They sell them in the supermarket, even cleaned and sliced in saran wrapped styrofoam trays, I’m told they are eaten as a veggie.
I cannot begin to convey just how bitter they are, a small slice is I promise you the most bitter thing you have ever tasted. I like bitter, I like my coffee black, this is another universe of bitter, insanity given food form. And that was with two changing of water, I can’t even imagine what they would be like if you didn’t change the cooking water.
:eek:
Slice them very thin.
Deep fry them.
Salt them.
They are delicious.
Or cook them down in a curry.
Slice them very thin.
Deep fry them.
Salt them.
They are delicious.
Or cook them down in a curry.
Slice them very thin.
Deep fry them.
Salt them.
Use as a coaster.
Slice them very thin.
Deep fry them.
Salt them.
Play Frisbee.
They’re a common ingredient in Okinawan food, but even cutting off small bits of a slice to mix into a big moutfull of other things, I never felt like it meshed with the rest of the food and was just tasteless and bitter.
On the other hand, one can develop a taste for Ukon Cha (Turmeric Tea).
In my experience, they’re not always THAT bitter. Not sure if that was due to the preparation, or to the variety (maybe, like spiciness in chili peppers, there is a range of bitterness).
In any case, some swear that the yuckiness is proof of their nutritional or medicinal value. That’s a folk-knowledge type of correlation to make, but at least explains why some people choke 'em down.
It’s an acquired taste, but once you get used to the bitterness it can become almost addictive. We have them at least once a week in the summer, usually as an Okinawa-style stir-fry.
I like them just sliced wafer thin, salted and soaked then squeezed out and mixed with a can of tuna fish and some sesame dressing.
The middle furry bit is very bitter - use a spoon and make sure it’s all scraped out. You should end up with little green fanged smiles!
I almost wonder if they’d be good in some sort of deep fried application? Maybe really thin slices, salted after frying?
YES and they are fucking amazing. You don’t eat them straight, you halve them lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and pulp, slice the rest thinly crosswise, then cook them up with (in our case) lots of South Indian spices. Then you mix a little bit (or a lot, depending on taste) of that in with a mouthful of rice and sambar or dal. Food-gasm on a plate, I swear. I’m addicted to that stuff.
We just cooked some last night, it’s waiting for me for lunch. Yum.
This word “almost” is unnecessary.
I’ve had them a time or two, and they didn’t seem all that bitter to me. So uh, yeah, I guess they’re edible.
I used to eat them regularly, and I agree they don’t seem that bitter. Maybe it’s a preparation thing.
Did I mention you slice… never mind 
Oh they are delicious if cooked right. My mom used to make karela and it was liberally coated in spices and so good.
I was with an asian friend at a local asian place that has a variety of “Americanized” and “less-Americanized” dishes. My friend got some dish with meat and bitter melon. I told him I’d never had it, and asked whether it was “really bitter” or just called that because it’s not sweet. He said, “Oh, it’s bitter… here try some.”
Holy crap that’s bitter. It was somewhat like the bitterness of an unripe persimmon, without the feeling that you ate a mouthful of sand. The taste didn’t appeal to me, but it was clearly food (ie, it didn’t have that “how can ANYONE eat this?” quality). If it was something I was used to, I’d probably like it fine, but my first impression was not deliciousness.
There’s at least one beer, like this one from Okinawa, that’s brewed with bitter melon in place of hops.
By now you know that the name is not just the name. I had some in a Filipino restaurant, and to me it tasted like I ate a mouthful of grass. I don’t think I’ll go back for another encounter, but the recipes posted here could change me…
Ah, Fu Gua. i was introduced to them by my Cantonese wife. It’s definitely an acquired taste of sorts, but can be oh so good. I slice them into thin rings and stir fry them with pork, garlic, and black beans. It’s become one of my specialty dishes and a cold-weather favorite!
I even have a photo recipe 
My wife likes it; she usually has it with beef and black bean sauce (Chinese-style).
I’ll eat some too if I’m hungry enough, but I don’t care for the flavour. It’s too bitter for me.