This is the ultimate guide to winter melon, one of the most popular Chinese summer vegetables. It is delicious, low in calories, and an excellent source of dietary fiber. Winter melon can be cooked in many different ways such as stir-fried, steamed, boiled, or even to make a winter melon tea syrup. In this guide, we’ll look at how to choose the right melon, how to cook them with delicious recipes, and how to store and purchase tips. Although winter melon is believed to be quite plain, I love to cook with it because it can absorb the flavors much better than other common vegetables. Also, winter melon is such a great choice to balance the oily texture of a soup.
Winter melon, scientifically named Benincasa Hispida, is a melon that resembles a hybrid between a watermelon and a cucumber. It is a cucurbit family member, including melons, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, and pumpkins. This type of melon is easy to transport and store once harvested. Some people know winter melon as ash gourd, a mild-flavored melon often used as a vegetable in Asian cuisines, particularly Chinese and Indian cuisine. So sometimes it is also known as Chinese melon. It is often used in soups, stir-frying, braised dishes, and even in drinks.
Winter melons, despite their name, grow in warm temperatures. These gourds are native to the warm regions of Southeast Asia. However, they are widely available in other parts of the world too.
Winter Melon Soup (冬瓜汤 Dong Gua Tang) Prepare the winter melon by trimming off the seeds and surrounding fibers and cutting off the rind. Cut into 1 inch pieces. In a medium stock pot, combine the winter melon, dried shrimp, ginger, chicken broth and water. Bring the pot to a boil.
How large can a winter melon be？
Mature winter melon can weigh up to 40 pounds and a foot in length. At this size, the winter melon is round and dark green with waxy skin. You can simply look for a nice package of sliced winter melon at a nearby store for your convenience.
What does winter melon taste like?
Although the ripe winter melon is somewhat bland, the unripe winter melon has a delicate sweetness. It has a pleasant, slightly grassy flavor that has been likened to that of cucumber, although much fainter. Matured winter melons are quite firm and dense and lost their flavor to some degree. But it still has freshness.
If you tried the watermelon white rind, it tastes quite similar to winter melon. Therefore, if winter melons are unavailable, watermelon with white rind skin is occasionally might used as a replacement.
Vietnamese Winter Melon Soup – Canh Bí Sườn #Recipe
FAQ
Can winter melon skin be eaten?
How do you eat raw winter melon?
How do you eat a wax gourd?
How do you store dong gua?