 "Native to the Old World, Chiefly Africa, bitter gourd is now established in China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Latin America, Australia and India." - Cambridge World History of Food
Flavor: …the closest comparisons are with quinine drinks and citrus pith…taste is cool and cleansing, the aroma, bracing and grassy. The texture, which varies with size, is generally supple and lightly crisp.
Basic Use: Technically, you can do just about anything with bitter gourd that you can with zucchini: deep-fry, sauté, stir-fry braise, steam, bake…balances intense flavors with aplomb …fine foil for sweet vegetables (like corn).
Selection: bruises easily, spoils rapidly, choose bright, blemish free, darkest, smallest, firmest…refrigerate individually in paper toweling, then in plastic bag.
Preparation: seeds can be removed or not, as taste and size dictate…halve lengthwise and scoop clean.
From Amaranth to Zucchini, Elizabeth Schneider, William Morrow, 2001
For more information on bitter melons visit www.bittermelon.org/ |
