Bitter melon, native to tropical Asia, gets its name from the bitter taste of its flesh and pulp. Interestingly, when cooked or stir-fried with other foods, such as in bitter melon with pork, the bitterness does not transfer to the meat, earning it the honorable name "gentleman's vegetable." While young bitter melon is bitter, the mature fruit is sweet. This is because the bitterness of the young melon comes from momordicoside, which is extremely bitter. As the fruit ripens, the momordicoside breaks down, and the bitterness disappears. The gelatinous substance around the seeds is as sweet as honey, and children often compete to eat it.
Traditional medicine holds that bitter melon is bitter in taste, cold in nature when raw, and warm in nature when cooked. Raw, it clears summer heat, purges fire, relieves fever, and alleviates irritability. Cooked, it nourishes the blood, moistens the liver, benefits the spleen and kidneys, eliminates pathogenic heat, relieves fatigue, clears the mind and brightens the eyes, and boosts Qi and yang. It can alleviate symptoms such as thirst from febrile diseases, fever from heatstroke, dysentery, and heat rash. Folk remedies often use bitter melon in the summer to clear heat, expel summer heat, brighten the eyes, and detoxify. Additionally, bitter melon is rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C, nearly three times the amount found in tomatoes. Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant that can enhance the body's stress resistance and reduce the risk of cancer. Furthermore, bitter melon also contains momordicoside, various amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, carotene, and B vitamins.
In the summer, people are prone to heatstroke, and with the rainy, humid, and hot weather, regularly consuming bitter melon is extremely beneficial to the body. Bitter melon can be stir-fried or used in soups, offering a clean, refreshing bitterness with a long-lasting aftertaste.
However, when consuming bitter melon, one should be careful not to damage the Qi of the spleen and lungs. Although the summer weather is hot, people should not eat too many bitter foods. It is best to pair them with pungent foods (such as chili, pepper, green onions, and garlic) to prevent the bitterness from affecting the heart and to help nourish the lung Qi. Traditional medicine holds that bitter melon is bitter in taste, cold in nature when raw, and warm in nature when cooked. Raw, it clears summer heat, purges fire, relieves fever, and alleviates irritability. Cooked, it nourishes the blood, moistens the liver, benefits the spleen and kidneys, eliminates pathogenic heat, relieves fatigue, clears the mind and brightens the eyes, and boosts Qi and yang. It can alleviate symptoms such as thirst from febrile diseases, fever from heatstroke, dysentery, and heat rash. Folk remedies often use bitter melon in the summer to clear heat, expel summer heat, brighten the eyes, and detoxify. Additionally, bitter melon is rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C, nearly three times the amount found in tomatoes. Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant that can enhance the body's stress resistance and reduce the risk of cancer. Furthermore, bitter melon also contains momordicoside, various amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, carotene, and B vitamins.