I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
peel.

Then what? Does it need to be cooked or can I just
slice it up and eat it? Any ideas?

Steve

Steve wrote on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:38:17 +0000 (UTC):

> Then what? Does it need to be cooked or can I just
> slice it up and eat it? Any ideas?

Don't peel it. There were a couple of posts last year on Bitter Melon
soup but, of course, the usual Google advice is relevant.

Try http://chinesefood.about.com/library...ittermelon.htm

for example.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Apr 23, 1:38*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
> and now am wondering what to do with it. *It is green
> and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
> peel.
>
> Then what? *Does it need to be cooked or can I just
> slice it up and eat it? *Any ideas?
>
You can peel it if you like but the peel is actually edible. I've
never eaten it raw, only cooked, and usually with strong flavors
because it is in fact bitter. So you'll find recipes for curries with
bitter melon, for example.

If you buy it green, it's more bitter. You can also find it yellow-
orange, maybe later in the year, and at that riper stage it's somewhat
less bitter. -aem

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
>I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
> and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
> and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
> peel.
>
> Then what? Does it need to be cooked or can I just
> slice it up and eat it? Any ideas?
>
>
http://chinesefood.about.com/library...ittermelon.htm

Steve wrote:

> I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
> and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
> and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
> peel.
>
> Then what? Does it need to be cooked or can I just
> slice it up and eat it? Any ideas?

It's more than likely that there's *nothing* you can do to prepare it in a
way you'll like. Bitter melon is very much an acquired taste. As the name
implies, it's very bitter. For "beginners" at eating bitter melon, the
consensus appears to be that you should cut it into thin slices and fry it
in very hot oil until crisp. The crisp pieces can be used as a garnish for
cooked fish or sprinkled with salt, coconut flakes, and lime juice and eaten
as a snack with beer.

Bob

wrote on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:55:40 -0700 (PDT):

> On Apr 23, 1:38 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
>> I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
>> and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
>> and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
>> peel.
>>
>> Then what? Does it need to be cooked or can I just
>> slice it up and eat it? Any ideas?
>>
> You can peel it if you like but the peel is actually edible.
> I've never eaten it raw, only cooked, and usually with strong
> flavors because it is in fact bitter. So you'll find recipes
> for curries with bitter melon, for example.

It has an interesting taste but there also the usual oriental folk
superstitions. It helps in diabetes and inhibits AIDS among other
things. Have a look at
http://bittermelon.org/heal/bittersweettastetesting

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Apr 23, 1:59*pm, "James Silverton" >
wrote:
>
> It has an interesting taste but there also the usual oriental folk
> superstitions. It helps in diabetes and inhibits AIDS among other
> things. Have a look at http://bittermelon.org/heal/bittersweettastetesting
>
Why would I look at a website that thinks eating a melon (actually a
squash) inhibits AIDS? Ain't nothin' "oriental" 'bout superstitions
like that. -aem

Steve Pope > wrote:

> I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
> and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
> and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
> peel.

Spiky(?) or not, throw it away. It's one of those tastes that I,
and I suspect most Americans, won't ever get used to.

On the brighter side I just stir-fried some Siamese shark (*) with
broad rice noodles and "minced crab in spices". Another dish that
takes getting used to (the "minced crab"), but is much easier to get
used to. Also comes in shrimp form.

http://www.myethnicworld.com/p-3853-...ices-6-oz.aspx

-sw

> wrote:

> On Apr 23, 1:59*pm, "James Silverton" >
> wrote:
>>
>> It has an interesting taste but there also the usual oriental folk
>> superstitions. It helps in diabetes and inhibits AIDS among other
>> things. Have a look at http://bittermelon.org/heal/bittersweettastetesting
>>
> Why would I look at a website that thinks eating a melon (actually a
> squash) inhibits AIDS? Ain't nothin' "oriental" 'bout superstitions
> like that.

I thought that same thing. Superstitions are usually passed down
from past generations. In this case I don't think AIDS was in the
"superstition agenda".

It's just marketing. And bad marketing at that.

-sw

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
> and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
> and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
> peel.

Figure out who your worst enemy is. Give it to them. Make sure they
have neither your address nor your phone number.

> Then what? Does it need to be cooked or can I just
> slice it up and eat it? Any ideas?

Slice it up like a zucchini, unpeeled, and stir fry however you like to
stir fry. I have eaten it several times in restaurants, but not for
decades. I liked it, although I don't think it was ever a dish that my
wife and I finished. My dim memory is dishes with meat and other
vegetables. It is in fact very bitter, not just a little bit.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Steve Pope wrote:
>
> I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
> and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
> and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
> peel.
>
> Then what? Does it need to be cooked or can I just
> slice it up and eat it? Any ideas?
>
> Steve


AFAIK it needs to be cooked. Cut the ends off and scoop out the seeds,
then cut up as required.

Look he http://bittermelon.org/

Look up recipes for: ampalaya (Tagalog), karela (Hindi), kho qua
(Vietnamese), ku gua (Mandarin)...

Here's a Chinese recipe to get you started.

Bitter Gourd and Sparerib Soup (From 'Chinese Snacks')

2/3 lb spareribs
1 lb bitter gourd/melon
1 tbs fermented black beans
2 tbs tiny dried fish

Seasoning:
1 tsp rice wine
2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
6 c water
1 tsp MSG (optional)

Cut spareribs into bite-size pieces and gourd into 1/2 inch thick
slices. Rinse fermented black beans and dried fish; drain. Mix the
seasoning and the ribs and gourd in a bow. Steam for 30 minutes. Add MSG
(if used) and serve.

In article >,
Sqwertz > wrote:

> Steve Pope > wrote:
>
> > I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
> > and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
> > and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
> > peel.
>
> Spiky(?) or not, throw it away. It's one of those tastes that I,
> and I suspect most Americans, won't ever get used to.

Oh, no. There's great a dim sum dish consisting of some sort of fish
paste on a slice of bitter melon, dressed with a brown sauce. Very good.
It's more usual (in the Bay Area, anyhow) to see the dish made with a
square of green bell pepper, but that's a very poor substitute, IMO.

Isaac

On Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:31:40 -0700, isw > wrote:

>In article >,
> Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>> Steve Pope > wrote:
>>
>> > I impulsively bought a bitter melon from Berkeley Bowl
>> > and now am wondering what to do with it. It is green
>> > and spiky looking so I assume I must cut off the outer
>> > peel.
>>
>> Spiky(?) or not, throw it away. It's one of those tastes that I,
>> and I suspect most Americans, won't ever get used to.
>
>Oh, no. There's great a dim sum dish consisting of some sort of fish
>paste on a slice of bitter melon, dressed with a brown sauce. Very good.
>It's more usual (in the Bay Area, anyhow) to see the dish made with a
>square of green bell pepper, but that's a very poor substitute, IMO.
>
I couldn't acquire a taste for bitter melon. It grows hair on your
tongue and makes your teeth fuzzy. Honest.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.