the Chinese tradition, bitter melon has medicinal qualities ("anything that tastes like that MUST be good for you"). It is thought to cool the digestive system and purify the blood.

Bitter melon looks like a bumpy cucumber and is light green to yellow-green or yellow-orange. The bitterness may become more pronounced as it matures; best to buy the freshest, most recently picked.

To prepare bitter melon, cut off the ends and scrape out seeds and membranes, cooking only the rind. Bitter melon is most plentiful from April to September. One way to reduce the bitterness is to salt or blanch it in hot water before using. It will keep for almost a week in your refrigerator.