Bitter Melon

Bearing a distinctive warty fruit in October, bitter melon is traditionally associated with autumn in Japanese poetry. When fully ripe, the fruit cracks and reveals pink flesh, as depicted here. Even though the fruit is edible, bitter melon was enjoyed mostly for its ornamental yellow flowers during the Edo period (1615-1868). 

Bitter melon is an astringent, slightly bitter vegetable that is cooked in a variety of dishes. Bitter melons are usually warty in texture and oblong. They are picked from the vine when they are green or only slightly ripe.The seeds are removed before it is cooked. There are two main types of bitter melon; Chinese and Indian.  The variety commonly used in Chinese stir-fry recipes is warty, light green and oblong, and it is accompanied with garlic, eggs, pork, “douchi” (black soybean). It has also been used as a bittering agent in place of hops in some beers in China and Japan. The variety used in India is narrow and dark green with deep ridges, and it is often sliced, marinated in salt and tamarind, and then fried with spices for flavoring. Sweet yogurt is used as a side to compliment the bitterness.  Bitter melon is commonly picked in Nepal and throughout Northern India. In Sri Lanka, it is used to make “sambol,” a salad with a mixture of cooked and raw ingredients. Bitter melon is also popular in the Caribbean. In Trinidad and Tabago it is called “caraille” and fried. In Jamaica is it called “cerasee” and is often used to make a tea.