Although bitter melon may not look impressive and its taste is not for everyone, it is highly cherished for its ability to clear heat and relieve summer heat, reduce fat and alleviate irritability, lower blood sugar, and strengthen the spleen and stimulate the appetite. However, some people are not fond of or cannot tolerate the bitter taste of raw bitter melon. After cooking, the bitterness of bitter melon mellows, and its cooling nature is also reduced. For individuals with a weak or cold spleen and stomach, eating cooked bitter melon can stimulate the appetite, replenish qi and blood, and improve eyesight. When cleverly paired with other ingredients, bitter melon offers even more health benefits.
Bitter Melon with Scrambled Eggs: Eating bitter melon with eggs helps protect bones, teeth, and blood vessels, improves the absorption of iron, strengthens the stomach, and can help treat stomach pain, eye pain, colds, typhoid fever, and diarrhea and vomiting in children.
Bitter Melon with Shredded Pork: Cooked bitter melon can invigorate the spleen and stimulate the appetite, and when paired with shredded pork, it can replenish blood and qi.
Bitter Melon with Green Peppers: Green peppers are warm in nature, which can counteract the cooling nature of bitter melon, thus strengthening the spleen and stimulating the appetite. Additionally, the vitamin A in green peppers, combined with cooked bitter melon, is beneficial for the eyes and can be a great dietary remedy for the eye blurriness, redness, and pain, and dryness that are common in the summer.
Other common ways to prepare bitter melon include cold salads, which require blanching the melon in boiling water first, then seasoning with a little salt and MSG. When blanching, it's best to place the whole melon in the water (if it's large, you can cut it in half). This method cooks the melon while retaining the alkaloids to the greatest extent. If you cut the melon into slices before blanching, the nutrients will be lost, and it won't achieve the desired health benefits.
Bitter melon scrambled eggs are not only non-toxic but are also good for your teeth! Bitter melon is a treasure and you should eat more of it!