Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd, is seen as a fruit but it is used as a vegetable in Asian cuisine. It's typically shaped like a cucumber but with a rough, wrinkled greenish surface. The size of bitter melon can vary, although it is typically bigger than a cucumber or a zucchini. It has a unique bitter taste that many people find unlikeable. However, some people may be more sensitive to bitter flavours than others.
In Chinese, we call it ku gua. Ku means bitter or painful living. Gua means melon. In Asian culture, Chinese parents often teach their children to learn how to "eat bitter", which usually refers to enduring hardship. Because my mum forced me to eat bitter melon when I was a child, I learnt how to eat bitter before I could understand and write the word "hardship" in both Chinese and English.
MAKING BITTER MELON TASTY
Bitter melon omelette with snow pea tendril broth
In Asian countries, bitter melon is believed to help regulate blood sugar and detox the liver. During my teen years, my face was often red with pimples. My mum kept cooking bitter melon every day and explained to me how healthy bitter melon was. Soon, my red spots went away. Could it be magic?
In Asian culture, Chinese parents often teach their children to learn how to 'eat bitter', which usually refers to enduring hardship.
The older I get, the more bitter melon I eat. It has been a completely different experience from the one I had as a child. I have begun thinking my mum is right about bitter melon; it's beneficial once you get used to it. And it can taste good if you cook it right.
Stir-fried bitter melon with eggs is a classic Chinese dish. It's an easy, light recipe you can throw together quickly on a busy night. The richness of the eggs balances the bitterness of the melon. This is likely how I slowly accepted the taste of bitter melon in this dish, although I can't say I'm a big fan of it.
My mum and Google told me to blanch bitter melon in boiling water to reduce the bitterness. This method isn't only easy – it works well too. It can help make the melon more pleasant to eat for those still getting used to its taste, such as my children.
Bitter melon with salted eggs.
Apart from stir-frying, bitter melon can be stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, herbs and spices and then steamed or baked. Alternatively, adding bitter melon to a soup can give it a unique flavour.
BITTER MELON STIR-FRY
Bitter melon and Spam stir-fry (goya champuru)
I haven't tried pickled bitter melon, but I've heard bitter melon can be pickled in vinegar and spices, which helps to reduce the bitterness and creates a tangy flavour.
Juiced bitter melon is another way to make this gourd tasty. It can be blended with other fruits and vegetables to create a healthy and refreshing drink.
Some common ways to cook bitter melon include adding seasonings like garlic, ginger and chilli, which can help balance the bitterness.
My husband and I prefer to add chilli sauce to our bitter melon. However, the children can't handle too much chilli let alone bitter melon. So to introduce them to bitter melon, I serve it in small quantities alongside pickles they like, such as sour cucumber and mild kimchi. This has helped them get used to the taste without overwhelming their senses. Even though they still can taste the bitterness sometimes, the number of complaints is reducing gradually.
Beef with sautéed mushrooms and bitter melon.
"They are just like you," said my mum. "You didn't like bitter melon when you were a child. It was very hard for me to persuade you to taste this good food."
Another strategy my mum has suggested is to include bitter melon in dishes that they already enjoy. For example, add thinly chopped bitter melon to noodle soup. They mightn't even notice it's there. Hopefully, they will begin to appreciate bitter melon on its own one day.
