The market · Vegetables · South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia

Bitter melons

Karela, goya: a warty green gourd, eaten for its bitterness rather than despite it.

bitter · green · grassy
Bitter melons

What to do with it

Rosa Ibarra's Clarified milk punch, mezcal and pineappleBitter melon would temper its sweetnessKenji Hara's Milk punch, with hojichaBitter melon would temper its sweetness
Classics built on it
JapaneseGōyā chanpurūBitter melon stir-fried with firm tofu, pork and egg — Okinawa's everyday dish, bitter, savoury and soft at once.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Indian karela
Small, dark and spiky — the most bitter.
Chinese
Long, pale and smoother, milder.

Goes with

eggporktofuonion

Knowing it

Where to buy
South Asian and Chinese grocers. Firm and green, not yellowing.
A little history
Goya champuru, stir-fried with tofu, egg and pork, is Okinawa's everyday dish.
Worth knowing
Scrape out the pith and seeds, slice, salt and squeeze to soften the bitterness.

More vegetables, in season with it

VegetablesAsparagusgrassy, sweetNot cooked here yetVegetablesAuberginessmoky when charred, creamy14 classicsVegetablesBroad beansnutty, greenNot cooked here yetat its peakVegetablesButternut squashsweet, nutty2 classics